High Nitrite Question - Aquaponic Gardening2024-03-28T12:58:59Zhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/forum/topics/high-nitrite-question?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A492096&feed=yes&xn_auth=noOh, please let me know if you…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-07-16:4778851:Comment:4938582013-07-16T02:48:59.996ZAlex Veidelhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/AlexVeidel
<p>Oh, <em>please</em> let me know if you find anything :D I've been having a hard time with that too.<br></br> <br></br> <cite>George said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/high-nitrite-question#4778851Comment493628"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p><span>and down in the l<span>and of ye<span>ar round outdoor g<span>ardening too. </span></span></span></span></p>
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<p><span><span><span><span>Let me know how the DC pump works out for you.…</span></span></span></span></p>
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<p>Oh, <em>please</em> let me know if you find anything :D I've been having a hard time with that too.<br/> <br/> <cite>George said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/high-nitrite-question#4778851Comment493628"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p><span>and down in the l<span>and of ye<span>ar round outdoor g<span>ardening too. </span></span></span></span></p>
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<p><span><span><span><span>Let me know how the DC pump works out for you. I'm still se<span>arching for dur<span>able low w<span>att<span>age DC - using Shurflo b<span>ait pump right now. Converse is good if you need composting worms.<span><br/></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
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</blockquote> and down in the land of year…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-07-15:4778851:Comment:4936282013-07-15T12:39:15.880ZGeorgehttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/Geoge
<p><span>and down in the l<span>and of ye<span>ar round outdoor g<span>ardening too. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span><span><span><span>Let me know how the DC pump works out for you. I'm still se<span>arching for dur<span>able low w<span>att<span>age DC - using Shurflo b<span>ait pump right now. Converse is good if you need composting worms.<span><br/></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span>and down in the l<span>and of ye<span>ar round outdoor g<span>ardening too. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span><span><span><span>Let me know how the DC pump works out for you. I'm still se<span>arching for dur<span>able low w<span>att<span>age DC - using Shurflo b<span>ait pump right now. Converse is good if you need composting worms.<span><br/></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> I have great news!
It appears…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-07-15:4778851:Comment:4932372013-07-15T00:15:22.220ZBill Irwinhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/BillIrwin
<p>I have great news!</p>
<p>It appears that I posted my question just one day too soon. The day after I posted my question about high nitrites, the concentration was a bit lower (2-3 ppm). I opted not to do a water change to see what would happen if I just left the rest of the nitrites for the bacteria to "feed on." Sure enough, the next day and since then the levels of both ammonia and nitrites have been undetectable (or nearly so). </p>
<p>The really great thing is that the nitrate…</p>
<p>I have great news!</p>
<p>It appears that I posted my question just one day too soon. The day after I posted my question about high nitrites, the concentration was a bit lower (2-3 ppm). I opted not to do a water change to see what would happen if I just left the rest of the nitrites for the bacteria to "feed on." Sure enough, the next day and since then the levels of both ammonia and nitrites have been undetectable (or nearly so). </p>
<p>The really great thing is that the nitrate levels have also been dropping even though I've been increasingly feeding the fish. Today the nitrate level was only 10 ppm. Plant growth has really taken off so now that the bacterial colonies are well established I can feed the fish to their hearts' content and the plants will be loving it too. </p>
<p>Next step: worms to start converting solid wastes that are being increasingly produced by they fish.</p>
<p></p> True, tilapia are fine in war…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-07-11:4778851:Comment:4922142013-07-11T16:40:39.581ZBill Irwinhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/BillIrwin
<p>True, tilapia are fine in warm water (they can tolerate a wide range of about 55-95F), but they grow faster (and produce more waste in the process to "feed" the plants) in the middle of their natural temp range (low to mid 80s). Even with the tank in the shade, temps would climb into the high 80s and even 90s. Add to that the heat absorbed and transferred by the clay in the grow bed (especially since we want to avoid evaporation to reduce the need to add water) and it can get very warm -…</p>
<p>True, tilapia are fine in warm water (they can tolerate a wide range of about 55-95F), but they grow faster (and produce more waste in the process to "feed" the plants) in the middle of their natural temp range (low to mid 80s). Even with the tank in the shade, temps would climb into the high 80s and even 90s. Add to that the heat absorbed and transferred by the clay in the grow bed (especially since we want to avoid evaporation to reduce the need to add water) and it can get very warm - approaching the high end of their range. I specifically selected heat tolerant plant varieties, but they'll still be happier with slightly cooler water. </p>
<p>Yes, we got some great rain last night but it's a toss-up right now whether or not we get anything significant from Chantal.</p>
<p>I'm familiar with your climate; we moved here from Kingsland, GA. It probably get's hotter AND colder where you are than it does here (unless you're within a few miles of the coast) so I'm lucky not to have that challenge. <br/> <br/> <cite>George said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/high-nitrite-question?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A492140&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment492140"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>You m<span>ay get <span>a good flush of r<span>ainw<span>ater soon.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span>Wouldn't just some sh<span>ade over the t<span>ank be good enough for til<span>api<span>a? I thought they were ok with very w<span>arm w<span>ater. Someone else m<span>ay be <span>able to spe<span>ak to it - There <span>are plenty of til<span>api<span>a in the southern l<span>atitudes. I'm <span>at 30N <span>and my w<span>ater is <span>at le<span>ast <span>as w<span>arm <span>as yours. Bluegill don't seem to mind.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
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</blockquote> You may get a good flush of r…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-07-11:4778851:Comment:4921402013-07-11T16:07:18.795ZGeorgehttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/Geoge
<p>You m<span>ay get <span>a good flush of r<span>ainw<span>ater soon.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span>Wouldn't just some sh<span>ade over the t<span>ank be good enough for til<span>api<span>a? I thought they were ok with very w<span>arm w<span>ater. Someone else m<span>ay be <span>able to spe<span>ak to it - There <span>are plenty of til<span>api<span>a in the southern l<span>atitudes. I'm <span>at 30N <span>and my w<span>ater is <span>at le<span>ast <span>as…</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>You m<span>ay get <span>a good flush of r<span>ainw<span>ater soon.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span>Wouldn't just some sh<span>ade over the t<span>ank be good enough for til<span>api<span>a? I thought they were ok with very w<span>arm w<span>ater. Someone else m<span>ay be <span>able to spe<span>ak to it - There <span>are plenty of til<span>api<span>a in the southern l<span>atitudes. I'm <span>at 30N <span>and my w<span>ater is <span>at le<span>ast <span>as w<span>arm <span>as yours. Bluegill don't seem to mind.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> Good suggestions. I'm actual…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-07-11:4778851:Comment:4920962013-07-11T13:55:31.098ZBill Irwinhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/BillIrwin
<p>Good suggestions. I'm actually adding a little bit of "safe" salts as I adjust the pH. I didn't want to pH to climb too much because it's really sunny and warm here in Key West and the combined high water temp and high pH would lead to increased ammonia toxicity. I'm considering getting a chiller to keep the tilapia just a bit happier (especially in August) and to keep the plant roots cool to help keep them from bolting. That''ll have to run on AC power but I'm planning to convert the…</p>
<p>Good suggestions. I'm actually adding a little bit of "safe" salts as I adjust the pH. I didn't want to pH to climb too much because it's really sunny and warm here in Key West and the combined high water temp and high pH would lead to increased ammonia toxicity. I'm considering getting a chiller to keep the tilapia just a bit happier (especially in August) and to keep the plant roots cool to help keep them from bolting. That''ll have to run on AC power but I'm planning to convert the pump to solar supplied DC soon so the system will be as much "off the grid" as possible. </p>
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<p>Thanks for the compliment. My wife was a bit concerned during construction but now says it looks like lawn furniture! I was worried about our very conservative HOA so I wanted it to look a nice as possible (e.g. no plastic or "clutter"). I ran as much of the plumbing along the fence as possible and I'll probably paint the exposed PVC over the tanks to match the wood stain. Overall on the wood white paint would have reflected the heat better but the "natural" stain does look a lot nicer!<br/> <br/> <cite>George said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/high-nitrite-question?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A492305&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment492305"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Fish <span>and b<span>acteri<span>a might be h<span>appier <span>at 8.0 or so. S<span>alt helps fish cope with nitrite. I won't try to expound from memory but se<span>arching would prob<span>ably turn up some useful info on those topics.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
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<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Your system is very <span>attr<span>active. I need to rebuild mine <span>along those lines - my wife would love it.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
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</blockquote> Fish and bacteria might be ha…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-07-11:4778851:Comment:4923052013-07-11T13:35:37.728ZGeorgehttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/Geoge
<p>Fish <span>and b<span>acteri<span>a might be h<span>appier <span>at 8.0 or so. S<span>alt helps fish cope with nitrite. I won't try to expound from memory but se<span>arching would prob<span>ably turn up some useful info on those topics.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
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<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Your system is very <span>attr<span>active. I need to rebuild mine <span>along those lines - my wife would love…</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>Fish <span>and b<span>acteri<span>a might be h<span>appier <span>at 8.0 or so. S<span>alt helps fish cope with nitrite. I won't try to expound from memory but se<span>arching would prob<span>ably turn up some useful info on those topics.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
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<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Your system is very <span>attr<span>active. I need to rebuild mine <span>along those lines - my wife would love it.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> RIght, they are hardy fish. I…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-07-11:4778851:Comment:4918972013-07-11T12:09:15.989ZBill Irwinhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/BillIrwin
<p>RIght, they are hardy fish. I'm aerating like crazy and am glad the pH is good. Fortunately there's no sign of brown gill or lethargy. They're voracious and I wish I could feed them more! <br></br> <br></br> <cite>George said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/high-nitrite-question?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A491988&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment492046"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>you're e<span>arly yet - keep <span>a</span>t…</span></p>
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<p>RIght, they are hardy fish. I'm aerating like crazy and am glad the pH is good. Fortunately there's no sign of brown gill or lethargy. They're voracious and I wish I could feed them more! <br/> <br/> <cite>George said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/high-nitrite-question?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A491988&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment492046"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>you're e<span>arly yet - keep <span>a</span>t it - good thing til<span>api<span>a <span>are tough</span></span></span></span></p>
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</blockquote> I think I see your point. Du…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-07-11:4778851:Comment:4918942013-07-11T12:05:51.606ZBill Irwinhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/BillIrwin
<p>I think I see your point. During cycling, nitrates never went to 0 but were below 0.5 ppm and nitrates were 40+<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Jeffrey Ihara said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/high-nitrite-question?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A491988&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment491988"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Did nitrites go to zero, or did you consider it done when you started to see…</p>
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<p>I think I see your point. During cycling, nitrates never went to 0 but were below 0.5 ppm and nitrates were 40+<br/> <br/> <cite>Jeffrey Ihara said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/high-nitrite-question?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A491988&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment491988"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Did nitrites go to zero, or did you consider it done when you started to see nitrates?</p>
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</blockquote> you're early yet - keep at it…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-07-11:4778851:Comment:4920462013-07-11T02:14:47.747ZGeorgehttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/Geoge
<p>you're e<span>arly yet - keep <span>a</span>t it - good thing til<span>api<span>a <span>are tough</span></span></span></span></p>
<p>you're e<span>arly yet - keep <span>a</span>t it - good thing til<span>api<span>a <span>are tough</span></span></span></span></p>