Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Looking good Bob. Doesn't look like you are having any issues having fish in the sump as well eh. Getting 50 new catfish babies next week so I might put 30 of them in the sump of my big system

Sweet... Hope you will be posting pic's or a clip Mantis

Have had a nitrite spike (.5-1)in the system & the jades have gone off the feed.. Dumped 500L & replaced it then took the bed off line.. Tested again tonight & I found it had reduced to between .25-.5.. Have another 500L with an air pipe I made up in it to help remove the chlorine & that should go in late tomorrow or early Monday..

Think it was all the muck in the constant flow bed that was disturbed when I removed a kang kong.. The roots looked like they were growing in mud..

If I remember a conversation I had with Paul correctly I think it is the type of bacteria that dwell in the muck that produce nitrite due to the anaerobic environment..

Think I will be turning the barrel bed into a flood & drain bed after I clean all the muck out of the balls..

All the other levels are sweet though, Amm trace & Ates off the chart still..
Oh the joys

Do you have worms in your GB BnBob?

Not in the constant flow Rsevs, just the flood & drain..

And the F&D is the one with the muck?

I am not fully up to speed with your system sorry but are you heavily stocked?

Sorry Rsevs, I meant constant flow... Have altered my post...
Have 3 x 300L IBC beds that are flood & drain as well as the 100L barrel constant flow that was taken off line today... It is a 1700L system powered by 30 x 200g+ jades..

Ahhh ok

I would recommend chucking some worms in there rather than cleaning all the muck out. Let it go for a month or two and see how it goes. Keep the water flowing obviously so the worms can breathe

If it isnt clearing then maybe clean. Lots of goodness in there

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!
Sorry aboooot that..

New development...
Think the bacteria are crashing
pH 6.9-7
Ammonia 2
nitrites2-5 ;(
nitrates still off the charts..

Have no idea to what I have done..
The last lot of anything added was ¼cup hydrated lime on Friday & the levels were all fine except for the nitrites that I posted about on Saturday.. all that did was raise the pH from 6.6 to 6.9..

Nitrites appears to have spiked since Sunday morning when it was still .25-.5
Any ideas people out there???

I have dumped another 500L & topped up with clean water + am filling an IBC with 1000L just in case the fish survive long enough to need clean water....

**sits back & chills for 5 min**

Thanks in advance...

bob - i haven't read all your posts (i will) however it looks like a well cycled system if im correct?

I see you said something about "mud looking", and looking at your very well developed plants, initially id be checking for anaerobic zone somewhere, that will normally bring nitrITES back up....

I removed the only possible anaerobic bed from the system on Saturday & thought all was well when I checked that night Erich.. I checked the flood & drain beds the other day & they all appear to be filling & draining properly...

I suppose I could try & flush out the F & D beds but would that just disturb more muck creating more of an issue do you think ??

Something i remember from Rupert:

You only need to salt to 1ppt (1kg/1000L) ... to mitigate against Nitrites...
Wont affect your plants or bacteria at this level...

I would salt if you can and monitor. I would be worried once the ITES get to 1.0 or more. Give it a day or 2 more to settle

if you are 110% there are no anaerobic zones there, i wouldn't flush...

You're probably right that the spike is due to "stirring up" the grow bed Bob.... but you bacteria wont have "crashed" at that pH...

I wouldn't "flush" anything more... just salt to mitigate the nitrites... and let the system settle down...