Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey all,

Im back with another question that I just cant seem to find the answer to on the internet.

My tank temp is 52 degrees F (11 C) and I am trying to cycle, I added a bottle of stuff I found on amazon that is supposed to be beneficial bacteria and go some pure ammonia powder that is labeled for fish tank cycling (after buying several bottles of liquid ammonia at department stores to find they had soaps in them). I digress.....

anyways my ammonia is between 2-3PPM but Im not seeing any spike in nitrite or nitrate after 2 weeks now.

I know the temperature effects the bacteria and they prefer mid 80's F (30C) but does anyone know how long I can expect to cycle the tank at this temp?

The rainbow trout I will be getting like this temperature, so that will not be an issue once I get fish.

the tank drains into 20x 4 gallon buckets filled with clay pebbles as the filter media but the basement stays a balmy 52-55 degrees almost all the time.

also I did not have air stones hooked up when I started the cycle, I have since then hooked them up (edit: about 4 days ago, and still no nitrite or nitrate) . I have 8 air stones in the tank total and a fairly large (and loud) air pump, as trout like a lot of DO. could this have killed off the bacteria I added and now have to start again?

Patience required! It could take 4-6 weeks

A little boost to help it a long,make sure the PH is above 7 & add some warm water to the system.At cooler temps it will just take longer to cycle.And the air stones will help too.

You have enough Ammonia,do not add anymore.

I first cycled my outdoor north Florida system in Jan. when the water temp was 55-60 F. using goldfish fed twice per week, and clay balls planted with lettuce and kale. If I remember correctly, I finally had nitrates after about three months. Hang in there!

This is from the FAO manual, Small-scale aquaponic food production – Integrated fish and plant farming


“5.1.3 Water temperature
The optimal temperature range for nitrifying bacteria is 17–34 °C. This range encourages growth and productivity. If the water temperature drops below this range, the productivity of the bacteria will tend to decrease. In particular, the Nitrobacter group is less tolerant of lower temperature than is the Nitrosomonas group, and as such, during colder periods nitrite should be more carefully monitored to avoid harmful accumulations.“

Hello!
Does your ammonia drop to zero over night yet? Or does it just stay at 2-3 ppm?

Cycling took me about three and a half weeks, maybe 4, I believe, during water temps around the low 60's.

If you are in a hurry, I agree that heating the water might get it done faster. I would think that the bacteria would be okay with the drop in temp as long as it was gradual once established...
But don't quote me on that!