Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

What are the items a newbie should have in their AP toolkit? Please rate them most important to least important.

0. Tap water neutralizer
1. pH test kit
2. Ammonia test
3. Nitrite test

...

These are things I have used/have been using:

x. Chelated iron (liquid minerals easily uptook by plants)
x. Sea salt (for trace minerals)
x. Lemon juice (used this once to lower pH (in a hurry before adding my fish))
x. Peat (only used this once very early when trying to lower initial pH, haven't had much need for it since)

Want to get:
x. Potassium Carbonate (to raise low pH)
x. Rock dust (to replenish minerals)
x. Nitrate test kit

KH? GH?

As a noobie I had none of the things you mention.

2 years later I finally got nagged into getting a pH kit. The story is not for noobie ears it'll frighten them into thinking this stuff is hard. I'll take it up one day in biofilm or similar thread, our bethos inhabitants have some unique properties due to NZ's ecology, and I've run sweetly on some crazy parameters. I've also driven a car at night without lights...

I'm cycling a pond and the herb garden system up now and using a pH kit (cheapo 3 drops type) and a nitrate kit I've only bothered to use once.

I think the subject idea is very good though!

Cycling up is where testing and conferring is gold. I'd throw membership to this forum on top of the list - but you can't really put it in a toolkit. I'd also advise knowing your source water's typical readings, these should be available from your water authority.

First on the toolkit list for a noob. Hmmm. If they want to spend their money.

1. pH.
2. The 3 Nitrogen tests. Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate.
3. Thermometer.

Potassium hydroxide is also used to raise low ph

im a newbie, I haven’t even started yet, then one thing ive been reshuchring is the stuff I need before I start, and here are the three things I see as a newbie being the most useful things in a toolbox:

1. Test kits and Ph up and Down (I was referred to this site, seem really good: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/11391/product.web )

2. Extra parts that you made your aquaponics system with (like extra PVC pipes to replace older ones to change flow so on and so forth...)

3. Extra air pump and air stones (expechuly if you by the cheep ones)


Tell me what you think; would that be good things to keep on hand?

DF, you don't want to be using too much pH up and/or down. Aquaponics needs fairly stable pH (so do the fish or they can die). It is best to buffer the pH so that it doesn't swing. Try using something like agricultural shell grit, sea shells, limestone or crushed egg shells.

Extra pipes and fittings are always good to have on hand, if only so you can play about and decide how you are going to build your second system or expand the first

An extra air pump is possibly a good idea, especially if you are a bit remote from shops.

Top of my list would be water quality testkits, ammonia, ph, nitrite and nitrate in the order of most useful.
You can do without them i guess but compared to the price of lost fish they are pretty cheap.

Two tanks instead of one might be quite useful for those little emergencies ..you could always use it to expand the system later on.

I agree Hex. I've never been able to come to terms with the thought that one can do without test kits. In time testing will become infrequent, but there are times when testing is essential including:

- when starting a system
- when trying to diagnose problems
- for periodic testing (particularly to check that ph remains okay - more buffer may need to be added).

Got the shits with the cutting stuffing around it took to make a little autosiphon yesterday - so today I added a chainsaw to the toolkit (following the old fellas advice).

Go VB,chain saws rule!!

been playing with mine today, nothin quite like a 2 stroke at 13000 rpm!

:confused: are we still talking about old fellas?

No that's a 10 stroke (both hands )

i doubt les would spin at that rate

nice comeback bro. waiting for VB's devious comment

My new tool is 38,000rpm