Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thanks. How low of pH?

This is current water test as of 5 minutes ago.

Until you are cycled, I would not try to correct decencies too much. Once you are cycled, and feeding at a more substantial rate, the problems will likely clear up. Your fish feed will be adding the nutrients.

Ok that makes sense. Since i had a nitrite spike i was feeding once a day to every other day. Should i bump up the feeding to 2-3 times a day? They were eating that much before spike...

What is the sign that a system is done cycling?

The whole reason for the fish is to end up with Nitrates for the plants, while you are showing readings of Nitrates there is no reason to ramp up feeding. Some say you should show no Nitrates but i and other believe you should be showing some Nitrates as this is an indication there is food readily available for your plants.

If you monitor carefully you will see Ammonia Spike, followed by Nitrite spike then see nitrates appear but nitrites and ammonia disappear.

Keep feeding as you are (don't change) and monitor nitrites, if they disappear and ammonia stays away, then you are pretty much cycled. If Nitrites go up then back off feeding until they go back down.

Sweet! Thanks!

Should I worry about the nutrient deficiency? Or does that happen when Nitrites spike?

Green leaf veins and yellowing in between, then leaf turns brown slowly and dies. First happens on older leaves.

That is sometimes the natural progression of leaves for some plants. Why put resources into a leaf you no longer need? Again, I would not worry about it yet. As your system matures, these things will take care of themselves.

Makes sense. Now all leaves are getting yellow, which i know goes with the flowering stage, but leafs are dying. These are in cucumber and ampalya(bitter gourd). The bitter gourd is growing super quick...



Thoughts?

Thoughts... Cucumber is hard to grow in ap. Plant lots, one will likely survive, and when it does it will reward you with many a cucumber.

Is there a reason that cucumbers are hard? On a larger scale would more cucumbers be successful?

Jeepers, i planted 1 and it has been giving us at least a cucumber a day for the past 8 weeks or so, i am giving so many away that friends are even knocking them back lol.

Powdery mildew seems to be the biggest culprit. Kitacooch, you are a lucky individual. But like I said, if you get one to survive, you will be rewarded.

Ya, mine just all went bleh, ganked them and replaced them with other sprouts. Other veggies are doing amazingly well, lush green.



It seems like my system hasnt finished cycling. Nitrites are still a lil spiked...


Would over stocking tanks have this effect?

Yes. Overstocking the tanks certainly would have that effect. Too much ammonia can delay the second phase of cycling as the nitrifying bacteria that convert nitrites to nitrate can be killed by too much ammonia.

Hey Pinoy, really enjoying the progress you're making. Thanks for keeping us updated.

Regards, Martin.