Starting my grow bed

[Don Gibbs]

I am in need of some advice from the experts. I have a small system that I started recently and my set up seems to be working fine. Up until yesterday all I had to check the water with was a 5 test dip strip. The strip tests were ph, alkalinity, water hardness, nitrites, and nitrates. In order to try and help my system along, I put a bag of worm castings in the tank while cycling. I monitored the water with my strips daily for about a week and last Saturday, I planted my grow beds and put fish in my tank. I have a 55 gallon plastic drum for a fish tank. I have 7 bluegill that range from 4 fingers to just a little over hand size. In about 2.5 days radishes started breaking through the gravel and have been doing fine. Nothing else has sprouted except for 1 watermelon. I did look for some of the other seeds and found 2 locations where I planted peas and the seeds looked like mush. I planted at the top edge of the water level in my beds. I don't know if this is to deep on not. Back to my water testing. I purchased the API water testing kit and ran my first test this morning. My initial reading were ph - 7.4, ammonia - 0.25 ppm, nitrites - 5 ppm, and my nitrates were 5 - 10 ppm. I really don't want to put my fish in harms way or have to restart everything all over again. I have enjoyed building my system and waiting on the beds to grow. If anyone can point me in the direction I need to go now or offer some advice on what I should do next it will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

[TCLynx]

A little bit of shade (especially for tender seedlings) may be a good thing.  I often do a 40% aluminet shade for the summer over my gravel beds if there isn't much natural shade.

[Don Gibbs]

Unless I am misunderstanding what I have read, this should be an indication that my system has cycled or is in the final stages of cycling. Two days ago my ph was 7.6, now it is slightly lower. My ammonia has not changed. My nitrites, well lets just say I had a plenty, because I could not tell what it was(very high). My nitrates were about the same as my nitrites(also very high). These pictures show what my water test read this morning . I did transplant 12 plants this morning to use some of the vacant space in my grow beds. Hopefully within the next few weeks I can get what I need to start another system and I think I will try a floating raft system on the next on. Will most likely be asking for advice when I start that one. Thanks all.

[TCLynx]

Yep if you have fish in there and you are feeding them the appropriate amount and those levels are pretty stable, yes you are pretty much cycled up to that load.  Keep in mind that if you suddenly add more fish or start feeding a lot more or higher protein feed you may need to watch the water quality more closely since the system will need to cycle up to the greater load but for now for what you have, yet you are about cycled.

[Don Gibbs]

Guys, I need some advice. These are pictures of my 2 grow beds this morning. I am seeing growth almost on a daily basis. I have had to put in strings for the runners on my cucumbers and few beans. I think that my beds are over crowded or I don't have enough fish in the tank. I am currently down to 5 blue gill and they are eating like crazy. I feed them 2 times a day and am thinking about trying to feed 3 times a day. When I do my water test, usually 2 times a week, I have good readings. Ph is in the 7.2-7.6 range, ammonia-0, nitrites-0, nitrates-0. I think that the beds are using up the nutrients and there are none left in the system to last for very long. As you can see by the pictures some of the plants will turn yellow and then in a couple of days green back up. Is my thinking correct or am I missing something. I want to start a new system soon, but I want to get this one leveled out a bit more before I start the next. Thanks in advance for any help.

[TCLynx]

Yep, cucumbers are nutrient hogs too so they are probably sucking down the nutrients as fast as your fish can make them.

Yea, add a 3rd feeding perhaps add more fish.  You might also give a dose of seaweed extract and chelated iron to help with some of the deficiencies that are showing.  What sort of fish feed are you using?

[Don Gibbs]

Blue gill. A co worker caught them for me out of his pond.

TCLynx said:

Yep, cucumbers are nutrient hogs too so they are probably sucking down the nutrients as fast as your fish can make them.

Yea, add a 3rd feeding perhaps add more fish.  You might also give a dose of seaweed extract and chelated iron to help with some of the deficiencies that are showing.  What sort of fish feed are you using?

[Don Gibbs]

Where would be a good place to get seaweed extract and chelated iron?

TCLynx said:

Yep, cucumbers are nutrient hogs too so they are probably sucking down the nutrients as fast as your fish can make them.

Yea, add a 3rd feeding perhaps add more fish.  You might also give a dose of seaweed extract and chelated iron to help with some of the deficiencies that are showing.  What sort of fish feed are you using?

[TCLynx]

http://www.theaquaponicstore.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=seaweed

http://www.aquaponiclynx.com/products/fish-safe-supplements-and-pes...

powdered chelated iron in consumer size packages has been far harder for me to find.  I can get a liquid that is fish safe but it costs more to ship.

[Don Gibbs]

This mornings test results. I was away last week on business and my daughter was watching my system for me. I had one fish to die( now down to four). Due to the extreme heat last week, I had a cover put over my system for shade so that the plants would not be exposed to the excess sun. They currently can get sun early in the mornings and late afternoon. During the mid-day the light filters through the tent/cover over them. When I tested my water last week the ph was 6.8, ammonia was 0, nitrites was 0, nitrates was 0. This week my ph has dropped down to 6.4, ammonia is at 0.25 ppm, nitrates are at 0, and nitrates are at 5 ppm. The fish seem less active and are not eating like they were last week. Could this be to the ph or temperature? Plants are still blooming although some have dead leaves on them. Is this something that I am doing or has anyone had this to happen to them? Will the low ph harm my fish or plants? The only thing that is producing vegetables is the peppers. Let me know what you think.  Thanks in advance.

[TCLynx]

pH dropping can be a sign that the bacteria is using up the alkalinity and struggling to do it's job and hence you have a little ammonia spike.  Of course a dead fish if just pulled out of the tank right before you did the water test could also be responsible for the elevated ammonia.  I would say time for a spoon full or so of prevention and add a little bit of calcium carbonate or potassium bicarbonate to perhaps buffer your pH back up to around 6.8.

The elevated nitrates are probably your plants slowing down from the shade.  Sounds like perhaps the tent cover is filtering a lot of light? and any sudden change can take a little big for the plants to get used to.  but nitrates being 5 ppm is not a bad thing, anything orange I like because I can read it.

All n all sounds like things are going ok for the heat.

[Don Gibbs]

Woke up to yet another dead fish this morning before work. Now down to three. Ph is swinging from one end of the scale to the other. I did read about using lemon juice to lower high ph. I put two teaspoons in this afternoon and will check tomorrow. On the up side I did count two new peppers and six cucumbers this afternoon. I guess I will just ride out what swings come my way and when everything settles down restock with more fish.