Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I bought them as fingerlings from rendang in April with mixed sizes of around 5-10cm.




The scoria in the beds was about 2 years old the bed with the 6cm of cred wasn't washed at all before putting it in the bed, it was just dumed in straight off the back fo the ute.

Does anyone know how much seasol powerfeed I should start with, to help cycle my moved system?

It was sitting without water for almost 2 weeks. I have just filled it up with water straight from the tap. I'm pretty sure any bacteria i had will bed dead with the chlorine.

I have about 2 weeks till i will need to move fish into it.

Might even give sulphate of ammonia a try. The B has 4kg bags for next to nothing.

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If your gravel dried out, the bacteria will have karked it, but if it was still at least damp then some will have survived, possibly even most; and you might be surprised about how much will survive town water levels of chlorine. Treatment plant levels of chlorine would definitely wipe them out, but if you're not really close to the supply point then by the time it reaches you the levels have almost certainly dropped enough to let some live. Hopefully you've still got a decent population in there, because two weeks isn't enough for a full cycle from scratch.

I'm not sure how much powerfeed you'll need, but I can definitely say that the answer will be less than you initially think to put in! I got a measurable ammonia spike in a 4,000 L system from about four capfuls of Charlie Carp. I'd say put in a few capfuls, wait an hour for it to disperse fully, then test ammonia; if it hasn't hit 0.5ppm, add more. Then test every day or two to see how fast the ammonia drops and whether you get a noticeable nitrite spike; if you're lucky and you've still got a good bacterial colony, the ammonia should vanish pretty quickly and you shouldn't get nitrite showing at all. If you've lost most of the colony and you have to move fish in soon, you'll need to salt enough to protect them from the nitrites and then go very easy on the feed until everything settles.

It's been hot here in Sydney. Pretty sure it would have dried out. Hopefully I can get something going in the next 2 weeks.

The fish are currently in the garage in my hospital system. When I move them I will dump the 20l of k1 from the hospital system into the moved system. That should prevent any ammonia spikes.

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Ah, yeah, being able to use colonised k1 should make it all work just fine!

there will be some residual bacteria. Usually the media is a bit moist right inside.
You will still have to cycle of sorts.

Get it running and only add power feed to the **grow bed** in small amounts.
Be careful as there is a delay with adding power feed (as urea) and getting an ammonia response.

I would add a watering can full (10L) using the recommended dose.
I am presuming you will have plants at that point ?

If no plants and fish simply add ammonia - that is easier.

** presume your media is as removed - so there will be some nutrients/solids still bound up in it when you spread back out.