Help with low PH level...

[John foley]

Hello, I'm new to aquaponics. Just cycled my 50 gal system using a flood and drain set up and clay ball media. Once nitrates were high and ammonia, nitrite levels nearing zero my fish were introduced. Within two days fish were dead and nitrite and nitrate levels at zero with ammonia very low. Checked PH and it was 6.0 or less. Removed fish, added PH up and ammonia. 24 hours later I got PH and ammonia levels up and saw nitrite up as well. Another 24 hours later, PH and ammonia near zero and nitrites at zero. The past week I've been adding PH up and ammonia everyday only to find 24 hours later PH back to 6.0 and ammonia level round 1.0 down from 4.0 and still no nitrites. I'll assume being my ammonia is converting at a rapid pace is good, however not being able to stabilize my PH is very much a head scratcher. Looking for advice my new aquaponic friends.

Thanks, John
:(

[Jonathan Kadish NYC AA Chair]

The bacteria that are processing your ammonia also create an acidic byproduct. The trend will always be a lowing of your PH so you will need to buffer to raise your PH. I used PH Up early on but that is a high maintenance and expensive solution. My solution was to use egg shells (calcium carbonate) which buffer against acidic conditions over a long period of time. You can also get shell grit for a long lasting solution. You will have to experiment with how much you need in your system. There are other things people use - potassium bi-carbonate, potassium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide. Use the potassium to augment that nutrient from time to time.

[John foley]

Thanks Jonathan....just purchased calcium carbonate and headed home. What are your thoughts on what I do next.? Should I keep adding ammonia to feed nitrifying bacteria, stop adding PH Up solution, and start adding calcium slowly.? My tank is 50gal.

Jonathan Kadish said:

The bacteria that are processing your ammonia also create an acidic byproduct. The trend will always be a lowing of your PH so you will need to buffer to raise your PH. I used PH Up early on but that is a high maintenance and expensive solution. My solution was to use egg shells (calcium carbonate) which buffer against acidic conditions over a long period of time. You can also get shell grit for a long lasting solution. You will have to experiment with how much you need in your system. There are other things people use - potassium bi-carbonate, potassium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide. Use the potassium to augment that nutrient from time to time.

[Jonathan Kadish NYC AA Chair]

Calcium carbonate is fairly slow acting so it will take a few days for you to know the full effect. Try something like a tea spoon per 100 gallons and adjust as needed. As far as cycling, if your ammonia is at zero 24 hours after you dosed to 2 ppm you probably are ready to add some fish. Typically you would see a nitrite spike, which you haven't seen yet - proceed with caution. If you add fish now you will want to feed lightly and increase feed slowly to make sure you are processing nitrites.

[John foley]

Hi Johnathan,

Wanted to give you an update. So after adding teaspoon of calcium carbonate my ph went to 7.2 after 1 hour two weeks ago. Since then it slides back to 6.0 after 48 hours. So over the past 2 weeks I have added calsium every 48 hrs and returned to 7.0 to 7.2, only to see it return to 6.0 rapidly. Also over that time I have added my powdered ammonia every 48 hrs as it is converting quickly as well. My herbs I have planted remain alive and growing. They don't appear all that healthy, but alive. I'm at a loss and frustrated. What in me world would make my PH bounce around like this.? Could it be one of he herbs I planted.? Thanks for our help in advance.

John

[Jonathan Kadish NYC AA Chair]

So a few things... Life is hard to control. I tried to manhandle my system to work perfectly in the beginning, but I realized that letting go is the key and just helping the system along is all I had to do. You are just where you are supposed to be so don't be frustrated.

Have you added fish yet? If you haven't it is time, but you will need to stop with your ammonia and stabilize your PH. Fish won't like the swings your experiencing right now. Every time you are adding ammonia you are super charging the bacteria which then drop the PH. Things should happen more slowly and naturally when the bacteria are fed by fish waste.

Aquaponics is a natural system that takes time to fully develop. Your plants need a more complete nutrient profile than is available from water and ammonia so it is not surprising that they are not verdant, it is quite normal actually. Adding fish will improve the nutrients that are available to the plants when the fish poop breaks down. Also, don't expect amazing result for a good 6 months to a year... It keeps getting better for up to 2 years.

You might consider using another form of calcium carbonate: either using eggshell crushed up in a nylon stocking or shell grit mixed in with your growbed media for a long lasting PH buffer.

[John foley]

Wow, thanks for your reply. Yes I added fish a week ago once the calcium was able to get my PH up to goal. However, over the past week all my fish have died. During there brief stay I continued to add calcium to water to stop the slide in PH towards 6.0 as I didn't want them to die from the acidic water. During the past week I was also adding ammonia as it was dropping and I didn't want to starve my bacteria.





Jonathan Kadish NYC AA Chair said:

So a few things... Life is hard to control. I tried to manhandle my system to work perfectly in the beginning, but I realized that letting go is the key and just helping the system along is all I had to do. You are just where you are supposed to be so don't be frustrated.

Have you added fish yet? If you haven't it is time, but you will need to stop with your ammonia and stabilize your PH. Fish won't like the swings your experiencing right now. Every time you are adding ammonia you are super charging the bacteria which then drop the PH. Things should happen more slowly and naturally when the bacteria are fed by fish waste.

Aquaponics is a natural system that takes time to fully develop. Your plants need a more complete nutrient profile than is available from water and ammonia so it is not surprising that they are not verdant, it is quite normal actually. Adding fish will improve the nutrients that are available to the plants when the fish poop breaks down. Also, don't expect amazing result for a good 6 months to a year... It keeps getting better for up to 2 years.

You might consider using another form of calcium carbonate: either using eggshell crushed up in a nylon stocking or shell grit mixed in with your growbed media for a long lasting PH buffer.