Aquaponic system Maintenance.. Dealing with a nitrite spike..

Have had a bit of fun trying to get some fluctuating nitrite levels in the system under control over the past few weeks but think I have it sorted now.. Made up a clip explaining how I think it happened & the steps taken to keep the fish safe..

Will be keeping what happened with this system in mind as I start to plan for the new tanks & beds that will be going onto the system.. Have already thought about altering the way the filter is set up to try & remove as much solids as I can before they make it to the grow beds..
I found both the folks on the Backyard Aquaponics Forum & Paul from Earthan group very helpful with the advice that gave .. Paul's site also has a great salt treatment calculator that might come in handy to some..

Thought I would post a bit of a look at how we managed to clean out the grow bed that was loaded with fish solids.. I think this is part of the reason there was a nitrite spike in the system in the first place..

Held off posting on the bed cleaning just so I could see the levels drop & stay stable for a week or 2.. I think this shows that the cleaning was successful in reducing the solids that caused the nutrient "spike".. 
Making the air spear was really easy & came in handy cleaning out the beds..

Thanks to Paul from Earthan group again for giving me the heads up on the design of the DIY spear..


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Have a great one All...
:)»

How our Aquaponic system works...

Made up a bit of a clip on Sunday just showing how the aquaponic system is configured for now.. I think it will always be a work in progress as there will always be something to play or experiment with.. Have already got a few ideas on how the new beds will be made, arranged 7 plumbed up.. Just need to wait for some plants to wind down before I can start moving the bed to make some room :)»

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Have a great one All...

Aquaponic radial flow filter for solids removal..

Due to the continually high nitrite levels I thought it might be best to remove some of the waste load from the system.. While a system this size normally doesn't need a solids filter I thought it was the quickest & easiest way I could think of doing this.. It will also come on handy when the extra tanks are added.. Took a bit of playing with the pumps to get it flowing well but other than that it was a quick & easy build..
Would like to thank Paul from Earthan group for dropping off the Uniseals & for giving me loads of pointers over a coffee or 4..
The idea for this came from Earthan Group's DIY Solids Filter from their website..
They also have a You Tube channel &  Face Book page for those that are interested..




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Have a great one All...

Aquaponic nutrient & pH testing..

Time to test the nutrient & pH levels in the aquaponic system so thought I would show you how I do it..

Also gives a quick VERY basic explanation on the nitrification cycle..

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Have a great one All...
:D»