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Aquaponics For Beginners
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This is a place where Beginners can post questions and find answers.
Advanced Users are welcome to help the Beginners out.
Please KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) .
Members: 672
Latest Activity: Feb 2, 2019
Discussion Forum
A few fish for sale or good home
Started by Linda Logan. Last reply by Linda Logan Feb 2, 2019. 1 Reply 0 Likes
I need to shut down my indoor system for a few months. I have 2 mature Shubunkin, 1 albino Hypostomus to clean the aquarium. There is another small fish living in the sump.I live in SE Portland and…Continue
Aquaponics system as filter for swimming pool
Started by John Wilson. Last reply by Wade J Rochelle Jan 25, 2019. 3 Replies 0 Likes
Hi all, we've just purchased a property with a large indoor swimming pool. Around 80,000L with a greenhouse roof and plenty of room around it for grow beds. However, this is far too big for us to…Continue
Not for human consumption!?
Started by Nichelle Hubley. Last reply by Nichelle Hubley Jun 30, 2015. 7 Replies 1 Like
Well, I think I messed up big time. I've been feeding my precious tilapia koi food (I like in a small place and it was all I could get... :( ) for about 2 months and last night I read on the back of…Continue
Help!! Help !!! with new filtration and set-up.
Started by Henrique Miguel. Last reply by Wayne Mcbryde May 14, 2015. 2 Replies 0 Likes
Hi,I have a set up of 2 55 gal blue barrel with Tilapia and guppies separate. I have young ones and they are growing well. Issue of overcrowding and feeding. 1. I would like to use a water…Continue
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Comment by Butch Pornebo on October 16, 2014 at 5:15pm
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make sense. what is the point of kick starting the process when it's going to be killed or slowed down anyway because of the cold spell. it could be a wiser investment on a an aquarium heater that will maintain a favorable habitat for the bacteria.
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Comment by Leo White Bear on October 16, 2014 at 4:47pm
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You can try it but I am not sure how well it will do without the aquarium heater in place. One good cold spell will either slow down or kill your bacteria shortly after it starts to cycle.
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My FT is only 40 gallon so I was an aquarium heater is in the to do list.
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last night was @ 60 F so it was not that bad. just want to facilitate the cycling before December comes around. That is why I was contemplating using some Nitrifying Bacteria solution because I was aware that at those temp the bacteria growth slow down by 50%. So even the bacteria solution would not necessarily speed up the cycling process because of the temp BUT at least it will kick start the process. does it sound reasonable ?
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I don't know how cold Northern Cal gets during the winter so if it gets below 40°F for any length of time.cycling won't be worth trying.
According to "The Book" Aquaponic Gardening by Silvia Bernstein, Pg 43. The "...optimal temperature for their (bacteria) reproduction is between 77°F - 86°F. At 64°F their growth rate decreases by 50%. At 46° - 50°F it decreases by 75% and stops altogether at 39°F. They dieoff at or below 32°F and at or above 120°F"
You may want to be thinking about heating the FT water. This may end up being a financial burden. The other consideration would be to invest in a greenhouse. There are options for heating it that are a much lower of an expense, like a rocket mass heater system where your heat is generated using small sticks. The water is considered a heat sink so you heat the water during the day and let it radiate throughout the night. Just an option.
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so nitrification involves bacteria to colonize the grow media and temp is a critical factor on how long before the system is cycled. with that said cold weather here in Northern California is right around the corner and this weeks and next weeks forecast is not exactly favorably on my cycling.
is it worth in adding a nitrifying solution such as Microbe Lift Nitrifying Bacteria in order to facilitate the cycling process ?
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I keep that distance no less than 1/2" using a 3/4" stand pipe and a 2" bell. Any larger I go up to 1".
I have cut the stand pipe to the same length as the bell without the end cap and it worked for me. It took a little longer to start the siphon but it did work. Keep the stand pipe a little taller than the bell w/o the end cap say by 1/2" taller and you should be good to go.
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is the space between the top of the stand pipe and the bell critically important ?
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in that case, I'll be germinating the seeds in paper towel method and transplant it 2 weeks after while the system is cycling and conditioning, is that about right ?
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I concur with Vlad-
I pushed the ammonia to 5-ppm and got lucky and had to go out of town for a day. When I returned, the ammonia dropped to 3-ppm with nitrites at 0.2-ppm. I DO NOT recommend going above 4-ppm with the ammonia, I just got lucky.
If you push the ammonia it is detrimental to the bacteria colonizing as it will kill off the first to arrive, be careful and attentive during the fishless cycling.
You do not need to add any Maxi-Crop along with the ammonia. The consensus is as Murry Hallum does: get your system up and pumping, add the Maxi-Crop as per the label suggestions and wait two weeks add plants and fish.
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