Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

that's a beautiful system you just built, very pleasing to the eye.

Thank you so much! I hope to add to the aesthetic aspect little by little.

Agree with Stuart. A jack and some shims and you can have any minor issues fixed before they become major. 1 of my GB's did the same after a large rain, and i was able to jack it up and level it in no time. Also fixed the drainage issue that caused it, and it's been rock solid ever since.

That black cinder is going to look even more amazing contrasted with green plants! Well done!

I've been running my system for nearly a week with no fish and a few plants.
What do these test results mean? PH is at 9, Ammonia is at 1ppm and Nitrite is at 5ppm!
My kit doesn't have a test for nitrate.



My PH has been steady at this level since I put my cinder in but this is the first time I've seen nitrites shoot up like that.
Is the nitrite spike just a sign that the bacteria colony is developing?

Did you do the PH/vinegar test on the cinder? Once the test maxes out, it could be much higher than 9. Don't add any fish until the PH is lower.

Hi squatchaponics,just caught up on your thread really nice looking system.I notice your going to use EM1,just my observations from my system but don’t add it neat,it works very well neat as a foliar but in both instances it is best and more economical to ferment it with molasses,mixing is 1-1-20,EM1,molasses and water,then when its stopped fermenting which is up to 3 weeks,this is now EM1A, you can add it to your system at a ratio of one part EM1A to 10,000 parts water.
I also use it in my foliar sprays at 10 ml per Litre,it will also make a bug spray,the recipe from my notes is,
300 ml water,
50ml molasses,
50ml vinegar,
50ml Ethyl Alcohol/whiskey,
50ml EM1.
Put this is a coke bottle and let it ferment out,mixing is 10ml per litre of water.

Thanks for the recipes. I will definitely look into that. I did add 1 cap full of EM1 as an inoculant. Not sure if it did anything though. I also added about 2 caps of kelp extract over the course of 1 week. I was hoping to give any possible bacteria a little snack to urge them on.

And I haven't done the vinegar test on the cinder but I will when I get home tonight. I didn't do the test because so many people have bought and used cinder from this vendor for so long that I really didn't think it was necessary. You never know though, better safe than sorry.

As promised, I tested the water again when I got home from work and this is the result.



It looks like a solid 7 to me. I must have screwed up the earlier test, maybe too many drops?
I'll test it again in the morning just to make sure.

I also tested the cinder with white vinegar. No bubbles what so ever.

All looking great. Good PH range too if it turns out 7.

Also, regarding the EM1A... once fermented, what is the shelf life of the brew? If I mix up a few gallons can I keep it in a cool area protected from sun for a few months? And by my calculations I should add about .8 cups of the brew to my roughly 500 gallon system on a weekly basis. Does that sound correct? Oh, and is this brew done in a 5 gal bucket with a lose fitting lid?

I only brew 5 litres at a time and that has lasted kept in a dark cool spot for approx 2 months,there are some simple tests,as its brewing it produces a lot of gas,so you are advised to release the cap slowly to vent the bottle,i use plastic 1 1/4 litre coke bottles for the job,with the bucket lid thing i don’t know but as in beer and wine fermenting you don’t do it,most of the farms here brew it in the coke bottles,maybe you could fit a bubbler in the lid,that should keep it safe.
When the fermenting process is coming to an end you immediately notice the gas production slowing,it should now have a nice sweet smell and a PH of 3.5,now providing the EM1A remains with this sweet smell its still ok,i have never had one go off in the time i have used it.Following the instructions for fish farm pond use which is 1 part to 10,000 added monthly,in my system off roughly 5000 litre i add 500 ml monthly straight into the sump.
For Foliar which i do on a regular basis i add 10ml per litre with what ever else i want to spray,so it could be EM1A,Fe eddha,a dash of neem if i have bugs and calcium,i mix up 4 litres and spray away.
I can’t tell in specific details the improvements it has made but i have noticed things,i am convinced the break down of solids is quicker,but i can’t prove that,i have used it now for quite a while with only benefits to show and no negatives.

Sounds great! Thanks for the explanation. I will most definitely give EM1A a try. I'll probably start brewing tomorrow.

I tested the water again this morning and things look pretty good.



Is the high nitrite typical of a cycling system? What value should I look for in nitrite before I add fish?
I was thinking about adding some cheap gold fish to help things progress. Would this high nitrite kill them straight away?

You actually want to see the NO2 spike. It indicates your nitrifying bacteria are beginning to colonize, which is what cycling is all about! Wait for NO2 to drop before adding fish.