Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

not really... pigs are just stupid.... LOL

I think its last thought may have been "I really wish I could fly,"

forest, you have now trully been initiated! Your thread has officially been hijacked (by pigs )

yeh was thinking that.

I love pigs, and they are actually very intelligent.

I have nothing to report except I did the water tests and all are the same as before:
pH 7, nitrites - clear, ammonia 0

The fish are doing brilliantly, the plants are putting on new growth and we're very happy with the system.

What? We are done talking about pigs? I love AP when the readings are boring. Keep up the good work forest.

c'mon forest, get yourself a nitrite and nitrate test kit

Glad to hear all is well!

steve, I still haven't got that test kit for nitrates but I'll order it today. To tell you the truth the system is going along so well I haven't thought about getting the kit. I know I have to, and will. The three other tests I'm doing are still very good.

Two mornings ago there was a very big improvement in the clarity of the water in the fish tank. The following morning it was better again. Is this a sign that the bacteria are doing their job?

The vegetables are putting on leaves and the tomatoes are looking very healthy and have grown. Overall, we're very happy with the system.

When I have set up large gravel bio-filters for ornamental ponds, it takes about two weeks to go from pea green soup to crystal clear. Magically, it happens almost overnight at about the two week mark. (Un-believers are amazed.) I suspect your clarity issues are more with suspended solids rather than algae with your system being pretty new. However, maybe it's a similar magic.

I saw my system last year go from green opaque water to clear yellowish almost overnight, but I think the pH dropping below 7 had a lot to do with it as the algae wouldn't like a low pH.

Yep, the overnight clearing from pea soup to crystal clear is really something to behold... The first time I really say it was with an early system I set up, spent weeks upset about about the horrible pea soup, trying all different ways to clear it up without success... Went away for a night on the weekend, came back and it was clear.. I was totally amazed at the change...

witnessed that at S&A's too, probably around week 3. absolutly CRYSTAL

I came home from work today, the water is very clear but a couple of the fish are flashing. Tests done straight away - pH 7, nitrites 0 and ammonia 2. I still have no way to test nitrates. We are changing water as I type this. How much should we change and is there anything else we can do beside stop feeding?

do you have any salt in the water?

was it 1kg per 1000L gives 1 ppt, everyone?

dose to say 2 ppt minimum

I have added no salt. What does that do?