Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

My test kit says KH/GH. I add drops until it turns from blue to orange. I'll keep adding the baking soda,as its about the only carbon source since I've had to cut back on the feed again.

I am using the kh one. When i did test gh, it was the same amount of drops. Not sure if that is the norm or not??

Not for me. They are different

Just checked system again. Salt was low, around 1.4. Added another 50 lbs. Will probably need another 50 with all the water changing.

KH was only 5 drops still, added appx 8 more ozs. bicarb. The KH was close to 150, but that was coming out of mbbr. I added the soda to the netting filter, which then goes straight to the mbbr. If the bacteria needed carbon, they should have it now.

Nitrites are still too high in system...around .75-1. No feed today at all, and another 1600-1700 gallons of water drained and swapped out. Hoping something happens soon.

The big koi came up only once so far to eat, and then only a few. I'm sure being as healthy as they were, they will be fine.

Losing a lot of growth on the tilapia, that's for sure. Pretty damned annoyed. Trying to be patient, but considered driving the Bobcat through the FH today.

What's your ammonia at Chris?


This is the picture as I see it right now...

-You boosted the carbon source,
-Your ammonia oxidizers which were in a higher numbers continue to oxidize ammonia maybe even at an accelerated rate leaving you with even higher nitrites
-Your Nitrite oxidizers are still trying to catch up but they need more of a stable environment to do so.
-Remember that unlike some other people, if anything happens to those fish I will work out a good time and replace them

Now have a cervesa, feed at least 1x tomorrow and remember those koi came out of a tank of hundreds and the water is tanin stained so they're not as used to crystal-clear environment. Try throwing food in from a bit of a distance and just stand there and see if they come up and nail it on top of the water.

I know it's frustrating but remember it's going to be boring after this hurdle, all you're going to do is throw food and harvest fish!

Speaking of frustrating I have a busted pipe under a filter that I don't have time to fix before I leave to Italy Saturday! Grrrrr that's farming!

Once this is over and everything working right you will be happy you did this. Learning experience and now a brew. Fish feed and brew nothing beats that.

Thanks Ryan. I needed that. Both the brew and the calming advice. As you know your demeanor and mine are a bit different. I often wish I were calmer, more methodical, and not as type A, but I've also learned to accept the fact that I'm not. I'm waaay better then I was pre children, but still not great in the "chill" department. Thanks Bud for the reassurance!

Thanks to everyone who has helped me along the way...it's been a blessing. I will keep on plugging away and get it right.

I've had zero ammonia for the last week.

I feel your pain coach. Some days I think the same way.. Just test it all down and forget about it.. So I usually just step away from it and get a good night's sleep. Usually helps. Keep it up!

*tear it all down

That was a fleeting thought. As a younger man i was one of those lunatics who would punch holes through walls and take a hammer to something I was trying to "fix". Thankfully, prayers answered for patience, and I rarely have a destructive urge now.

Still impatient as hell, but 1000 x better.

It looks better this AM. Nitrites are down around .25, PH is around 7.6. I fed a medium amount, and added 4 more oz. sodium bicarb to try and maintain the 120-150 ppm as per Ryan. Hoping that I can continue this pattern.

Lol.. Good things! Sounds like you will be over the nitrite hump in a few days.. We hope

Ryan- Good luck with the tunneling under the filter..I know that's going to be fun.

Pshaw, damn roller coaster rides. When I was a kid I couldn't loosen the rear sprocket axle nut on my Stingray bike, wound up hitting the wrench with a hammer, which promptly returned the favor by sending the wrench square into my front teeth. Didn't knock them out, maybe cracked one, but sure learned a valuable lesson that day: Machines don't take kindly to being hit.

Mine was slamming down my helmet and having it come back up and hit me in the face. Now, not only is your new motorcycle on the ground(rolled off the kick stand), but you have a bloody nose also. I hit a home run once after getting beaned by the pitcher earlier in the game. I was so pissed I was trying to take his head off, but got under it. My B.A. dropped like a rock after that. I thought I could do that every at bat. Silly.