Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello members,

May I start by saying thankyou for providing this excellent resource, I have been studying and learning from this forum for quite a while and have finally given AP a go myself.

I have had the system running for about 6 weeks now and haven't had very much luck with the plants growing, if there is anyone that could offer any advice as to what may be the problem please feel free as I have very limited knowledge!

A little overview of my system-
Pump: Aquapro 2800L/H running at full speed on a timer 15 mins on 45 mins off
Growbed media: 225L of clay
Aerator pump with airstone running 24/7
Fish tank: 3/4 of an IBC Tank, filled about 3/4 to the top (approx 600L of water I think)
Fish: 6 silver perch fingerlings
Fish food: small round black pepple food purchased from the local fish farm (fed very sparingly)
Plants: 1x tomato, a few strawberries, capsicum, zucchini and beetroot (aswell as various seeds)

Current water levels:
PH - 8.2
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm

Problems I cannot overcome:
I have had a few big algae blooms where I cant see through the top of the water, I counteracted this originally by completely stopped feeding and covered the fish tank with a shade cloth in the area's directly in the sun. It worked the first time but since then the water has turned very green and I cannot get it to clear. I have also been doing fortnightly 25% water changes that hasn't made any difference.

All of my plants are slowly dying or are dead, aswell as the seeds that germinated. I haven't put any fertilisers on the plants but have purchased some seasol and was going to use that (after I post this and receive feedback).

The fish seem happy enough and are feediing well, but I have to keep reducing the feed to counteract the algae growing so heavily (If this is wrong please let me know!!)

If anyone can help me out and give any advice at all it would be very appreciated, as I have tried to research other peoples issues but as there are so many different things to factor in its hard to know what my specific problems are!

Thanks in advance!
Tim

>> covered the fish tank with a shade cloth in the area's directly in the sun

it is as much about light, and as you are in Geraldton may be heat issue as well
(you don't mention Fish Tank temperatures.)

(a) I would consider putting the whole thing under shade (50%), and wrapping up the whole IBC fish tank.

(b) I suspect the algae situation is exacerbated by a lack of filtering.
The usual recommendation is to run the pump 24/7 through a bloom - for air and filtering.
so at least increase the amount of time pump is running.
you need to maximise opportunity to get solids and nutrients out of the FT.
your airstone will help the fish through the bloom (but is generally not required for that type of system).


once you have algae it is pretty hard to shake, particularly in warm weather with nutrients.
the algae never goes away (and is even present in a healthy system) so it is really about getting to stage that it is managed.

(c) your lack of nutrients (if correct) suggests that there is cycling as ammonia is 0.
but that is not really conclusive as you have 0's and an algal bloom.

(d) plants is a hard one.

can see a bit of salt residue on the clay balls so it may be a case of heat stress.
having the bed dry for 45mins may be too long as it gets hotter.
Shade over whole system will help drop evaporation a bit.

again try running the pump more frequently.
Initially even try something like 20-on 10 off. (2 drains per hour),
although pump would probably prefer 45-on 15-off to reduce number stop/starts per day.

try also only partially draining - make a new standpipe with the drain hole bit higher up and plug it in for while. Can always put the other back later - I tend to keep water in bottom of my GB and just flush every now and again by pulling standpipe with water directed to a bucket.
(I presume you have a IBC Aquaponics style setup - sounds like it from description, n which case this is pretty easy to do).

Thankyou for your recommendations mate, I will make a few changes and get back to you with progress.

Just a couple more questions, If I were to move the whole system to a shadier side of the house would that have much of an effect on the plants growing? I positioned the system where it would get maximum sun exposure for the growbed, although didn't think it would have such a great impact on the FT. How much do the plants rely on the sun when they get their nutrients from the fish?

Also my pump has a small sponge filter in it, would I be best to leave the pump filter in or remove it to let more solids get through to the growbed?

I have made the new standpipe and am planning to clad the outside of the FT with timber for a bit of extra insulation. I have also turned the timer to run the pump more frequently and it looks like it is already having a positive effect.

Thanks again for your help as this is all fairly new to me!

Tim

Gday TimH
Nice to see another Mid West Aquaponicst on the forum.
+1 what dlf_perth said.
IMHO the 45mins that your pump is off is more than likely the problem for the plants. Especially those days a few weeks back when we 42-45*c days the roots of the plants (GB water) would have been ~30*c + & most plant just don't recover from those kind of temps. Give the GB some shade, but remember the sun is a lot lower in winter. So you don't want to be moving the IBC every season. As you said " clad the outside of the FT with timber for a bit of extra insulation" or just paint the IBC to stop the sun penetrating into the FT.
Take the sponge filter out of the pump this will allow more solids to be filtered through the grow media.
You have quite a big pump for a single IBC, maybe you could have a "T" in the line. Allowing some of the water to bypass the GB & circulate the water in the FT adding oxygen.
Don't worry about the algal bloom too much when I add the big 3000L FT to my system I did not see my Silvers for more than a month & half. They all survived fine. Just keep monitoring the water & if nothing drastically changes it will all settle down in time.

Catch Ya

Hi Tim,

My in-laws used to live in Gero years ago and they pretty much just had everything out in the open under shade cloth.
That seemed to work OK for normal veg, so should work for AP as well. I think 50% will be fine - and is cheaper anyway.

Here in Perth most of mine is set up to have full sun for 6am-12/1pm and then gets shaded by fence in the afternoon heat. That seems to work quite well. Most of my stuff is under 50% shadecloth over summer.

as per GTK for the sponge/pump - they get clogged up really easily anyway. I strip mine right back and then all solids go to the grow bed.

also +1 on leaving out in open - and go with a shade structure for summer then you should be good in the cooler months.
the galvanised fencing pipes make very good structures and usually easy to come by.

Keep the sunlight off your fish tank and grow bed most APs paint or clad there tanks and growbeds the sides are where a lot of light gets in and of course algae loves this

Also the algae is robbing all your nutrient which wont help your plants.

Make sure you have enough "Dry" gravel so algae isn't breeding on the surface of your growbed

The Pictures are great they really help

I often just put plastic between the shuttle cage and liner to keep light out cheap and works well

I would Block the light tip the water and algae out and start again

Its not quite pea soup and does not appear to be blob/filament which is when things are really bad.
If he addresses the pumping and filtering and does the shade then he should be fine with just some regular water changes of around 20-40L. Starting again is a bit drastic - not the first system to have algae.