Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Some updates. Now cycling horay!

Crivens Jay you're a machine...
Well done, looks great.

Hey thanks skegs.
Your tomato pots are just the ticket for outside my greenhouse. Except I might do dwarf fruit trees or blueberrys. What did you use as the black lip around the top of the blue barrels?

How long would a system like this take to cycle with the following points:
Its warmer in the greenhouse
6 buckets and 2 half IBC's of the other systems AP water

Should I be looking for PH drop and Nitrite spike? or is there enough nitrate bacteria to not show that?

I used some rubber extrusion I had laying around in the shed, it's called capping rubber I think. I still need to insulate the barrels, long way to go yet.
I used loads of water from my first system in the second one and it still took nearly 2 months so I reckon you'd be looking at a minimum of a month in the greenhouse.

I've got some movement on the nitrites that was 5 days of quickness
I've added 25 silver perch fingerlings (will they be okay with these levels?)

PH 7.4
Ammonia .25
Nitrite 2.0
Nitrate 80

Are you sure your ph is 7.4, and not maxed out on the low ph chart? Did you check it with the high ph drops.

yeah I did on the last check
It was not quick aqua blue so a little less that 7.6 and not jumping up on the high PH (teal brown) so 7.4.

I'm thinking that if the system has approx 1/2 of its water as established AP water, then its going to move quicker? also with all this warm weather. Also I added some charlie carp and seasol.

You have to use a the high ph dropper to get on the high ph scale. I think you are using the low ph dropper, and it will not show anything above 7.4. In other words it will not jump above the blue no matter how high the ph is, unless you use the other tester. Anytime you get a ph of 7.4 you need to check it with the high ph tester to see if it is higher.

Did you notice the kit has two ph tests? One is for the first scale low ph, the second is for the second scale high ph. The high ph won't show below 7.5 and won't show above 8.5. The low won't show below 5.0 or above 7.4, no matter how high or low it actually is.

He mentioned two tests. I think he is where I was a year ago. The bottom of the high ph, the top of the low.

Latest Test:

PH - 7.4
NH3 - 0
NO2 - 5+
NO3 - 60-80

Do I need to add more ammonia?

Wait for the no2 to come down.

thanks Ronmaggi noodle

Here are some pics from today.
Working on the sump lid and step over the pipes.


Have planted out with tomatoes, cucumbers, spring onions, basil, capsicums, lettuce. And I've put the plastic around. Finally finished the other 2 leaky barrels and glued all pipe work.

Hiya Jay cool media.
So your max nh3 reading was 0.25?

Nice setup you have going there Jay. Tell me what type of plastic sheeting are you using for your green house?