Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello again, I apologize for not getting back sooner but have been working diligently on getting my system up and running. Well here is the update about the running system a friend of mine gave me.
After plenty of research the Sanctuary 48 (thought it was a 32) I was able to assemble my system. It is now running. The media I have sat stagnant in barrels for 4 days before the first water went through. Well, I had 200 gallons of rain water collected that I put in and then added tap water for the other 100 plus. I let it run for a few days then got anxious and added 12 feeder goldfish. Took some water readings 2 days later then realized that I was doing the test wrong.. After I figured how to do the tests, the next tests showed this. PH 7.8, AM 4, n2 5+, and n3 40-60 ppm. I find these numbers odd due to other people who started their systems usually have close to 0's after the first couple of days. You think that the media was still filled with bacteria from when it was running 4 days prior? No I didn't wash the media out except for the bottom of the transfer barrels. So, you think that my system got a very good jump start ? Fish seem happy at the moment and I am monitoring the vitals every day. Any opinions are appreciated. Oh yes , the straw berries that the person gave me as doing pretty good also considering they were out of the water for a couple of days. I will repost here the vitals in a couple of days for those who are interested.

Congrats again on the AP system. You're going to have a lot of fun with it. I don't doubt that the bacteria was still active in your media. I'd add a bunch of plants into the beds to help take down the nitrate reading. Post some pics! We love pics!

Hmm, I guess I got a good jump start on this system. As soon as I seen the N3 numbers I went to lowes and purchase a about 20+ starter plants. Wife was tickled as she got collards, mustard, spinach and a Rosemary. We will be planting them tomorrow AM. Not sure if I want to put them in the raft or media (collards media). Strawberries already have one raft full and growing with runners. Ok, will attempt to get pics tomorrow. IT took me a while getting everything level as this is set up outside in the yard. I made a couple of mods as trying to make sure there is plenty of aeration.
Will see post tomorrow again with pics and numbers. Now I have to figure out how to personalize my profile here with pics..

Hello again,

Well got new test results in and have no idea what happened to my PH. It was 7.8 yesterday and 6 today. Am looked a little less than 4.0, NO2 still 5+ (purple) and NO3 a little less than 40 . The only difference was time and this morning I added about 25 plants. If anyone has any ideas I'm open for suggestions.
Okay,, here are the pics I promised. The whole system is run by a solar panel system that was given with the system. I will be enclosing it in a green house later as here in Florida it is still mild weather.

Nice! Is there a battery backup for that solar power? Is the system run at night from house power? Don't get too stressed over your numbers yet. Give everything a few weeks to settle in. It will settle itself in on its own.

How many times did you do/repeat the water test? Yesterday? Today? If one of the readings is wrong, which reading is most likely to be wrong?

I did the test twice..
I am planning on a battery bank to run all the time. Still working on that.

BY George I think it have it. since I was able to jump start my system with the old medium my numbers have finally started to level out except for the PH which I had to add some base to get it up . Right now the PH is 6.6 Am .25 no2 0 and no3 about 2..
The collards and mustards are doing great (minus a few bugs( but the spinach is not doing well at all, they are in the DWC.
Any suggestions ?

Chelated iron.

Hmm, I was wondering about that, I will go out and get some tomorrow once I figure out what it is..lol..I read on another thread about someone needed to put in in their system to get the plants back on track, so I figured I would ask anyways. I was hoping I would be harvesting the spinach soon but looks like it will be more later. I posted this question in the "plants" part of the forum as I still and getting use to conversing in a forum.
Thanks again

I'm just guessing on the chelated iron. I would recommend posting some pics of your spinach so some of the gurus on here can better diagnose the problem. But with spinach being an iron hog and your system being new and most assuredly low on iron it's my bet that adding some iron might solve your problem.