Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Fish look very healthy, water is clear, plants are growing like crazy - is that inital danger period over for me, when your first waiting for the system to stablise?
things would have fallen apart by now surely if i had a problem.
reason i ask, is i'm thinking of adding 5 more goldies and bringing my stocking density up to 10 fish in 200L. I would also add an extra 50L of growbed.
I've got insane growth from the strawberries and tomatoes, spinach seeds have germinated already and are growing. surely i have nitrates pumping for this level of grwoth?

What are your latest test results Timmy?

Sounds like everything is going along fine, but judging by other peoples experience ... at two weeks you'd be barely cycled....

Still 10 (small) goldies in 200ltr shouldn't be too drastic....

Post your latest results Timmy, so we can see what's stage your systems at.

test results? no fancy master kit here, just pure skill (substitute the word skill with luck liberaly)

surely begs for problems..................

some say luck - others would say stupidity Timmy

Yeah, get a test kit. The Master kit is not all that expensive, and frankly, is a true bargain when compared to the grief you're lining up for.

At two weeks in, I would -not- be adding extra fish unless I -knew- the ammonia and nitrite were zero.

k i'll just wait a few more weeks
i lose nothing by just waiting, everything is doing well no reason it shouldn't continue?
remeber i cycled my system for 10 days prior to this with urine added as a kick start prior to the fish.
I just got home tonight to check on it and the tomatoes have grown 100mm+ in 12 days and flowered, strawberries have doubled in size easily.

Guess there's no need to ask the question then eh?

yeah just trying to guage it, sounds like i'm not out of the woods just yet so i'll just let it be for now.
i've got 2 huge strawberries already, they were tiny when i put the strawberries in and they've taken off.

That's a good sign.... usually happens toward the very end of cycling

if u do end up wanting a master test kit buy it from better pets and gardens.
they sell them for $50 cheapest ive seen them around other wise buy them off the net

HTH

Most of us have been gettingTest Kits From Here , usually about the cheapest around, although at the moment it doesn't look like they're running a special.....

Over 700 tests for $46.50 delivered..... not bad value

damn it i had my first problem today, nothing to do with the fish or the plants though - the damn autosiphon blocked, luckly i happened to be standing there when it happened and prevented the over flow. perlite is a real bitch the way it floats, i wouldn't be recommending it to anyone.
i couldn't get the cap off my stand pipe so i had to rip the thing out and replant my strawberries after finally getting the pipe back in and the water out.
oh well i learnt one important lesson there - never put that cap on too tight!

Put a layer of gravel over the top of the perlite Timmy....

Keeps it under control.... bit of a pain otherwise, as you've found out

yeah i had to remove the gravel to get at the blockage though, painful exercise.
disaster almost struck last night as well, the same grow bed must have blocked again in the night because i lost 70% of my water and i can see where it's over flowed.
plants and fish are ok though. blockage cleared itself i don't know what the hell to think.
I'm going to install an over flow pipe today so even if it happens again i won't crash the system.