Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Wow cool system I may say What are you trying to grow in it?

Thanks kaishin! I am really proud of how it is turning out.

As far as the plants I have most of them in already as I am in the north (South Dakota) in the US and well into the growing season. Summers get hot and winters get cold here. I have seen the temp hit 117 F (47.2 C) in the summer and -35 F (-37.2 C) in the winter. Right now I have a few tomato plants, a cucumber, squash, pumpkin, hot peppers, strawberries, green beans, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, green onion, spinach, cantaloupe, and plan to throw a lettuce seed mix in soon. Any suggestion on other veggies to grow?

That's going to get a little crowded, but should be instructive.

Crowded is good in AP!

Jake, I have the squash, pumpkins, and a few tomato plants all growing out the sides and front, out and down. I figure if anything takes up too much room as they mature I can always put them in the soil garden. I do think i may have the strawberries a bit too close but I am really just using them as a test to see how they do compared to the control strawberries in the soil.

Ron, I have a few questions if you are willing...



1. I have a water softener with salt in it. Am I safe to grab some of that? I am not sure if it has anything else in it, like 'anti-agents' or other additives.




2. I have no scale so it will be volume. What ratio should I use? I have found some conflicting info on that topic so I would rather get it from someone with experience.



3. I will most likely wait till the system is cycled before bringing it down but before I add the fish. I know to bring it down slowly as to not kill the bacteria. I have PH up and down for my hot tub (the tub doesn't work and my become a fish tank in the next couple years ) I will check the label. Anything ingredient I should stay away from with that?



4. Is this a big adjustment? Once it is cycled I would like to keep the PH around 7 ppm. Is the cycling going to bring it down that far or do you think i will need to help bring it down once it is cycled?

1. Water softener salt is what you use, but don't use the salt that is IN the water softener. Additives would likely make the salt cost more, so it I not likely in there.

2. The ratio is expressed in parts per thousand, or ppt. The ommon recomendation is 1-3 ppt. Take your water volume, and divide it by 1000. That volume would be one part per thousand, double or triple for 2 or 3 ppt. Because you are measuring by volume 2 ppt is a good number to shoot for, because if you are a little over or under, no biggie.

3. You want pure HCL. If your spa product is pure HCL, you are good to go, otherwise avoid it as other ingredients are probably not great for the fish. HCL actually helps their slime coating.

4. By the time your system is cycled, your ph will be about the same. It is a long, gradual, process for nitrificaton to bring the ph down. I couldn't tell you if you will have an issue with it being too high or too low. Chances are that as you top up, your water will bring the ph up a little, and the nitrification might bring it back down. Some people just let their system run with a high ph. To be candid, my ph is a schoche high. But my tomatoes are growing like gangbusters. Others treat their top up water with HCL to bring it down.

Like people, everyone's system is different and unique. The important thing to remember is that patience is important. Your first year is not going to look like all the photos in the IBCsofAquaponics. People growing in dirt will get vegetables before you do, but you will get more produce per plant than they will. It just takes a little patience.

So I am going through some threads and see lots of people have had issues getting the PH down. From what I am seeing it is usually from the top up water containing buffers. I have read about the buffers in drinking water and now cannot find the info anywhere. Does anyone have links to information about buffers? Either how I can find out if my tap water contains these buffers, what they are or how to top up the tank if my water does contain them? I do know my local water contains chlorine and chloramine so the water will need to be treated BEFORE adding it to the tank. I have no fish in the system yet so topping the water is not a major concern at the moment but I would like to top up and monitor the water for a couple days prior to adding the fish.

The buffers are mainly calcium from what I understand. The water companies probably don't even add it, it is not uncommon for it to just be in water. The thing to do is treat your water with some hydrochloric, or muriatic as it is also called, acid. Then test it right away, then a few hours after. If there are buffers in there the ph will drop immediately, then slowly rise back up. Then it is just a matter of adding HCL until it no longer rises. As far as the chlorimines go, there are worse things to worry about. The ammount that will be in your topup water is not enough to hurt your fish. In aquaria where full water changes are common, it might be a big deal. But for us, we have already worked the bulk of the chlorimines out during cycling. The little that are added during topup is no big deal. Now if you are treatingyour topup water anyways to lower the ph, an aerator stone and some vitamin c should have you covered.

Sorry jeezy I just saw this post.




I did run screws around the inside of the barrels into the 2x4s but I also ran a duct support strap under the middle of each GB and over the 2x4s for extra support. I think I need to add a couple cross beams for even more support as it does move slightly if I lean against it.

With the fill times on the GBs, I wanted one full and the other empty to avoid pulling more water than necessary from the FT. But with the fill and drain times it was not possable. i just let them do there thing. Some times they sync up but it is never for long. when they are both full I have about half a barrel full of water in the FT.

Yesterday I filled two 5 gallon buckets up with tap water and let them sit over night. The PH maintained at 8.2 and ammonia at 1 pmm. Over lunch today I treated both buckets with the “Nutrafin ‘aquaplus’ tap water conditioner” I had on hand. I tested the water after and the PH was the same (I did not test the ammonia). I went and got some "general hydroponics" ph down powder and added it to one of the buckets. I added enough to get the PH down to 5 - 5.5ppm (I will check it again after work to see if it buffers back up).

*I also added 3 tablespoons of unsulphured molasses as I have read it will help with trace minerals and chelated iron. This is the first time I have added anything without running past the forum. What do you guys think, good idea or bad idea adding the molasses?

I checked the AP water and the results are as follows...

July 17th - noon
PH 8
ammonia 0.25 ppm
nitrite 5 ppm
nitrate 40+ ppm
water temp 78

I noticed yesterday (before adding the molasses) that the PH appeared to be lower than the 8.2 it has maintained since start-up but though I was just being hopeful so still documented it as an 8.2. Today there is no doubt! It is at 8 if not less. So my question is, should I add the bucket of water I lowered the PH in? I am more inclined to NOT add it and let the system bring it down its self, if it will. Could the molasses have dropped the PH or is it just the system cycling?

Also if adding a 5 gallon bucket to a 50 (I think it can hold another 10 gallons) gallon system, what should i take the PH down to in the 5 gallon bucket? As I said I got it down to a PH of about 5. So adding a tenth of the water in the system already would drop my PH of 8 to ???what??? any idea?

looking at the label of the "general hydroponics" ph down powder, it says it "Contains ammonium sulfate,
citric acid and urea phosphate"

Is it a go, or no-go? I got it for free from a friend that used it in a hydroponics system.

I will NOT be adding it until i hear from you folks

i wouldn't use it..
higher ph is actually good for cycling..and it will drop from the nitrification process, then you'll be trying to buffer it up, and your water (for top ups) will actually help
when you had your water sitting out to wait to test, did you aerate it? just leaving it sit will not offgas the CO2

I didnt. I still have it, I may water my pallet garden strawberries with it.



I am just wondering how soon it will drop? My plants look good but are not thriving as well as I would like to see. I worry about nutrient lockout so I wanted to get it down to at least 7.



I did not have an aerator in it. I let it sit for over 24 hours (after being treated) and added it to the tank last night. It was 5 gallons I had treated with aquafin tap water conditioner. I then refilled the 5 gallon buck with tap water and let it sit till today at noon. I ran home for lunch and threw some conditioner in and dropped an air stone in to gas it off, I plan to add it in the morning. I may need one more bucket full after this to top it off fully.

I tested the water at noon and now have a few questions. Here are the results of the test...

July 18th - noon
PH 8
ammonia 0.25 ppm
nitrite 0 ppm
nitrate 40 ppm
water temp 80


What I am wondering about is the nitrite count. It was at 5 ppm yesterday at noon, I added the 5 gallon bucket at about 8pm. Today at noon the nitrite count is at 0 ppm. I am guessing the count was diluted by the addition of the 5 gallons AND from the cycling process as the nitrites where dropping. This is why i was trying to hold off adding more water but I guess the count will go higher as the water evaporates anyway.

So whats next? Add fish? I am not sure about adding more water till it is full then adding fish, or adding water till it is full spiking the ammonia again and timing the cycling from ammonia to nitrate, then adding fish. I guess the fish may spike the ammonia when I add them.

My wife and I are going to Las Vegas tomorrow and will be gone for 4 days so either way I will not be adding fish till we get back. I may fill the system and pee in it or add some urea just to let it do its thing while we are gone, test the water when we get back and then add fish if all is well at that point.


Please, any suggestions would be welcomed. I want to make sure I do not miss anything or jump the gun and cause problems.

stop with adding the chemicals.. top up with tap water and you'll be fine..you don't want to add to much ammonia because if it's too high, it will actually inhibit the cycling process... you really don't need to go over 2ppm with ammonia during cycling
to help plants while the ph is high, get some "maxicrop with iron" a liter will only be 10 bucks or so and will last a while.. you'll only need a cap full or two every 3 or 4 weeks until your system matures..my ph dropped after 8 or 9 months, and i have since added quite a bit of shellgrit, and a little hydrated lime occassionally to keep it up to around 7.2-7.4
i didn't use any other "ph up" or "ph down" product besides the shellgrit and hydrated lime

So I was kinda of questioning the zero nitrite count from the other day. After work that day I went home and tested the water again and got a 5 ppm nitrite count. I treated two 5 gallon buckets and bubbled them for a day and added them before we left. I did not spike the ammonia it was at .25 ppm yesterday before we left. We are in Vegas now man is it hot! Looking forward to checking the water when we get home.