New system started from a newbe

[Gabriele Barocci]

Hello guys,

first off all i don't have any practical experience in Aquaponics:

Before starting testing the water i run the system for tree days.

No fish in the tank (18G)

day 1 after the test i added some liquid ammonia 

day 2 after the test i added "Cycle" to start the cycle (added for three days)

what do you think?

thanks fo your help

Gabriele

[Vlad Jovanovic]

I imagine your nitrites should be readable 'soon' :) How's the light working out. I imagine things should perk up soon. 

[Gabriele Barocci]

thanks Vlad,

the light is very bright, but the seedlings don't look so healthy (because of the no nitrates i guess).

i hope everything is going to work out!

i'm want to eat my zucchini flower(almost impossible to find here)

Gab

[Gabriele Barocci]

day 30 update:

nothing new is happening... the seedling are not jealty at all.

i'm thinking about using seaweed , so i can something while the cycle start....

thanks for your help

Gabriele

 

[Vlad Jovanovic]

What do you mean by seaweed? MaxiCrop, Seasol, Kelpak, (those all have N-P-K values of about 0-0.4-1)...You could try foliar feeding them til your system stabilizes.

[Gabriele Barocci]

Vlad,

i read your topic about Kelpak, and i think i saw it on a shelf in a gardening store here.

with foliar feeding you mean spray the nutrient on the leaves???

or i can put it in the directly in the fish tank?

thanks

Gab

[Vlad Jovanovic]

If you use something like one of those three mentioned products, you can put it in the tank (and foliar feed if you want to). If you use some other product with a higher N-P-K value than I'd suggest only foliar feeding (spraying the leaves). 

If you brew a batch of worm tea, that works well too, foliar... or put a handful of worm castings in one of your wife's nylons and drop it next to an air-stone...you can run your whole system that way 'forever'...No fish needed. I did just that this past summer and fall, and to an extant am doing so now, with a little addition of hummonia (aged human urine) this time.

If you cycle a system with hummonia instead of pure ammonia, it would stand to reason that your system is at an early advantage plant nutrition-wise. Ammonia will give you just nitrites and nitrates, whereas hummonia has many more essential elements for plant growth, in addition to the nitrite/nitrates. But I guess the 'yuck' factor might keep some folks from doing it. 

[Gabriele Barocci]

I hope to fine some Kelpak today or tomorrow,

i do not have any worm tea or worm casting yet,and i'm not ready for the hummonia....

thanks for your help...again

gabriele

Vlad Jovanovic said:

If you use something like one of those three mentioned products, you can put it in the tank (and foliar feed if you want to). If you use some other product with a higher N-P-K value than I'd suggest only foliar feeding (spraying the leaves). 

If you brew a batch of worm tea, that works well too, foliar... or put a handful of worm castings in one of your wife's nylons and drop it next to an air-stone...you can run your whole system that way 'forever'...No fish needed. I did just that this past summer and fall, and to an extant am doing so now, with a little addition of hummonia (aged human urine) this time.

If you cycle a system with hummonia instead of pure ammonia, it would stand to reason that your system is at an early advantage plant nutrition-wise. Ammonia will give you just nitrites and nitrates, whereas hummonia has many more essential elements for plant growth, in addition to the nitrite/nitrates. But I guess the 'yuck' factor might keep some folks from doing it. 

[Vlad Jovanovic]

[Gabriele Barocci]

Vlad,

i went to the store this morning, this is what they have:

 organic fertilazer

earth safe KELPMEAL 1 / 0.15 / 0.15

earth safe 0.0.4

or 

grotek 0.3 /0.3 /4

what do you think???

thanks

Gab

[Vlad Jovanovic]

I take it that the Grotek product is their KOH cold process extracted kelp product called "Growth-Max"? My best judgement would be (from the literature on the net I was able to dig up on that particular product) is that it seems to fall within the clique of Maxi-Crop/SeaSol/Kelpak. From the way they make it...to what its made from. It's got a bit more K than the others, but this is not a bad thing. (If it were N or P, that would not be  so good).

Keep in mind these are just my opinions based on my perception of the info I have and nothing fool proof based on any AP experience with that product... :)

Earth Safe, all I could find was a MSDS sheet and not much other info...

Out of curiosity, what are your numbers looking like today Gabe? No big changes I take it?

See if you can get a litre of worm castings from a Garden Center type store. It might be good to have on hand, as its an easy way to boost nitrates. 

It really would be a good idea IMO to put a couple handfuls of rocks or hydroton in an 'onion' bag to help out with the bio-filtration since the system is so small and only has that one DWC...

[Gabriele Barocci]

same value today,

actually ammonia is not at 0, is 0.25ppm

nitrite are over scale

and nitrates ar still around 5ppm

i've already put hydroton in the fisktank( the water level dropped a 30% )

i'll ask the store about warm casting(by i do not think they have it)

i'll buy the grotek

thanks a lot

Gab

[Vlad Jovanovic]

Well hopefully your nitrites will come down soon. Putting another little bagful in the DWC (maybe next to an air stone could only help)...Man, any sized Box - o - rocks bio-filter helps :)

Do you have any top-up water prepared (chlorine free)?