Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I haven't checked since I added some more water, am waiting a couple days for the levels to settle. I'll post tonight once I check them.

And yeah I'm wondering if I have a potassium and iron deficiency. Where do you buy supplements? Can they just be bought off amazon? Any suggestions on a good fish food?

@celkins - Also take a look at the often repeated rules of thumb, attached below. Since you are using gold fishes, i am guessing you can add a few more if the type you have don't really grow too big.

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=6646

Well I considered adding a few and then separating them into a different tank when they get too big. Gives me a good excuse to start a second system.

I cant really say, on what brand and where you might obtained the fish food or supplement, maybe some other members around Washington USA will have a better idea. I am pretty sure you won't have as a hard time sourcing as i, my country is really lacking when it comes to sourcing stuff like these. I still cannot find any uniseals here.

You should be looking for commercial fish pellets that they are using for fish farms around your area. If you look at my thread, cookie explained that a good quality fish food should contain high value for calcium as well as phosphorous in its content, and it is a bonus if it has potassium and are usually darker brown in color with a strong scent and has a bit of a slightly oily feel.

Regards

I did read all of that. I have dark brown pellets that smell like fish... I think they might even be oily... I may have gotten lucky with the food then. I'll try finding the original packaging it came in, see if it has any info on it.

I'm horrible at reading these. This is what I wrote down at the time, but I might be wrong at matching the colors correctly.

I'm horrible at reading these. This is what I wrote down at the time, but I might be wrong at matching the colors correctly.

The lighting is bad in that pic actually... Ignore it, and we will just have to trust my eyes hah. The pH was definitely a light blue and 7.6...

Is 40ppm too high for nitrates?

I know my pH is a tad high, its been going down gradually. I have very hard water. I heard that it should level out gradually, is that right? My plants have only been planted a few weeks, so I'm hoping with time it'll settle down closer to 6-7... I have goldfish so they don't seem to mind the high pH.

I just looked at pics of when I first added my starters, there is actually a good amount of growth for just a week and a half!

Hi Celkins,

First things first - for the leaf miners, either smush them in their tunnels or remove and dispose of the leaves before they re-emerge - I try to do both because I rip the leaves off and I figure they might find a way out of the rubbish bin. Doesn't necessarily rid you of the pests but keeps the numbers lower so likely to be less future damage.

For the ammonia reading to have much meaning you'll need to do a water temp reading and then look at this chart to check the toxicity - http://ibcofaquaponics.com/information/tables-and-charts/.

For nitrites salt the system water to 1 ppt with sodium chloride (1ppt = 1KG per 1000L or 1gm per L). Use uniodized salt without any caking agents added (pool salt comes in big bags, is cheap and usually is the right stuff, sea salt in the bulk bins at the grocery is another potential source if you just need a few pounds). Don't do the above if you have strawberry plants in the system and want to keep them alive - no other plants that I know of have troubles with this low of a salt level.

At pH 7.6 iron probably isn't available. Fe-DTPA is one solution (it's a type of chelated iron). Maxicrop plus iron used as a spray would also work because by spraying it on you avoid the lockout caused by the high pH of the system water. Maxicrop plus iron also has about 2% potassium so it would help with that as well. I'd be tempted to get both but if you have to pick one or the other I'd get the maxicrop. When the pH gets below 7.0 you'll probably be getting some of the regular iron available but I'd use one of these whenever you notice an iron deficiency. You might be able to but both of these at a hydroponics store although the chelate may have to be purchased online. Just so you know, different iron chelates work at different pH's so don't substitute assuming another will work for you. Nate Storey has a couple of videos on using Iron in your system out on YouTube that are worth watching and will help you figure out how much you need.

Nitrates are much less toxic than ammonia and nitrites so 40 ppm of nitrates aren't a problem but if the level is going up or isn't going down you need to get more plants growing. My guess is that the level will drop as your plants take off without your having to do anything at this time.

Wow, thank you! Lots of good info, I will check my indoor gardening store today!

Here's the info on dose to use when applying maxicrop plus iron as a spray -

For foliar feeding 1 Oz per gallon or about 30mls per 3.8 L.