Aquaponics System, Passive Solar Greenhouse build - Page 13

jeff5may · 05-22-15, 07:57 PM

No, I'm saying add some trash fish first. They will pay the ultimate price to kick start your system. The first few of whatever you put in first will not live long or well anyway. The mere presence of them in the water, eating what you feed them and making poo will improve your water quality and drastically reduce the need for high dollar fertilizer.

Once your trash fish stop dying off, then you know you can either swap them out for valuable fish, or just leave them in and add more stock. It's much cheaper to go fishing, and less discouraging to see trash fish keel over.

pinballlooking · 05-26-15, 10:45 AM

I posted the latest water test here this makes it easy to see the difference.
http://ecorenovator.org/forum/lawn-g...html#post45135

Nitrites are increasing nicely and should start to go down. (Purple color, darker is more)
Nitrate are increasing and should continue to increase. Ammonia should start to come down. (the last test closer to red is more Nitrates.)

I added a small amount of ammonia and some dried seaweed.
It is getting much closer to being cycled.
I am going to wait until it gets cycled to add the fish I am very close at this point.

pinballlooking · 05-27-15, 08:58 AM

It was going to rain last night. My oldest boy and I put up a clean IBC but the rain was on us so we were in a hurry. We knocked it off the cement blocks on the one side. We did not notice this until later it filled up the 330 gallons. Then the weight started sinking it into the ground and leaning badly.
I put a jack under it and a jack stand and a short 2 x 6 to hopefully keep it in place until morning.

That is 2,640 lbs of water. It kept it from falling and I am transferring the water to another one today.

We have not had rain in a long time and I only had 200 gallons of rain water left to top off the system. So we were glad to get the rain. Now we have about 600 gallons rain water collected.

Today’s water test are in this post. The system had lots of rain water in it last night it but it just topped off so it is hard to tell if the ammonia went down from that or the system cycling.
http://ecorenovator.org/forum/lawn-g...html#post45135

pinballlooking · 05-28-15, 08:30 AM

Todays Test are here http://ecorenovator.org/forum/lawn-g...html#post45135
I added some ½ teaspoon ammonia yesterday after the morning test. The ammonia still came down. This is good.
I add ½ teaspoon ammonia today to bring it back up some.
Nitrites are way up I need these to start coming down once that happens I can get fish.
Nitrates are still going up this is all good.

Some plants are doing better than others.

I bought an iron tester. This is not a must have you can just watch your plants to determine when to add iron. I would rather test and just have the right level.
It will just be simpler for me because my wife will play a bigger role once the system is stable and I will keep the ph… all where it should be.

It is simple to use turn it on and put water from the system in.
Then add the reagent put it back in press button it counts down from 3 min.
Then it shows the reading.

Daox · 05-28-15, 08:34 AM

Wow on that IBC! Did you get it all taken care of?

Its good to hear that the system is getting close to being ready to go. Still planning on 25 tilapia?

pinballlooking · 05-28-15, 08:58 AM

I pumped that IBC out into another one. Added some new dirt under the legs and put the bricks back under the legs. We are all set now.
The small rain storm collected us around 450-500 gallons rain water.
I think I will keep two collecting rain and have those fill two more. that way I could have up to 1,320 waiting to be used up. I am not sure how much water I will be using. but in the summer we can go a while between rain storms.

I am not sure on the tilapia now I have not heard back from the guy I was going to get them from. I am going to send him another message today.

pinballlooking · 06-01-15, 10:13 AM

This is the test I have been waiting for.

PH it is about 6.7
Ammonia is about .0 ppm this came down from yesterday.
Nitrite is up to 0 ppm
Nitrate is showing up at about 20

You can see all test here.
http://ecorenovator.org/forum/lawn-g...html#post45135
I am dosing the ammonia to 1ppm today and hopefully it will be 0 ammonia
and 0 nitrites in the morning. Then time to get fish

Fish can’t take high level Ammonia. They do not tolerate high levels nitrites.
My filter is just like setting up a fish tank and it needs to be able to process Ammonia and the nitrites into nitrates in a 24 hour cycle.

The guy I am getting my fish from emailed me today and we are good. I will be getting my tilapia from him.

pinballlooking · 06-01-15, 01:15 PM

My 12 Volt 18 watt air pump came today. I will get a 12 relay and a 12v wall wart power supply.
The 12V power supply will keep the air pump from running. When power goes out the 12v relay will close and the air pump will turn on to keep the fish alive when the power comes back on the pump will shut off.
I will connect the 12 battery to a solar panel to keep it charged up and ready just in case we lose power. I don't want to kill the fish if the power goes out.

Daox · 06-01-15, 02:42 PM

Very cool. When do you get the fish?

pinballlooking · 06-01-15, 02:50 PM

I hope to get fish this week.

The test today was I raised the ammonia to 1 ppm.
If tomorrow it is 0 and 0 nitrites I am ready for fish. If not it will take a little more time to get cycled.
But I really think I am there and this is just a final test to be sure.

I can use my new air pump in our Tahoe to keep the fish happy on the drive home. The fish are about a 2 hour round trip away for me.

05-27-15, 08:58 AM	#123
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	It was going to rain last night. My oldest boy and I put up a clean IBC but the rain was on us so we were in a hurry. We knocked it off the cement blocks on the one side. We did not notice this until later it filled up the 330 gallons. Then the weight started sinking it into the ground and leaning badly. I put a jack under it and a jack stand and a short 2 x 6 to hopefully keep it in place until morning. That is 2,640 lbs of water. It kept it from falling and I am transferring the water to another one today. We have not had rain in a long time and I only had 200 gallons of rain water left to top off the system. So we were glad to get the rain. Now we have about 600 gallons rain water collected. Today’s water test are in this post. The system had lots of rain water in it last night it but it just topped off so it is hard to tell if the ammonia went down from that or the system cycling. http://ecorenovator.org/forum/lawn-g...html#post45135 Attached Thumbnails

05-28-15, 08:30 AM	#124
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	Todays Test are here http://ecorenovator.org/forum/lawn-g...html#post45135 I added some ½ teaspoon ammonia yesterday after the morning test. The ammonia still came down. This is good. I add ½ teaspoon ammonia today to bring it back up some. Nitrites are way up I need these to start coming down once that happens I can get fish. Nitrates are still going up this is all good. Some plants are doing better than others. I bought an iron tester. This is not a must have you can just watch your plants to determine when to add iron. I would rather test and just have the right level. It will just be simpler for me because my wife will play a bigger role once the system is stable and I will keep the ph… all where it should be. It is simple to use turn it on and put water from the system in. Then add the reagent put it back in press button it counts down from 3 min. Then it shows the reading. Attached Thumbnails

05-28-15, 08:34 AM	#125
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Wow on that IBC! Did you get it all taken care of? Its good to hear that the system is getting close to being ready to go. Still planning on 25 tilapia? __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

06-01-15, 10:13 AM	#127
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	This is the test I have been waiting for. PH it is about 6.7 Ammonia is about .0 ppm this came down from yesterday. Nitrite is up to 0 ppm Nitrate is showing up at about 20 You can see all test here. http://ecorenovator.org/forum/lawn-g...html#post45135 I am dosing the ammonia to 1ppm today and hopefully it will be 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites in the morning. Then time to get fish Fish can’t take high level Ammonia. They do not tolerate high levels nitrites. My filter is just like setting up a fish tank and it needs to be able to process Ammonia and the nitrites into nitrates in a 24 hour cycle. The guy I am getting my fish from emailed me today and we are good. I will be getting my tilapia from him. Last edited by pinballlooking; 06-01-15 at 12:23 PM..

06-01-15, 01:15 PM	#128
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	My 12 Volt 18 watt air pump came today. I will get a 12 relay and a 12v wall wart power supply. The 12V power supply will keep the air pump from running. When power goes out the 12v relay will close and the air pump will turn on to keep the fish alive when the power comes back on the pump will shut off. I will connect the 12 battery to a solar panel to keep it charged up and ready just in case we lose power. I don't want to kill the fish if the power goes out. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by pinballlooking; 06-01-15 at 03:15 PM..

05-22-15, 07:57 PM	#121
jeff5may Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA Posts: 2,431 Thanks: 431 Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts	No, I'm saying add some trash fish first. They will pay the ultimate price to kick start your system. The first few of whatever you put in first will not live long or well anyway. The mere presence of them in the water, eating what you feed them and making poo will improve your water quality and drastically reduce the need for high dollar fertilizer. Once your trash fish stop dying off, then you know you can either swap them out for valuable fish, or just leave them in and add more stock. It's much cheaper to go fishing, and less discouraging to see trash fish keel over.

05-26-15, 10:45 AM	#122
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	I posted the latest water test here this makes it easy to see the difference. http://ecorenovator.org/forum/lawn-g...html#post45135 Nitrites are increasing nicely and should start to go down. (Purple color, darker is more) Nitrate are increasing and should continue to increase. Ammonia should start to come down. (the last test closer to red is more Nitrates.) I added a small amount of ammonia and some dried seaweed. It is getting much closer to being cycled. I am going to wait until it gets cycled to add the fish I am very close at this point.

05-28-15, 08:58 AM	#126
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	I pumped that IBC out into another one. Added some new dirt under the legs and put the bricks back under the legs. We are all set now. The small rain storm collected us around 450-500 gallons rain water. I think I will keep two collecting rain and have those fill two more. that way I could have up to 1,320 waiting to be used up. I am not sure how much water I will be using. but in the summer we can go a while between rain storms. I am not sure on the tilapia now I have not heard back from the guy I was going to get them from. I am going to send him another message today.

06-01-15, 02:42 PM	#129
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Very cool. When do you get the fish? __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

06-01-15, 02:50 PM	#130
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	I hope to get fish this week. The test today was I raised the ammonia to 1 ppm. If tomorrow it is 0 and 0 nitrites I am ready for fish. If not it will take a little more time to get cycled. But I really think I am there and this is just a final test to be sure. I can use my new air pump in our Tahoe to keep the fish happy on the drive home. The fish are about a 2 hour round trip away for me.