Rookie mistakes you should avoid.

[David Waite]

This discussion is about the absolute dummest thing you tried or did when you started aquaponics. This will teach all the newcomers who think they thought of it first the truth. Been there done that. Please be honest and swallow your pride and make it funny. Heres mine. Keep in mind I am building a greenhouse and my wife is going through brain surgery, I am running a contracting business, rentals, twin six year olds on my own and oh yea, I am a man which is two strikes already.  First stupid thing. Building my system and set my tank in the ground. pant pant. Pump the tank to clean it and leave it overnight. It rains and caves in my tank Oh $hit 1. Build the rest of the greenhouse and put up 6 mil on end walls. wind rips it apart Oh f$#@# 2. Re do tank and end wall and build rest of system all goes ok. Fill with gravel and start cycle. Buy test kit and test for ph. Twins take instructions and turn into a mud ball. Test for ammonia wrong and screw up cycle. Drop 70 catfish in and notice a nitrate spike. Finnally new test kit arrives and grab instructions and read. AMMONIA must be tested in the same tube not separate tubes DUMBA$$. Burn 70 catfish and loose all but 10 Crapola 3. Had a very rough start but my system is running with new fingerlings and all is well. Hope this shows you even a nuckle head can do this.

[Cory Cramer]

Thanks for sharing. I've kept aquariums for several years now, most of my fatal mistakes have had to do with bacteria failures,  but my first planted tank (underwater plants) I made a homemade CO2 injector and accidentally injected a $%%#ton of yeast into my shrimp tank which created a nasty mess that took me a couple months to recover from.

[TCLynx]

0-used a media that affects pH.  Shells are not as bad as limestone but I still don't really recommend it as media unless you want to specialize in just watercress.

 

1-dig steep sided big hole in ground in sandy soil in FL then let the cook near it where he nearly caved in the sides.

 

2-suck fish into pump.  First fish death.  Make Sure to put good grills around pumps and pipe work.  This is a balance since you don't want small fish sucked into the pipes but the smaller the mesh, the more often you have to clean it!

 

4-make plumbing adjustments with the pump still on- envision spraying yourself with fish water.  I don't learn well cause I've done this lots and sometimes with a pretty high power flow.

 

5-Use lumber and liner in termite territory to save money over stock tanks.  I've now effectively paid for the big system twice.  But the old lumber liner beds have been re-purposed as wicking dirt garden beds since a tiny bit of leaking there isn't so bad so not a complete loss.

 

 

 

 

[Gary Searle]

After the loop syphon kicks in is the wrong time to realize you probably don't enough space in your fish tank to take all the water, and you have no way to stop the flow.Ask me how I know? LOL Happened 20 minutes ago. I'm sure the basement floor will dry in time.

[TCLynx]

to stop the flow of the loop siphon, lift the bottom end of the loop above the level of the water and it will stop.

Bell siphon would require lifting the bell off.

 

Now if the loop is not a flexible loop and glued PVC gooseneck type siphon it might be harder to stop.

[Gary Searle]

TCLynx said:

 

Now if the loop is not a flexible loop and glued PVC gooseneck type siphon it might be harder to stop.

 

Yes it would. LOL

[Jonathan Farrand]

Check valve!!!! A two dollar investment. I didn't learn the hard way but read about many who did :(, :(.   I have used the diy co2, but never had any back fires.  They work pretty good if you don't mind the work. Mine would be decent for three weeks.

Cory Cramer said:

Thanks for sharing. I've kept aquariums for several years now, most of my fatal mistakes have had to do with bacteria failures,  but my first planted tank (underwater plants) I made a homemade CO2 injector and accidentally injected a $%%#ton of yeast into my shrimp tank which created a nasty mess that took me a couple months to recover from.

[Jonathan Farrand]

Thank goodness your in the basement. 

 I was trying and for awhile sucessfull linked two 29 gallon tanks together with a pvc syphon drain.  After a week I just couldn't get the ball valve adjustments right and it would over flow.  I would watch that thing for seemingly hours without overflowing.  Go away for a few moments and there it goes all over my bedroom floor.  I would wake up at all times in the night thinking that thing was overflowing with one fish splash sound.  I mean waking up panicing and screaming NO,NO,NO,NO,NO. It had to go and I was sad it worked like a champ for a solid week and then a nightmare the rest.
Gary Searle said:

After the loop syphon kicks in is the wrong time to realize you probably don't enough space in your fish tank to take all the water, and you have no way to stop the flow.Ask me how I know? LOL Happened 20 minutes ago. I'm sure the basement floor will dry in time.

[David Waite]

These are making my ribs hurt.

 

[Cory Cramer]

I eventually got it working great. All I had to do was lower the water level in the 'jug'. I used it for about 3-4 months, recharging it occasionally, until the tank was established. I've had it running for about 2 1/2 years now with on problems...but next time: check valve :)

Jonathan Farrand said:

Check valve!!!! A two dollar investment. I didn't learn the hard way but read about many who did, :(.   I have used the diy co2, but never had any back fires.  They work pretty good if you don't mind the work. Mine would be decent for three weeks.

Cory Cramer said:

Thanks for sharing. I've kept aquariums for several years now, most of my fatal mistakes have had to do with bacteria failures,  but my first planted tank (underwater plants) I made a homemade CO2 injector and accidentally injected a $%%#ton of yeast into my shrimp tank which created a nasty mess that took me a couple months to recover from.

[Kobus Jooste]

My very first system was built on short notice.  1 day to be exact.  I heard about a garden show and impulsively decided to set up an AP unit for it.  I had to wait for a lot of custom bits and eventually it was set up the day before.  I worked through the night to assemble it all.  Bacteria, gravel, fish and plants went in all at the same time.  It was one hell of a wild system for a few months but it eventually stabilized and stayed at the nursery for just over a year.  It also did not help that the tea lady at the nursery unplugged the unit on a weekly basis.  That is where I learnt that a Mozambique tilapia unit can go without circulation for a LONG time.    Lost about half the tilapia I started with there, but if there is something positive to say about the whole experience, is that I learnt a lot about start-up problems and how tolerant tilapia can be! 

[Chris Smith]

In a new system I used straight citric acid to lower pH after using many gallons of vinegar. Within a week the water was brown and rotten along with all the plant roots. After a little research I was horrified to discover that citric acid is an antibacterial. I crashed my system trying to lower pH!

[TCLynx]

that looks pretty yucky!