too many plants or not enough fish?

[Jess G]

New here, not sure what exactly to do. . . .

a few of my pepper plants have lower leaves turning yellow and everything seems to be growing kinda slow. I think I might have put too many plants in for the size of the system or should get more fish maybe.

Chemistry is. . . .

PH: 6.4

Ammonia: 0.25 or less

Nitrite and nitrate at 0.

system has only been up and running for about 4 weeks, it is about 50 gallons - I have a constant flow of water because my fish seemed quite stressed every time the pump turned off - drains at about 9 inches - added some additional air stones to the grow bed with composting worms. .

is this a magnesium deficiency maybe?

 

[Jess G]

[Alex Veidel]

No, doesn't look like a magnesium deficiency; The veins would stay green. I would say probably a nitrogen deficiency.

[Jonathan Kadish NYC AA Chair]

New system? I too would say nitrogen... feed the fish.

[Glenn]

Pepper plants when started early often seem to grow green and rapidly and then peter out with signs of ammonia and nitrogen deficiencies. It's a reason that  I usually wait until late July or even August to plant them. BUT, supplementing Nitrogen in soil based and natural light gardens seems to help while in AP the deficiency seems to play out as systems mature.

 Jessica, I would feed a little more and continue upping the feed as the fish increase in size. I shoot for 2 to 3 % feed to fish weight per day, if they'll eat it. Then at any sign of high Ammonia (not ammonium), curtail feeding until the level returns. Remember ammonium is way better than ammonia which is the real fish killer.  Undershooting of one is better than over shooting the other.

[Jess G]

Thanks for the tips, I got a new fish, ate a salad and moved a few plants to the outdoor soil garden. Things are looking a bit better. My poor pepper has lost almost all its leaves and is flowering like crazy. lol I think I will stick to the salad bowl planting until I get a larger system going.

[Steve R]

plants need more nitrogen. Peppers also want lots of phosphate.