Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Just checked BOM for Melb . 100mm = 13oC

It gets warmer the deeper you go.

it would want to!

20 in Brisi.

sorry Jaymie was thinking of steve's enjoyment of burning stuff..hehe

Hi everyone - Jason here. I am new to this forum. Hope i can learn a lot from here...

As for the medium, can i use coconut coir or palm tree coir?

Jason

Someone mention about the nitrifying bacteria. But let say i have a system running, how do i know there is sufficient nitrifying bacteria?

And also, how do this bacteria works? How can i encourage to growth of this bacteria? Does it happen naturally?

Jason

Jason, it ti all explained in the nitrifying bacteria fact topic under useful information.

This bacteria is everywhere, and will eventualy grow in your system, however, if you have a friend that has an aquarium you can speed the process up very much by getting some "sludge" from his filter and putting it into your grow bed gravel. If you also get 10% of your system capacity water from an establish aquarium then this would also help greatly.

As for knowing that there is enough, that is where amminia and nitrite test kits come in. Also be aware that the bacteria will only grow when there is a source of ammonia for them to feed on (Fish waste)

Hope this helps

Steve

Steve,
Thanks for your reply.

How about the coconut coil and palm tree coil? Can it be use as a growing medium?

Jason

i'm quite sure it can.

ANyone else?

JUst an update on system temps...........

I have been eagerly awaiting some warm weather, and it has arrived.

We had a max temp of 18C today, and a range of between 16C and 18C that lasted a good 8 hours. More importantly the sun was shining pretty much consistantly.

I came home to measure the tank temp at 22C How is this possible, you ask? well much the same way that the concrete in summer reaches a much higher temp than the air. The return water from the grow bed was REALLY warm (didn't measure the temp) i assume from the sun beating down on the clay rocks.

I still have a half assed system, which i maintain is becasue i have too much room to play with! If i had a small courtyard then i'd have one place to make a system and i'd simply do it!

Anyway, temps are good, but the fish (both indoor and outdoor have pretty much gone on strike with me feeding them trout pellets, they hate them. Its not that they aren't hungry, they devour worms and the like and duck weed too. I 'll pick up some tropical flake (which they loved) just to confirm that they are still interested in eating, but i know the answer. Once again i'm stuck for food. Is anyone in melbourne purchasing pellets? What type? where from? Does any one in melbourne know of native aquaculture locations that i can go to and pay ridiculously high prices for a bag of pellets?

I'm actually worries about how easily the temp came up, am having scary thoughts about our 37C summer days

BTW there was VISIBLE growth in the bok choi with todays sun

how's that headache going chief? Can't drag yourself away? LOL

just as i catch up, some bastard posts again!

You've got me worried about temps, but glad my system is going to be shaded in summer!

There's no reason why you can't use coconut coir (coco-peat) as a grow bed medium. In fact, it's among the most commonly used media in commercial hydroponic systems.

I'd be inclined to try drip feeding the coco-peat a limited amount of fish tank water each day (adjust so that you get about 10% waste)......and I wouldn't allow the water to drain back to the tank.

As with all things......Test, Test, Test.