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I've been fishless cycling my system for about 5 weeks.  I have fish on the way in seven days.  I wanted to get everyone's thoughts on whether or not I'm ready for fish.  I've attached a spreadsheet of my water readings over the last 5 weeks.  Let me know your thoughts.  Spreadsheet attached below.  Thanks for everyone's input.

AP%20Cycling%20Record%20Book%209-1-12.xlsx

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This is the first time I've attached something to a post.  I've realized it's asking peeps to save it to their desktop before they can view it.  I understand many people may be reluctant to save a potentially risky file to their computer.  Is there another way I can let people view this spreadsheet on this site?  I'm going to try and paste this in this post.  I must warn though that it may not be reader friendly.

AQUAPONIC CYCLING - READYING SYSTEM FOR FISH A = Ammonia
N1 = Nitrites
A N1 N2 pH Comments Other N2 = Nitrates

9/3/2012 2ppm 2ppm 20ppm Added 30 ml of ammonia on 9/1/12
9/4/2012 4ppm 5ppm 20ppm 7.6 Added 30ml of pH down
9/5/2012 4ppm 5ppm 40ppm 7.6 pH down non effective, lost 5 gallons of H2O since 9/1
9/6/2012 2ppm 5ppm 20ppm 7.1
9/7/2012 .25ppm 5ppm 20ppm 7.1 Added 30ml of pH down
9/8/2012 .25ppm 5ppm 20ppm 6.9
9/9/2012 .25ppm 5ppm 20ppm 7.2
9/12/2012 0ppm 5ppm 80ppm 7.5
9/13/2012 .25ppm 2ppm 80ppm 7.6
9/14/2012 Added 30ml of pH down, added 5 gallons of H20
9/15/2012 .25ppm 2ppm 80ppm 7.4
9/17/2012 .25ppm 0ppm 160ppm 7.6 Added 30ml of pH down, added 30ml of ammonia
9/19/2012 .25 ppm 0ppm 160ppm 7.2
9/20/2012 .25ppm 5ppm 160ppm 7.1 Why spike in N1, added 5 gallons of H2O
9/23/2012 0ppm 0ppm 160ppm 7.5 Added 30ml of pH down, plants placed in system Citronella, sage, chard, purple passion
9/24/2012 0ppm 2ppm 160ppm
9/25/2012 0ppm 0ppm 160ppm 7.3 30ml of ammonia added
9/26/2012 0ppm 0ppm 160ppm Why no 0ppm on everything?
10/1/2012 30ml of ammonia added
10/2/2012 0ppm 2ppm 160ppm 7.6 Added 30ml of pH down, 10 gallons of H2O added
10/3/2012 0ppm 2ppm 160ppm 7
10/6/2012 0ppm 0ppm 160ppm 7.4
10/7/2012 0ppm 1ppm 160ppm 7.3 Added 30ml of pH down
10/8/2012 0ppm 0ppm 160ppm 6.7 Added 30ml of ammonia
10/9/2012 0ppm 0ppm 160ppm 7.2 Added 30ml of ammonia
10/10/2012 .5ppm .25ppm 160ppm 7.1
10/11/2012 0ppm 0ppm 160ppm 7.1 Added 30ml of ammonia

I should say the first number represents Ammonia, the second nitrites, the third nitrates, last pH and then comments fields.

Roger Emmick said:

This is the first time I've attached something to a post.  I've realized it's asking peeps to save it to their desktop before they can view it.  I understand many people may be reluctant to save a potentially risky file to their computer.  Is there another way I can let people view this spreadsheet on this site?  I'm going to try and paste this in this post.  I must warn though that it may not be reader friendly.

AQUAPONIC CYCLING - READYING SYSTEM FOR FISH A = Ammonia
N1 = Nitrites
A N1 N2 pH Comments Other N2 = Nitrates

9/3/2012 2ppm 2ppm 20ppm Added 30 ml of ammonia on 9/1/12
9/4/2012 4ppm 5ppm 20ppm 7.6 Added 30ml of pH down
9/5/2012 4ppm 5ppm 40ppm 7.6 pH down non effective, lost 5 gallons of H2O since 9/1
9/6/2012 2ppm 5ppm 20ppm 7.1
9/7/2012 .25ppm 5ppm 20ppm 7.1 Added 30ml of pH down
9/8/2012 .25ppm 5ppm 20ppm 6.9
9/9/2012 .25ppm 5ppm 20ppm 7.2
9/12/2012 0ppm 5ppm 80ppm 7.5
9/13/2012 .25ppm 2ppm 80ppm 7.6
9/14/2012 Added 30ml of pH down, added 5 gallons of H20
9/15/2012 .25ppm 2ppm 80ppm 7.4
9/17/2012 .25ppm 0ppm 160ppm 7.6 Added 30ml of pH down, added 30ml of ammonia
9/19/2012 .25 ppm 0ppm 160ppm 7.2
9/20/2012 .25ppm 5ppm 160ppm 7.1 Why spike in N1, added 5 gallons of H2O
9/23/2012 0ppm 0ppm 160ppm 7.5 Added 30ml of pH down, plants placed in system Citronella, sage, chard, purple passion
9/24/2012 0ppm 2ppm 160ppm
9/25/2012 0ppm 0ppm 160ppm 7.3 30ml of ammonia added
9/26/2012 0ppm 0ppm 160ppm Why no 0ppm on everything?
10/1/2012 30ml of ammonia added
10/2/2012 0ppm 2ppm 160ppm 7.6 Added 30ml of pH down, 10 gallons of H2O added
10/3/2012 0ppm 2ppm 160ppm 7
10/6/2012 0ppm 0ppm 160ppm 7.4
10/7/2012 0ppm 1ppm 160ppm 7.3 Added 30ml of pH down
10/8/2012 0ppm 0ppm 160ppm 6.7 Added 30ml of ammonia
10/9/2012 0ppm 0ppm 160ppm 7.2 Added 30ml of ammonia
10/10/2012 .5ppm .25ppm 160ppm 7.1
10/11/2012 0ppm 0ppm 160ppm 7.1 Added 30ml of ammonia

You appear to have a functioning bio filter that is ready for fish, but for the community to give you a more accurate answer you should provide more data:

Volume of fish tank

Volume of grow beds

Quantity & size of fish

Consider stopping PH down as you will want to have a starting point higher than 7. As soon as you put in fish and start feeding you will find in short order the PH will drop and keep dropping. Most plants will do fine at 7.5 so you need not get it lower.

Don't add anything else... except for plants... fish... and fish feed...

Good to go...

Jonathan - FT equal 100 gallons, GBs consist of two fifty gallon Rubbermaid reservoirs, quantity of fish going in will be 20 (5 gallons of water for each fish) and size will be about 2 to 3 inches in length.  Thanks for the advice on the pH.  Temp in tank is 73 degrees Fahrenheit.  Also, I've had plants in the system about 2.5 weeks and have been feeding them once a week with Maxicrop with iron.

Any other suggestions anyone!

Jonathan Kadish said:

You appear to have a functioning bio filter that is ready for fish, but for the community to give you a more accurate answer you should provide more data:

Volume of fish tank

Volume of grow beds

Quantity & size of fish

Consider stopping PH down as you will want to have a starting point higher than 7. As soon as you put in fish and start feeding you will find in short order the PH will drop and keep dropping. Most plants will do fine at 7.5 so you need not get it lower.

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