Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Update

Tank Temp = 19C (66F)
pH = 6.5
Ammonia = 0.0
Nitrite = 0.5
Nitrates = 40-80

Been feeding Silver Perch about a handfull of food each day. All seem happy.

The pH has been dragged down from 7.1 to 6.5 since I added the Silver Perch..dont quite understand why this is so?

Very clean and neat, I like it.

Is that lava rock you are using? (sorry, I have not read back through the whole thread to see if you already mentioned that)

Hi LB. The drop in pH is normal as your system becomes more established. The decomposition of poo and the whole nitrogen cycle does it. To offset the drop, many of us put crushed shell, coral or limestone into the system. It seems you can't overdo it with any of those as a buffer in the system. I have over 10KG of crushed coral in my little 550L system. pH for me is somewhere around 7.0 now, but I admit I haven't tested it lately.

Yep, toss in some shellgrit, easily sourced from a pet supplier...my ph has been rock solid around 7.0 for over 6 months now.

Looks very neat and tidy LB

LB u are a dead set artisan.
Shell grit is like a dollar a kilo. My ph was low 6s in a 1000lt tank, added 4kg shell grit and over a month or so it has buffered to mid 7s.
I have found my silvers sulked a bit at slightly lower temps with that early June cold snap. However, after a week or so they perked up, and now eat consistently well at 17-18C. (I cheat with a couple 300 watt heaters, wife still scratching head at higher power bill.) You should have no worries. Your nitrate is absolutely no dramas. As ur fish get bigger ur bigger plants will handle the nute load.

Dude, those tank temps are fantastic!

Janets got the pH covered. add calcium carbonate in your form of choice

Mathew - I have scoria in the growbeds (lava rock)

Thanks Janet, TT and Ell - I have 0.5 kg of shell grit in a sock in the sump tank at the moment ..I will put alot more in...Is the sump tank a good place or should I add some to the growbeds?

Steve - I added a 400 w heater to help with these temps..still have to insulate tank better..bring on the sun.

LB

do you have a pic of the heater install? i just wonder what it looks like.

just a standard glass aquarim heater Meancoyote

Doesn't really matter where you add the shellgrit as long as it can't get into your pump.

I spread it onto the bottom of the GB before putting in gravel - another alternative is to put it in a bag (or wrap in shadecloth) and dangle it in the fish tank

I used a 5kg bag to buffer my 1000lt tank. Bang it in and u won't have to worry for a while. Mine is in the actual fishtank on the base, but my sump pump sits higher so doesn't suck up the shellgrit.

TT how is your poo getting out of the tank if your pump is sitting off the ground?

LB, anywhere there is good water flow is ideal. Bed is a good choicedue to the F&D action

My pump is also off the bottom, sitting on a brick. That avoids the possibility of pumping all the water out of the fish tank in case of a catastrophe. There's enough current circulating in the tank that poo swirls up and about and quickly finds its way to the pump.

Far too neat and tidy for my liking LB