Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Finally got around to hooking up all the bits and bobs of my first kit. Plan is Kale and Jade Perch since they both sound fairly easy (they will have to wait til next pay day though ).

I'm in Townsville, the IBC only gets direct sun in the later part of the afternoon, during the middle of the day it is protected by a shade cloth.

The pump is a 2400 litre per hour job I got on special; currently have it running 24/7. I know another fellow who has a bigger set up and I will get a few buckets of water off him sometime this week to get the bacteria rolling.

If anyone up this way has any thoughts or tips I'd love to hear them.


Thanks for looking,


Kyle.

Apart from eww, kale. All looking good!

It looks good And the pump special will probably give you quite enough flow to add another bed too once 'the bug' really takes hold!
Nice work Kyle

Just got my API test kit and thought I'd take it for a spin.

PH 7.8
Ammonia 0-0.25
nitrite 0
nitrate 0

Going to order my Jades this weekend

Whoops, should have added that it has had plants in it for a little over a week. Have been dolloping in the Seasol as well.

Looks great. Nice job

I finally have some ammonia in my system (I'd just been doing peeponics and very slowly at that), I assume my nitrites will be close behind. I have one bristlenose catfish in there and a used piece of driftwood the fellow at the fish store was nice enough to sell me so I should have all the bacteria I need!

I have a question if anyone has time to respond: I have already ordered my perch (because Ausyfish have a sale on 8-10cm perch) but should I ask them to hold off on delivering them until my system finishes cycling? Some people seem to fish-cycle, some don't and others don't even pay attention to their levels...

You can add the fish now, but there will be a few things you'll need to do first.



That's an ammonia toxicity chart, it'll let you know when your ammonia levels will be toxic.

You'll need to pull down the PH first before adding the fish, using hydrochloric acid (pool acid, really cheap), and salt the water to 1ppt (1 gram of salt per liter of water, with pool salt, not table salt). They should be fine through the cycling period with that. Just monitor the levels, and keep tabs on it.

If you can relocate the sole bristlenose during the PH change, it'll let you make the ph swing quicker, if you add too much with it still in there, you'll probably kill it. And I think the Jade perch will eat the bristlenose too, but don't quote me on that.

Or just hold off on them delivering for a few week until the nitrites have spiked and are lowering.

Colum, you are my Elvis; that information is perfect. Looks like I have a little shopping to do this week. I'll drop the PH, thankfully it's still cool at the moment and the tank is well shaded, though I have no idea what it's actual temperature is.

As for the Bristlenose: he's a bit of a test. A guy I spoke to said that Jades in a group are normally pretty easy going with other fish and will normally only make trouble if they are on their lonesome. He suggested putting a cheap bristlenose in with them, if he survives a day then I can add more expensive Plecos.

Thanks again, boss!

Just a quick note: Fish have been delayed til next week. Ammonia peaked at 1ppm and is dropping, nitrites are finally appearing (either 0.25ppm or close).

Oh man, I just noticed I have fish below my name. Go me!

Hi.
Is your system on a syphon ? If so you could ditch that big distribution pipe inside the growbed and have more room for kale. If its constant flood then yes, you need to distribute the water around. I like how you called it "First System", already looking to the future !

It's a constant flood. Unfortunately the kale was the one thing I put in there that didn't instantly adapt. I took it out and added in some extra strawberries (which is great; never been able to get strawberries to grow well up here). Once it's running on fish poo and not seasol I will try another variety of kale.

I must have have unconsciously put that in there but yes, if all goes well... expansion. First thing's first though, gotta get fish in there and have them not die.

where are you getting the fish from?

I got some from Ausyfish because they had a sale on. They are large-ish (8-10cm) so it will be more interesting for the kids to help me put them into their new home