Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thanks jay, but colum beat you to it. Two posts up! I'm going to add some acid this morning.

I have my forum posts in reverse

I also read that nitrite/ammonia combo is pretty bad for fish, as is temp/ammonia.

That's strange

I have added some acid to try and bring my PH down. Is there anything that I can do about either the ammonia or nitrite? Other then wait it out.

I thought that this was all part of the cycling process.

Your cycling with fish - I cycled my main 2 systems without fish. Its a fine line there with warm temps and high toxicity.

add salt to counteract the nitrites - pool salt with no additives.

But then again, you've just got comets - so no harm in loosing a few over cycling stage.

Ok thanks jay. I think I will let it ride, like you said they are only comets!

Ok, I did another water test. It looks like the acid brought the PH down a little bit. Do you think that I need to add more?

My water temp today is 23.8°

The nitrites are getting higher.

Yeah - don't feed.

The nitrites will probably go dark purple 5+

How long have you been cycling?

Summer took me 2 weeks
winter took me 5 weeks

I'd definitely salt the system at that level of nitrites if you haven't already. It shouldn't upset your plants 'too' much if you salt to 3ppt. Other than strawberries which don't like it.


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I have stopped feeding. It is summer here and it's been running about 2 weeks now.

I do have strawberries and they are doing really well.

You don't want to move the PH too quickly. Give it a few days, and bring it down again. Salting helps the fish survive the nitrite spike, doesn't get rid of it.

I'd just let it do it's thing.

If they're only comets that you're not fussed about and your plants are doing well, you could just let it go I guess. The nitrites will turn into nitrates eventually. Not sure if your kids feel the same way about the fish as mine - once they've got names it's harder to have losses :-)


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Yeah I think I will let it ride and wait a few days to bring the PH down a little more.

I do hear what you are saying. I have 40 of them in there, I'm sure they haven't seen the same fish twice. That's why I bought the comets, so I didn't have to worry to much if they die.

So I redid the trim around the edge of my GB and put up some plastic chicken wire so that my peas and beans can climb.





Here are some of my radishes that are sprouting.