Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I hope this doesn't sound like a stupid question, but I have constructed a twin tank system with 55 gal swirl filter and 55 gal bio ball bio filter and ending in a sump tank from the beds. I am ready to fill and cycle the system. What all do I fill??? Thanks, filters and sump??? Thanks in advance.
Michael

Hi Michael, welcome to the forum

I'm not sure I understand your system is it something like this?

Twin fish tanks > Swirl Filter > Bioball filter > Grow beds > Sump and then back to fish tanks?

Assuming this is it and that you've already added water you just need an ammonia source (It doesn't take much). . You can cycle with fish or without fish (called fishless cycling - might want to do a search for this). It's important that you don't overdo the ammonia addition, it doesn't take much to get things going. The bacteria that you want to grow are everywhere in the environment so you don't have to add them. If you want to speed things along you can add some pond or aquarium water/muck. The downside of doing this is you may also bring in some disease organisms.

I think he's asking what to fill with water for most efficiency, so things don't overflow or run dry.

I've pondered this question myself, I don't think there are any "rules" since you can top up at any time. I would start with FT, filters and GS all full and the sump partially filled, with room enough left in the sump for all the GB discharge. That way, when GBs are at max capacity your pump is still submerged.

That is exactly what I was thinking, but I wanted to be sure. Another thing I was wondering is what you guys think about me filling with water from my lake? It is five acres with a healthy fish population. I am actually planning on using coppernose bluegill from the lake to cycle the system. They were stocked in the lake about five years ago and some of the are as much as 2.5 lbs.. Any thoughts?

What you fill and how much, depends on how you are planning to run the system - Constant Flood, Flood and Drain with Siphons, or Timed Flood and Drain. Constant Flood, you'd fill everything to capacity and start pumping (you may have minor adjustments for the pipes and what they hold). For the other two methods there is more fluctuation in the sump water level so what Vida suggested will be good (As long as the sump is large enough - if it's not then Constant Flood is probably what you should be running)