Hello everyone.

927xpert

New to this forum just wanted to say hi, and give a little in site to my AP experience/system. I built a very crude,and small AP system back in February. All was going good for a month or so. Till I started see deficiencies in my plants. Started working thise out doing research figuring things out. (I have no experience in gardening or raising fish...lol) Then the Bakersfield California summer hit and I was struggling to maintain the system mostly do to the location I built it in my yard. With temps. reaching 115°f @ 15%humidity my plants and fish were suffering bad. Water temps in FT were getting to 102°f I started with 15 goldfish and have only lost one. Amazingly tough fish I feel bad I put them through that.

The system is a 35gal trash can as the FT
25gal tote as the reservoir
2) 25 gal totes for GB F&D
using clay rock as media
7gal RFF
200GPH pond pump with 5ft HH rating
Relocated and rebuilt system now has a split flow

I have now moved the system, rebuilt it, and provided it all with shade. Yesterday temps reached 106° and the FT got to 88° still need to give it more shade but this is tons better. Fish are very active and eat very well. Feeding 3 time a day right now. The new setup is about 10 days old and for the first time I am seeing nitrates today, and strawberries are showing new growth and are flowering already

PH 7.5
Ammonia .1ish if not a lil less
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 20ppm

It's still really small and crude. I definitely have plans for enlarging and expanding but funds are low ATM.

Let me know what you think, any tips/tricks, criticisms all appreciated. Pics as soon as I figure out how to post them. Me and technology don't see eye to eye. Lol