Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I wish we could like posts on here like on FaceBook. All of your comments and suggestions are so very helpful and appreciated. Wish I could "like" them!!!

Colum, BuiDoi, Charlie & Scotty, Thank You!!!

If it's made for the IBC, it should be right (assuming they have it right).

You're keeping the water level about 5cm below the top of the media?

Since you can cut the IBC so that the grow bed is the height of your choosing, when you order the siphon, you must specify the height that you require. I had my grow bed cut and the media loaded so I measured the best that I could, however, the standpipe installed a bit lower in the cap for the IBC than expected. Since an IBC system using just one container and grow bed is out of specifications for wet media area to fish tank volume, rather than lower the top of my media, I'm thinking that I need to raise the siphon to increase the wet media area as much as possible.

I will either try to adjust what I have or contact Desert Aquaponics and see if I can just order a taller stand pipe and cover.

The water level is currently 2.5" to 3" (6.35 to 7.62 cm) below the top of the media.

Do you think it's worth trying to adjust to increase my wet media volume and surface area? I have a little more media (probably another inch, 2.54 cm) that I could put in if I'm going to raise the siphon any way.

Don't know if anyone is still following this, but just had to share!!! I'm doing a happy dance tonight!!

My nitrites were still very high, top of the chart, even with 50% water changes, so I added a bottle of Fritz-Zyme Turbo Start concentrated live nitrifying bacteria to my tank water.

This evening my nitrites are at 0.5 ppm!!

Very hopeful that I'm closer to cycling!!

Hiya Maralyn, can't talk for anyone else but every time I see a new ap system out there cycling I do my own little happy dance.

Thanks for sharing.

Time to start a members build thread.

Stealing for my wall , thanks

My system has cycled, I'm pretty sure!! The nitrites and ammonia, if I'm judging the color correctly, are down at or near zero. The nitrates were up, I can't remember the number but definitely there. I have a log at home but I'm at work now. I added three pepper plants to my media yesterday and planted some seeds on Saturday in starter material for future addition.

My catfish are still not eating well. Added some minnows yesterday and they ate a few of them. They have eaten floating pellets twice. Most times won't touch them. I've had the fish a week and two days so hopefully they will begin eating in earnest soon, now that the nitrites aren't so high.

pH is at 8.2, so plan to begin adding a little muratic acid this evening to buffer a bit. Getting more comfortable with my system. Will start a member's build thread soon!!