Bonham, TX - US

[LPMurphy]

See my Introduction post for any background http://www.aquaponicshq.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1067

It didn't take me long to cut the top off the tank. I am much happier now with if off. However I did it because I lost more fish from the drain than stress or water quality. It looked like only a 6mm-7mm gap so I was not concerned about it but in the back I found about a 25mm one that the fish were swimming through and getting in the pipe work. Glad I did not cement down the PVC.

I bought #250 100mm-150mm channel cats and lost eight first 24 hours for unknown reasons The water one day after fish was as follows (3 days ago):
PH 7.8
Ammonia 1.0
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 5.0

Today I found one floating and water is:
PH between 7.2 & 7.5
Ammonia .25
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 15

I would appreaciate any insight as to how I am doing. I planted seeds (tomato, cantalope, watermelon & green bean in half the bunks yesterday. I am considering buying some plants from the nursery.

[Ravnis]

is your system previously cycled or seeded? If not adding extra aeration will help. Just remember that catfish are scaleless fish, so the usual add salt to help with nitrites probably won't work for them. They won't handle high salinity. I have found adding extra aeration quickens the cycling process. especially if you put a filter pad on top of an air stone or two and make it bubble through it. I used a old plastic tool box and ran water into it and just let it spill out the side into the growbed.

[Castaway]

Have you got any air going into the Fish Tank? Water looks green to me in the photos.

[LPMurphy]

I must confess ignorance of what the term "cycled" and perhaps seeded means. About every two hours the contents of the 1135l sump is pumped into the FT (1325l of water) and gravity feeds the grow bunks (CHOP). To a lesser extent for about a week it has been doing this cycle about 5 times a day as I have been tweeking the flood/drain.

I just planted seeds in it for the first time ever.

Yes, the water when in the tank does have a green tint. However when being pumped into the FT or running into the growbunks it is crystal clear looking. I cannot see the bottom of the tank though - would be happier if I could. I just thought that was normal. More areation will fix that? Can you put too much areation in?

I had understood that the system would get all the areation it needed between running the water through the rocks in the growbed and the force of the pumping from sump to FT. Is this an incorrect belief? I have no additional aeration than this currently.

Input is greatly appreciated.

[Ravnis]

cycling is the term used for when the bacteria break down ammonia to nitrate. It's summed up with :

Ammonia -> nitrite then
Nitrite -> Nitrate.

Nitrate is what we want as it is least harmful to fish and what the plants use.

Seeding is putting filters, gravel, or squeezing the gunk off of a sponge filter on a working and healthy aquarium.

You may be in for a rough few weeks if your ammonia suddenly goes dark green. Takes about 3 weeks for an unseeded system to cycle. You could add an aquatic plant or two if ammonia get above one.

It is impossible to oversaturate the water with just air. Just make sure you dont put too much where the fish are. IF you add airstones and air pumps put one or two in the fish tank and the rest in the sump. The airstones will save your fish in the event of a pump failure and use very little electricity.

[LPMurphy]

Thank you for the info. I would say is has to be at least somewhat cycled as my Nitrates have done a climb (two days holding at 20 though), Ammonia went from .25 to almost 0 and the fish did finally eat after dark yesterday.

My PH went up a lot today. Yesterday is was 7.5-7.6. Today I had to use the HIGH RANGE card of my API test kit and it hit 8.8. I do not have my covering on yet and it rained hard much of today. Does rainwater raise PH or is the system still adjusting.

I had put in 118ml of white distilled vinegar to a 1325l tank with a 1135l sump yesterday and another of the same today. Too little - too much - or the Goldilocks routine and just right?

Here are the current levels:
PH 8.8
Ammonia < .25
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 20

As soon as it stops raining I can start my greenhouse. Getting the FT and sump away from the sun is bound to help the green water some too I would think/hope.

[Ravnis]

I would suspect the rise in PH is due to something in the gravel more than anything to do with the cycling of the system. Ammonia will raise the ph slightly it has generally been a small amount in my limited experience closer to .2 to .4 change. I have quit using gravel in my systems as I keep fighting the ph swings like you now are and switched to scoria with a hydroton dressing on top.

[aussieap]

You will also get pH swings over the course of the day with the algae (green stuff) in ur system. This has implications for fish health.
I would have some sort of light excluding lid on that tank to reduce the potential build up of algae and subsequent problems.
The green stage or pea soup stage is part of the cycling process and it looks like you are nearly there. Generally the water clears after that, but yours is exposed to light so it may not clear completely.
Good luck and stay in touch.

[LPMurphy]

Some had asked me to let you know how the bender worked out. I have bent all my tubes and started setting up my baseboards. I should have all the hoops up tomorrow, so I guess I can definitively say after that. So far, it works exactly as advertised and is really easy.
Here are a few pics.
We got 10" of rain yesterday - the water cleared up some. Guess I got a water change - like it or not. Gotta get this covered.

[Murray]

One of our Moderators, Hamish, has ordered a similar pipe bender....looks like it has worked out really well for you.
How will you join the hoop sections? Is there a sleeved join ?

[LPMurphy]

The tubes you bend are what (in the US as least) are called top rail. They are the top rail of a chain link fence, mine is 17 guage. One end is swagged to fit into the other end of another tube. I attached a pic.
It takes three bent tubes to make one 20' hoop. Just push them together after bending and one self drilling #10 screw 3/4" or ~.19ml.
Here is a link to a video the inventor has.
http://lostcreek.net/

[LPMurphy]

The hoops I built are finally going up. Still have to attach the purlins tomorrow and the cover is supposed to arrive Monday. It got dark on me - sorry about the dark pics.

[LPMurphy]

Just an update. I still have a lot of work to do in the greenhouse but it is up and half the gb's are planted from seeds in the gravel and growing.
The green down the middle of two gb's are all tomato soon to be thinned out. The other two gb's on the end have garden beans, cucumber, cantaloupe and watermelon. I had thought about transplanting the tomato to the other beds but will probably just plant more seed - does not seem worth the effort. Will grow some jalapeno also.
I have a batt backed up air pump in the ft and the ft and sump are now covered.
As always - if you see something I missed - speak up.

[aussieap]

Man you are getting stuck in. Lotta work there. Hope things go well.

[LPMurphy]

Just an update with a view of the veggies. I have tomato, cukes, cantalopes, watermelons and garden beans for now. Fish and plants happy - I stopped trying to get the Ph down as the gravel just kept pushing it back up but it stabilized at a level the catfish are comfortable with.
Still need to run the water line overhead.