Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

That will bring you up to 1ppt all right, yup, which should be a good level to boost the perch's health and protect them from nitrite spikes and fungal issues without upsetting your strawberries too much.

Hey Mel, seeing as my tank is around 3/4 full would say 4 cups of Pool Salt be about right? .. to my calculations that's 300 grams x 4 = 1.2 kgs of pool salt .. or is 4 a tad too much? .... maybe 3 or 3 1/2 cups? .. or go the full 4.8701298?

edit; after checking 1 cup of salt = 308 grams.

Okay I bought some Cos Lettuce and Cucumber seedlings today, plan is to plant them in the grow bed over the weekend .. right now I got a few Bok Choy and some Chili in the grow bed atm ... ohh yeah my tomato plant too -it's looking ok but not doing much, that said from what I've read on here they aren't recommended as a plant to grow as thy suck nitrates and are quite demanding plants to grow -until you lean the ropes and are comfortable with your set up etc etc but yeah, I'm thinking of transferring it out anyways -maybe plant it upside down? .. so cos lettuce and cucumber in - tomato out.





I've read of using a self watering reservior [could fill with water from the tap..], diy'd to drip down from the top of the bucket - top-down;

LOL! Four cups should do fine, and even if you do the whole 1.5 kilos then only the strawberries might complain.

10 SP in, some 20cm but most around 14/16cm mark.. happy NYE all

Okay the plumbing has changed, I was finding the previous central pipe very erratic and there not being 'even' flow of water [i.e. dry patches and certain areas flooded etc .. .] Yes the water level was high but that was fixed so it's filling up but leaving the top 5cm dry.





The upside down tomato.

Nitrates up slightly but noticeable, Ammonia 0 and still pH 7.6 .. Nitrites 0.

edit. the SP are around 10cm in size not 16cm-20cm ... just gotta correct that, from before

A photo that I come across this afternoon, it's of the backyard and my son minus the aquaponics set up ..

Looking good Kaz! I'm always fascinated by upside-down tomato hangers but if I tried to do one I think it would end in disaster.

I had this idea last night, a way of squeezing a second tank in but in case the IBC tank[which would fit real nice] will be under the patio/walk way that will run up the fence on the right.. I will be building an extended patio/walk way within the next 6-8 weeks - once it cools down a little - something for us all to enjoy/eat dinner with friends/family etc etc ..... but yeah I'm thinking of using the area that is within the yellow box in the picture - have the tank dug 1/2 into the ground and concreted under the patio/walkway I'm going to build -if possible....



That yellow box/area is 1.8 meters x 1.2 meters.. could easily fit an IBC tank in there.



Then have a trap door over the top, like this.

Ok back to the real world. My pH is pretty high, it must be close to 8 cos it's a bright blue/deep blue and it's it's getting darker it seems .... I have a few ideas that might work but I'd be guessing to an extent really... at the end of the day I'm not sure what to do to lower it or if I even need to atm], any advice on this? Is my pH too high?

You might need to, or it might come down on its own - first of all, what's the pH of your topup water? And if you're getting it from the tap, what's the pH after it's been left to sit in an open container for 24 hours? (they can be seriously different)

what Mel says above (re source water) plus how much are you topping up at present with the hot weather.
Armadale should be in the mid 7's from the tap, then see what you have next day.

may be you are getting a buildup if you are getting a bit of evap.

personally I wouldn't be too worried about pH 7.5-8 range except if it keeps going.
Would also wait and see if you get consistent readings - pH tests can move a bit during the day.
Most people NOR end up in this situation from beginning.

if/when you get nitrates a bit of pH will help a bit.
you could measure the KH and GH - that will flag a build up.
(you can get a similar API test kit for these).

winter and next year you will probably be trying to keep the pH up..... just the way it is.

Hydrochloric acid from the hardware store is what you use. Yes, treat your top up water, pH swings are not great for fish. Our tap water is pH8 and after 3 years I still battle high pH. Yes it should come down but having to top up the tanks twice a week keeps the pH high. I don't adjust, most plants grow fine.

Mains 8, mains after 24 hours 8, AP tank water 8 but slightly darker.