Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi fellas me again. The last weeks readings have hardly changed: Ph 7.4, Ammonia .25, Nitrite off the scale, Nitrate 160. Been very little fluctuation at all. Adding nothing to the tanks but have done a few 200L water changes in about 900L tank water (ibc). Do I just need to be patent or do something?

Sounds like things are working - just slowly. Just need patience.

What is your water temp?

what was last weeks numbers?

Having nitrites is a good sign, means you have the ammonia bacteria going..

Thank you gentlemen, the water temp is 24c was 33c here today early summer. Do I need to keep my ammonia at 1ppm? There are so many conflicting reports when you start reading.

Also made up a few wicking pots, they are great, tomato's are hard in Queensland but the wicking system seems to work well

Ooops forgot last weeks numbers. Ph 8, ammonia 4, Nitrites 3, Nitrates 80

Thanks again for your advice, I appreciate your input

Get some shadecloth over your tomatoes and you might have more success with them. They love wicking beds/pots

Hi Mantis, yes on the shade cloth and I bag the trusses we seem to have a lot of fruit fly around. Got traps out, and my badminton racket for the cabbage butterflies

No more ammonia.

When I had nitrites off the chart, I tried diluting the test sample with demineralised water and I ended up with 5 drops ft water and 80 drops demineralised water before I got a change in colour on the test chart. I did the cycling with fish. The next three days I did 20% water changes and the nitrate production kicked in. I read somewhere that levels too high can be counterproductive.

Just be patient for a couple of days.

If you dont have fish then just wait...The ammonia being low now means its all switched to nitrites.

The system wont have stalled, when ammonia hits 0 and nitrites are at 0 then you are running well

Thanks for all the useful tips everyone and I am doing a fishless cycle. From what I have read it seemed to be the best way to go.

As my best mate used to say, "I ain't had so much fun since the hogs ate ma bruder"

Nah... let your nitrites drop back.. then you can redose if you want to...

Ok not adding anything except water. I still don't understand the whole concept, so I will just follow your lead thank you very much RupertofOZ. Very much appreciated.

Ok today: ph 7.6 ammonia 0 nitrites .25 nitrates .0

50% water change and added 1 tbsp Charles Crap

new reading ph 7.2 ammonia .25 nitrite .25 nitrate 5

How'm I doin' boss

6 days and your nitrite dropped like that?
Why did you change the water and add charlie carp? = contradicting yourself here I think

Ok... now let the ammonia and subsequent nitrite spikes work back to zero.... then add fish...