1st AP System - Ultimate goal to have a sustained system at 10,000 feet elevation - Aquaponic Gardening2024-03-29T08:32:50Zhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/forum/topics/1st-ap-system-ultimate-goal?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A95511&feed=yes&xn_auth=nomy personal take on chilling…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-04-30:4778851:Comment:1017262011-04-30T18:17:35.455Znathaniel taylorhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/nathanieltaylor
<p>my personal take on chilling is usually when you need to chill the sun is out... solar with an absorption cooler is the way to go.</p>
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<p>good luck I like the IBC treatment.</p>
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<p><br></br> <cite>TCLynx said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://aquaponicscommunity.com/forum/topics/1st-ap-system-ultimate-goal?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A101106#4778851Comment100826"><div><p>I've done some solar heating of water. Trick is to move the water slowly through the solar…</p>
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<p>my personal take on chilling is usually when you need to chill the sun is out... solar with an absorption cooler is the way to go.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>good luck I like the IBC treatment.</p>
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<cite>TCLynx said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://aquaponicscommunity.com/forum/topics/1st-ap-system-ultimate-goal?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A101106#4778851Comment100826"><div><p>I've done some solar heating of water. Trick is to move the water slowly through the solar collecting tubing if you want to see much heating.</p>
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<p>But for chilling, I kinda doubt just putting a coil in front of a AC unit will see a big difference. Some form of evaporative cooling might be more effective there but still might not be enough through the heat of summer to keep trout happy.</p>
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</blockquote> Mike, you can come pick up Ma…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-04-30:4778851:Comment:1018152011-04-30T18:16:21.552ZSylvia Bernsteinhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/SylviaBernstein
Mike, you can come pick up Maxicrop here if you like. Shoot me a private email message and we can arrange the details offline. You want to pour it in the tank so it circulates with everything else.
Mike, you can come pick up Maxicrop here if you like. Shoot me a private email message and we can arrange the details offline. You want to pour it in the tank so it circulates with everything else. Warmer water will speed cycli…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-04-30:4778851:Comment:1016402011-04-30T13:16:23.886ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>Warmer water will speed cycling. And if you want to cycle quicker, the more pump cycles you run the faster cycling will be. There is a trade off between saving electricity and getting cycled quickly. Once the system is cycled up you can then work on adjusting the pumping to find the right balance between good water quality and happy plants and minimal electrical use (this may vary depending on fish load and temperature depending on fish type.)</p>
<p>Warmer water will speed cycling. And if you want to cycle quicker, the more pump cycles you run the faster cycling will be. There is a trade off between saving electricity and getting cycled quickly. Once the system is cycled up you can then work on adjusting the pumping to find the right balance between good water quality and happy plants and minimal electrical use (this may vary depending on fish load and temperature depending on fish type.)</p> Hey Mike. The ph reading you…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-04-30:4778851:Comment:1016322011-04-30T04:14:18.012ZDavid Waitehttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/DavidWaite
Hey Mike. The ph reading you are getting is a false reading due to the ammonia with throw your test off so dont sweat it right now. The ammonia will start to fall and the nitrites will rise. Then the nitrites will fall and nitrates will go up. 2.0 ammonia is great to start. Plant the crap out of lettuce cabbage onion bulbs garlic they all thrive in young systems. When your ammonia is at zero and your nitrates are reading you have a working system. I dumped 1600 gal or water twice in my start up…
Hey Mike. The ph reading you are getting is a false reading due to the ammonia with throw your test off so dont sweat it right now. The ammonia will start to fall and the nitrites will rise. Then the nitrites will fall and nitrates will go up. 2.0 ammonia is great to start. Plant the crap out of lettuce cabbage onion bulbs garlic they all thrive in young systems. When your ammonia is at zero and your nitrates are reading you have a working system. I dumped 1600 gal or water twice in my start up and said alot of cuss words like go buck a fuzzard. hehe. So you are on the right track. When you get to zero on the ammonia add fish and test everyday and control ammonia by holding the feed if it rises above .5. Your system will crank on after that. Try to get your water temp up be putting it out in the sun but keep the tank shaded. Try to get your water to 70. Your drain cycle is ok for now. Sylvia does 15 run 45 off but her system is cycled. I continuously run but my siphons kick in every 20 minutes. Put Tomatoes in when your fish have been in for a couple of weeks. Rock on............D Tonights measurements: Chlori…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-04-30:4778851:Comment:1015112011-04-30T01:48:52.414ZMike Konshakhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/MikeKonshak
<p>Tonights measurements: Chlorine 0.5 ppm, Nitites and Nitrates 0 ppm, ph 7.8-8.0, and ammonia 2.0 ppm.</p>
<p>I must have had some left-over residue in the grow bed that has now rinsed off by the new water and is now being pumped through. The ph went up from yesterday, and I think TC said that would happen once the bacteria start growing. Is this amount of ammonia enough to feed the bacteria?</p>
<p>My wife will put the tomatoes, peppers and spinach in the ground and I'll just start with…</p>
<p>Tonights measurements: Chlorine 0.5 ppm, Nitites and Nitrates 0 ppm, ph 7.8-8.0, and ammonia 2.0 ppm.</p>
<p>I must have had some left-over residue in the grow bed that has now rinsed off by the new water and is now being pumped through. The ph went up from yesterday, and I think TC said that would happen once the bacteria start growing. Is this amount of ammonia enough to feed the bacteria?</p>
<p>My wife will put the tomatoes, peppers and spinach in the ground and I'll just start with lettuce.</p>
<p>Sylvia, can I buy Maxicrop from you on the weekend (pickup) or are you strictly mail order? Does it get poured in the tank or just scattered on the top of the grow bed. With or without pumping?</p>
<p>I put my pump on a timer so that it turns on for 15min every half hour. That is enough to fill and drain the grow bed once then wait another half hour. Is this a bad idea? I was looking at ways to conserve energy.</p> 1st, get rid of chlorine
2nd,…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-04-29:4778851:Comment:1014262011-04-29T21:40:29.841ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>1st, get rid of chlorine</p>
<p>2nd, adjust pH (you don't need to be at 7, systems cycle just fine anywhere in the 7-7.9 area.) Adjust it and get it to stay stable below 8 for a day or so then move to next step.</p>
<p>3rd. add your ammonia source. If you go with fish, things will be much slower and you should start with only a modest number of fish. I recommend fishless cycling (and Sylvia sells a kit for that now even.)</p>
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<p>Ammonia should spike first and shortly there after…</p>
<p>1st, get rid of chlorine</p>
<p>2nd, adjust pH (you don't need to be at 7, systems cycle just fine anywhere in the 7-7.9 area.) Adjust it and get it to stay stable below 8 for a day or so then move to next step.</p>
<p>3rd. add your ammonia source. If you go with fish, things will be much slower and you should start with only a modest number of fish. I recommend fishless cycling (and Sylvia sells a kit for that now even.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ammonia should spike first and shortly there after you should also start seeing Nitrites. The Nitrite spike usually lasts longer and it isn't until both the nitrite and ammonia are back to 0 that life is really good again for the fish. If you fishless cycle you have the spikes without subjecting the fish to them. If you cycle with fish you still have to have a certain amount of spiking to get the bio-filter built up but you have to control it by witholding feed and water changes which slow the process and extend the period of time the fish are in the spiking water and being put on short rations etc.</p>
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<p>Nitrates show up sometime during cycling and slowly rise unless you have some plants in to keep em in check. If you fishless cycle I would definitely get plants in as soon as your first Ammonia spike starts to subside. If starting seeds, you can probably do it anytime after pH adjustment is done. If cycling with fish, just keep in mind the plants will be waiting a little longer for their nitrates and they will come a bit slower so if cycling with fish lettuce might be the best first plant and other leafy greens with it. As Sylvia said.</p>
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<p>Some maxicrop can help getting plants established and providing trace elements that take much longer to break down from fish food.</p> A couple adjustments, Mike
I…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-04-29:4778851:Comment:1015012011-04-29T20:46:19.082ZSylvia Bernsteinhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/SylviaBernstein
<p>A couple adjustments, Mike</p>
<ul>
<li>I suggest going light on the fruiting plants and the spinach at the beginning...like, the first 4 months of your system. The fruiting plants (peppers and tomatoes) are going to be looking for potassium and calcium that won't really be available until you are not only cycled, but really have some solid waste that is breaking down as well. Spinach loves iron, which again could be in short supply until things get cranking. What you will have plenty of,…</li>
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<p>A couple adjustments, Mike</p>
<ul>
<li>I suggest going light on the fruiting plants and the spinach at the beginning...like, the first 4 months of your system. The fruiting plants (peppers and tomatoes) are going to be looking for potassium and calcium that won't really be available until you are not only cycled, but really have some solid waste that is breaking down as well. Spinach loves iron, which again could be in short supply until things get cranking. What you will have plenty of, however, is nitrogen so I recommend focusing on those leafy greens to start for the first few months.</li>
<li>I recommend adding in some Maxicrop to give the plants something to eat until the nitrates kick in. Also helps them root better. Either get if from me, or Boulder Hydro</li>
<li>I think you meant watch the ammonia and nitrite levels...</li>
</ul>
<p>Otherwise, as far as I'm concerned, you have a plan you can run with!</p> David, Sylvia and TC, I bough…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-04-29:4778851:Comment:1010392011-04-29T17:50:03.019ZMike Konshakhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/MikeKonshak
<p>David, Sylvia and TC, I bought some potted plants from Home depot (tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and spinach) that have yet to bloom, but I was waiting to put them in until I saw some bacterial activity. I had added 500ml of Nutrifin bacteria before that last water swap, so there should still be some on the Hydroton.</p>
<p>So if I am getting the advice right, I need to</p>
<p>1) make a chemical neutral environment (ph 7, chlorine 0, ammonia 0, etc)</p>
<p>2) put in the plants,</p>
<p>3) add…</p>
<p>David, Sylvia and TC, I bought some potted plants from Home depot (tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and spinach) that have yet to bloom, but I was waiting to put them in until I saw some bacterial activity. I had added 500ml of Nutrifin bacteria before that last water swap, so there should still be some on the Hydroton.</p>
<p>So if I am getting the advice right, I need to</p>
<p>1) make a chemical neutral environment (ph 7, chlorine 0, ammonia 0, etc)</p>
<p>2) put in the plants,</p>
<p>3) add goldfish or some other ammonia source</p>
<p>watch the ammonia and nitrate levels.</p>
<p>Does 2 and 3 occur at the same time?</p>
<p> </p> Yep, Mike...I'm with David. …tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-04-29:4778851:Comment:1005742011-04-29T14:42:56.078ZSylvia Bernsteinhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/SylviaBernstein
<p>Yep, Mike...I'm with David. I'm a big fan of getting plants into your system ASAP. Add in some <a href="http://www.theaquaponicstore.com/MaxiCrop-Liquid-Seaweed-quart-p/abahf002.htm" target="_blank">MaxiCrop</a> (liquid seaweed) to help the roots establish and by the time you have things settled down enough for fish (I highly recommend following TC's advice and Fishless Cycle...all your concerns about swinging pH can go away <img src="http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad93/ucsycybersmiley/18.gif"></img> ) your plants will be over their transplant shock and…</p>
<p>Yep, Mike...I'm with David. I'm a big fan of getting plants into your system ASAP. Add in some <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theaquaponicstore.com/MaxiCrop-Liquid-Seaweed-quart-p/abahf002.htm">MaxiCrop</a> (liquid seaweed) to help the roots establish and by the time you have things settled down enough for fish (I highly recommend following TC's advice and Fishless Cycle...all your concerns about swinging pH can go away <img src="http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad93/ucsycybersmiley/18.gif"/>) your plants will be over their transplant shock and humming. You can either get one of our <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theaquaponicstore.com/Aquaponics-Cycling-Kit-Medium-100-300-gal-p/abaas002.htm">kits</a> or just get some Clear Ammonia at McGuckins.</p>
<p>And I like your idea about chilling the water! Hope it works! Are you getting trout from the place in Boulder?</p> I've done some solar heating…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-04-29:4778851:Comment:1008262011-04-29T11:39:01.744ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>I've done some solar heating of water. Trick is to move the water slowly through the solar collecting tubing if you want to see much heating.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But for chilling, I kinda doubt just putting a coil in front of a AC unit will see a big difference. Some form of evaporative cooling might be more effective there but still might not be enough through the heat of summer to keep trout happy.</p>
<p>I've done some solar heating of water. Trick is to move the water slowly through the solar collecting tubing if you want to see much heating.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But for chilling, I kinda doubt just putting a coil in front of a AC unit will see a big difference. Some form of evaporative cooling might be more effective there but still might not be enough through the heat of summer to keep trout happy.</p>