# Lifestyles & Discussion > Freedom Living >  My Aquaponic Experience So Far This Year

## TomKat

I have been a member for a while but I am still new to the forums, so please forgive me if I am not doing things correctly. 

I found out about aquaponics earlier this year and like most who find out about it, I was totally hooked. I built my own system the next day and had plants planted the day after. I started with a fishless cycle but I was way too eager to get started and added fish the next week (incorrectly). I started with a small fish tank and only one growing bed that I filled with pea gravel and started growing strawberries and lettuce and suplimented with Azomite rock dust. 




After the system cycled, the growth went nuts! I had the best lettuce I have ever tasted and the juciest strawberries that I have ever had. I was so impressed that I built another bed for the garden and was contimplating on what else to grow.




When my mom showed up with most of a "flat" of Omish raised jalapenos, I knew what I wanted to do! I took 11 jalapenos and planted them all within an 18" x 18" x 1' area to test out how good the system can be. I heard that you can grow very close to other plants because with aquaponics the plants do not have to fight with their roots to obtain nutrients and I wanted to see just how close you can grow. I knew peppers in square foot gardening needed 1 square foot to grow in so this sounded like a good test for the system. In the new bed I finally planted some tomatoes that I grew from seed as well as some peppers I grew. The cantaloupe and watermelon seemed like a perfect fit for the system, so I just moved some pea gravel and put some seeds directly into the system. 




Since then, things have going nuts! The jalapenos were growing a lot of fruit, the strawberries had runners going everywhere, the tomatoes started growing like mad, and the cantaloupe and watermelon have started to take off, but my other peppers in the new bed stayed small. I had a few bouts of iron depletion, so I had to suppliment with cheleated iron. I have made a few update videos to show the progress. 







And thats where the fish started dying off. It started with one showing up dead, then four, then five. Every day started by scooping the dead fish out. I went from 32 to about eleven in just over one week. I am still working on this problem and I suspect the heat combined with the small fish tank are the biggest problems and I am getting ready to make a hot tub the new fish tank for the garden to help stabilize the ph better as well as help with the evaporation that has been a problem. I made an update yesterday of the progress in the garden so far. Hopefully the next update will have the new fish tank in it. 




If anyone has any answers or theories as to why the fish have been dying off, I would love to hear them! I have checked out ich, ph, and nitrogen burn of which all could be the reason but the ich arguement may be the weakest. I have had the fish since early March and I would suspect that ich would have killed more by now and not just in the last few weeks. But at the same time, this is the first time I have had fish since high school.

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## CaseyJones

great thread,, +rep, hope someone can help with the fish

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## eduardo89

Looks awesome!

This forum is a really great source for any help you might need: http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/

If you're having trouble with the ph of your system, it could be the gravel you're using. Avoid anything with limestone and don't use decomposed granite. Crushed granite works well.

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## presence

The more water there is in your system the more buffer.   Do you have a water test kit?  TDS?  Nitrates? Hardness?  Iron?


At first glance it would seem your iron supplement was too much too fast for your fish.

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## eduardo89

> The more water there is in your system the more buffer.


Try adding a buffer tank between your grow beds and fish tank.

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## TomKat

I just started the move tonite to make the new fish tank a 450 gallon hot tub (but only 2/3s full) to take care of the buffer issue as well as the temp issue. Yes I have test kits, not for everything but most. Tds "shouldn't" be a problem due to the amount of evaporation but at the same time that might be it. Nitrates and nitrites, hardness and iron seem to be in check. I have had a heavy iron deficientcy in the past but have supplimented and am on schedule with it now. Iron would be the suspect but I have had it stable for over a month now and actually I need to add iron this week. Not that it is out of the question.

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## TomKat

Awesome, thanks. Great advice! I have heard that before and have tried to avoid it. My ph has been pretty steady around 6.8. A few times as low as 6.6, but almost always 6.8. Fill h2o is sometimes city h2o after sitting in the sun to kill the chlorine and tested before adding, but usually is rain h20. Both of them are almost always dead on at 7.0.

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## eduardo89

Sometimes although pH is reading 6.6-6.8 it may be much lower. Shell grit can be added, it acts slowly and safely.
Eco rose will bring the pH up but add in small increments so as not to change too rapidly.
Salt at up to 3 parts per thousand can help too. It will help prevent disease and can add trace minerals for your plant. I'd suggest 1ppt.

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## donnay

TomKat,

That's excellent!  Best wishes for a bountiful crop!

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## eduardo89

Do you put your pump on a timer?

Oh and add worms to your growbeds!

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## presence

> Do you put your pump on a timer?
> 
> Oh and add worms to your growbeds!


ART-DNe

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## TomKat

The pump is stays running 24/7. Yes, I have put a bunch of red wigglers into the beds. I have only seen 1 dead so far.

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## luctor-et-emergo

Looks great! Nice to see you're interested in aquaponics.

In regard to your dead fish,
Do you measure your pH ? (guess you do, missed that post)
What is the temperature of the water and does the temperature in the fish tank increase/decrease rapidly ?

-I did not see any aeration (apart from dripping water), warmer water holds less air and the tank isn't filled to the edge. It could hold more water.
-The plants definetely look healthy so there are plenty of nutrients. It's always a good idea to have a small pond/aquarium filter for the water to run through, gravel will hold bacteria to turn ammonia into nitrite->nitrate but a dedicated filter will make sure levels of deadly ammonia remain low.

Basically the two things I think are the most likely cause of death for your fish:
-Lack of oxygen (due to warm water)
-Too much ammonia (even though the plants look great)

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## TomKat

Excellent analysis! As I read it I was coming to the same conclusions! 
The outdoor temp for the last week has been over 100 degrees f, and the tank has kept a temp close to 90 degrees f even though the tank is black. I have been filling the tank every other day or so with at least 3 to 5 gallons of either chlorine neutralized tap h2o or rain h2o collected in a plastic bucket. I had an aerator that was aerating the beds through the bell syphon area but it died in the last storm we had. The tank gets aeration when the syphons go off but like you said, higher temp, less oxygen. I am getting ready to move the fish to a hot tub for the fish tank very soon. I got it set up yesterday and I just need to build a platform for the beds to sit on and I am ready to go. I will make sure to post a video when that is done in the next few days.

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## KCIndy

Growing plants in your house?  Don't be surprised if you get a 0300 visit from the DEA.   


I wish I was kidding... but...

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## TomKat

> Growing plants in your house?  Don't be surprised if you get a 0300 visit from the DEA.   
> 
> 
> I wish I was kidding... but...


Lol! Obviously I have a hard enough time growing outdoors, let alone indoors! But thanks for the egoboost!

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## angelatc

> I have been a member for a while but I am still new to the forums, so please forgive me if I am not doing things correctly. 
> 
> I found out about aquaponics earlier this year and like most who find out about it, I was totally hooked. I built my own system the next day and had plants planted the day after. I started with a fishless cycle but I was way too eager to get started and added fish the next week (incorrectly). I started with a small fish tank and only one growing bed that I filled with pea gravel and started growing strawberries and lettuce and suplimented with Azomite rock dust. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> After the system cycled, the growth went nuts! I had the best lettuce I have ever tasted and the juciest strawberries that I have ever had. I was so impressed that I built another bed for the garden and was contimplating on what else to grow.
> 
> ...



Are they goldfish?  You probably have too many .

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## TomKat

Yes, golfish and "feeder fish". They have been in the same tank for 5 months and just recently dying off. 

Update: As of just now the remaining fish have been moved to the new fish tank, the hot tub!

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## GunnyFreedom

I have an old hot tub that I was thinking of converting to aquaponics.  When you do, don't spare the details, this will be awfully useful.

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## luctor-et-emergo

> Excellent analysis! As I read it I was coming to the same conclusions! 
> The outdoor temp for the last week has been over 100 degrees f, and the tank has kept a temp close to 90 degrees f even though the tank is black. I have been filling the tank every other day or so with at least 3 to 5 gallons of either chlorine neutralized tap h2o or rain h2o collected in a plastic bucket. I had an aerator that was aerating the beds through the bell syphon area but it died in the last storm we had. The tank gets aeration when the syphons go off but like you said, higher temp, less oxygen. I am getting ready to move the fish to a hot tub for the fish tank very soon. I got it set up yesterday and I just need to build a platform for the beds to sit on and I am ready to go. I will make sure to post a video when that is done in the next few days.


What you can do to both aerate and filter the water is take an empty coke bottle or something that has a bit of structural integrity. Melt some holes in the bottom with a screwdriver and put a hose for air through one of those holes. (find a way to get an airstone on the end while it's in the bottle...) And then fill the bottle with small gravel. As you bubble air through that it will create a great space for bacteria to live. Water will be sucked in from the bottom and pushed out the top by the air moving up, this is MORE efficient in moving water than a water pump, up to 10 times more efficient in power consumption, but it just moves water and cannot be used to pump above water level. But this is the cheapest and easiest way to filter and aerate a small pond. My advice is to get a nice quality air pump, preferably one with a cylinder instead of a membrane. (less noise, more durability) and bubble air through the fishpond and the grow bed, by doing this you ensure that there is always plenty of oxygen in the water regardless of the temperature.

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## angelatc

> Yes, golfish and "feeder fish". They have been in the same tank for 5 months and just recently dying off. 
> 
> Update: As of just now the remaining fish have been moved to the new fish tank, the hot tub!


Goldfish are pretty hearty, but they're dirty. Figure about 1 per 10 gallons.    As long as you're filtering the water through your veggies, you should be good.  Until the raccoons and herons show up.

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## jmdrake

I just want to say that you are my hero!  How often to so many of us *talk* about solutions to world problems but not really *do* anything?  (And writing your congressman to complain about GMOs or the increase in food stamps isn't doing anything.)  I am guilty of this myself.  I've known about aquaponics for a while now but I haven't taken step 1.  Sadly I'm broke at the moment and I don't have the wealth of stuff you seem to have around your house.  But I'm thinking about trying an experiment with an old aquarium and maybe some cherry tomato plants.

Anyway, keep it up and let us know your progress!

Edit: I see someone else has come up with the "aquarium home aquaponics" idea as well.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/back-to-...9-001b2166c2c0






> I have been a member for a while but I am still new to the forums, so please forgive me if I am not doing things correctly. 
> 
> I found out about aquaponics earlier this year and like most who find out about it, I was totally hooked. I built my own system the next day and had plants planted the day after. I started with a fishless cycle but I was way too eager to get started and added fish the next week (incorrectly). I started with a small fish tank and only one growing bed that I filled with pea gravel and started growing strawberries and lettuce and suplimented with Azomite rock dust. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> After the system cycled, the growth went nuts! I had the best lettuce I have ever tasted and the juciest strawberries that I have ever had. I was so impressed that I built another bed for the garden and was contimplating on what else to grow.
> 
> ...

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## TomKat

Thanks for the kind words! 
I am hardly a hero, I just got hooked and watched almost every video on youtube about aquaponics and found a system that I thought that was do-able and went for it. Just try with everything and anything. Bulk garbage days are great for scouting for a new bed or fish tank, sometimes people are throwing away bathtubs (great fishtank) or plastic containers. Another great place is craigslist in the free section. I tried to get an IBC shipping container that many "big growers" use but couldn't find them due to my location (like 90 miles to the closest and had to pay $50 and pick up), some places just give them away I have heard. 
I know you said that you don't have much money so the best advise I can give is buy a decent pond pump on ebay for $10 bucks, everything else can be improvised or bought cheaply at a harware store (I like the local Ace hardware, they sell ammo, chicken feed, horse feed, and have elk heads on the wall!). 
I built this setup and the modifications that I am trying right now while being unemployed since January, with very limited income from side jobs, but like you said I had a lot of the components like pipe and containers.

Again, thank you and to you and everyone who has responded. I never thought that I would this great of a response!

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## Professor8000

I like your style, but you missed the whole point of the aquaponics system. You need to grow fish that you will eat. Aquaponics is awesome because of the fish protein grown in the system. Tilapia tend to be the best suited to aquaponics due to how hearty they are and how fast they grow. Throw some duckweed into the fish pond and that is all the food they need. You have to keep an eye on the duckweed though, too much and it will start clogging your equipment.

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## eduardo89

> I like your style, but you missed the whole point of the aquaponics system. You need to grow fish that you will eat. Aquaponics is awesome because of the fish protein grown in the system. Tilapia tend to be the best suited to aquaponics due to how hearty they are and how fast they grow. Throw some duckweed into the fish pond and that is all the food they need. You have to keep an eye on the duckweed though, too much and it will start clogging your equipment.


Eating the fish is not completely necessary and is not necessarily the point. The point is to create a sustainable closed loop system. 

The best example I've ever seen of an aquaponics setup only has koi as an ammonia source. http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/fo...549080c90250cd

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## Professor8000

> Eating the fish is not completely necessary and is not necessarily the point. The point is to create a sustainable closed loop system. 
> 
> The best example I've ever seen of an aquaponics setup only has koi as an ammonia source. http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/fo...549080c90250cd


I understand it's not necessary, but if fish are going to be involved, you might as well go for some fish that are worth eating. It creates added value to the system.

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## newbitech

This is just a tip.  I don't know a lot about fish and aquariums, but I helped a friend do some research on a problem a couple years back when some fish she had suddenly died after a routine water change.  

Chloramine.  

not even going to try to tell you my research process and what I discovered, but it is a trendy additive that cities began using to treat water. 

here are a couple links

http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.as...1_anewch383075




> Fish in garden ponds may be at the greatest risk because some owners add water to their ponds from a hose. 
> 
> A small amount - about 1 percent - of water with just chlorine in it can be added without harming the fish, Kosciolek said. *But doing that with chloramine-disinfected water could kill the fish, he said.* 
> 
> Fish owners should make sure to use a neutralizer that removes chlorine and chloramine, Kosciolek said.


1% Chlormine treated water kills fish.  

So, i'd check with the local where your water comes from.  I know you said that you get the chlorine out and you do all the same things that my friend was doing and she was just baffled.

When we finally figured out what was up, we had learned the city had just switched over to this new kind of treatment a couple months before the water change that killed her fish. 


from the wiki

*Drinking water disinfection[edit|edit source]*NH2Cl is commonly used in low concentrations as a secondary disinfectant in municipal water distribution systems as an alternative to chlorination. This application is increasing. Chlorine(referred to in water treatment as *free chlorine*) is being displaced by chloramine—specifically monochloramine—which is much more stable and does not dissipate as rapidly as free chlorine. NH2Cl also has a very much lower, however still present, tendency than free chlorine to convert organic materials into chlorocarbons such as chloroform and carbon tetrachloride. Such compounds have been identified as carcinogens and in 1979 the United States Environmental Protection Agency began regulating their levels in U.S. drinking water.
Furthermore, water treated with chloramine lacks the distinct chlorine odour of the gaseous treatment and so has improved taste.[_citation needed_]
Some of the unregulated byproducts may possibly pose greater health risks than the regulated chemicals.[7]
Adding chloramine to the water supply may increase exposure to lead in drinking water, especially in areas with older housing; this exposure can result in increased lead levels in the bloodstream which may pose a significant health risk.[8]

http://chloramineinfocenter.net/


*Welcome to the Chloramine Info Center*May.3,2013***** NEW CDC REPORT-DRAMATIC INCREASE IN SKIN AND RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS IN U.S. CHILDREN* Symptoms and circumstances reported in the article almost identical to those reported as a result of exposure to chloraminated water across the country! Read about it under NEWS tab or see full article at http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...nt-study-finds.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...hloramine.aspx


So while water utilities stand to save money by cutting chlorine costs with chloramine, the benefits to the public are far less clear. Other potential concerns include:8

Because of chloramine’s corrosive nature, it has been linked to pinhole pitting in copper water pipes, which can lead to small water leaks and mold growth in your homeChloramine also corrodes rubber toilet flappers and gaskets, rubber hoses, and rubber fittings in dishwashers and water heaters, leading to costly home repairsChloramine de-elasticizes PVC pipes, making them brittle and accelerating the leaching of possible carcinogens from the plastic into drinking water

*Chloramine is Difficult to Remove From Your Water, But it Can be Done*Chloramine cannot be removed by quick boiling your water or letting it sit out in an open container (as is sometimes recommended for chlorine). A carbon filter can remove the chemical from your drinking water, but that leaves your shower and bath – a significant route of exposure -- without protection. It would be helpful to take as cold a shower as possible as heat will convert more of the chemicals to a toxic gas. Additionally shorter showers will also obviously further limit your exposure.
Because of the high flow rate and large volume of water passing through your shower, there is no showerhead filter on the market that will effectively remove all chloramine. A whole-house filtration system is therefore your best choice to remove chlorine, chloramine, ammonia, DBPs and other contaminants from all of your water sources (bath, shower _and_ tap).
If you don’t have the resources for a whole-house filtration system at this time, there are a couple of other tricks you can try. AtFindaSpring.com you can identify local springs where you can get pure, chloramine-free drinking water for a minimal cost. You can also try:9

Adding fruit, such as slices of peeled orange, to a 1-gallon water pitcher, which will help neutralize chloramine in about 30 minutesDissolving a 1,000-mg vitamin C tablet into your bath water, which will neutralize the chloramine in an average-size bathtub
If you’re not sure whether your city uses chloramine as a water disinfectant, contact your local water utility. And if you have concerns, voice them to your municipality. There _are_ other disinfection techniques available, such as ultraviolet light and micro-filtration, which appear to be much safer, and may be an option in your area if enough people get involved to prompt change. This recently occurred in Albemarle County in Central Virginia, which dropped the consideration of chloramines after negative public feedback -- and is now looking at the use of granular-activated carbon as a secondary water disinfectant.10








Good luck and please  report back if this chemical is being used in your city water and if you find a way to test for it etc.

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## compromise

> I like your style, but you missed the whole point of the aquaponics system. You need to grow fish that you will eat. Aquaponics is awesome because of the fish protein grown in the system. Tilapia tend to be the best suited to aquaponics due to how hearty they are and how fast they grow. Throw some duckweed into the fish pond and that is all the food they need. You have to keep an eye on the duckweed though, too much and it will start clogging your equipment.


Tilapia might not be the best choice if you're keeping them outdoors in North Carolina like TomKat is. Winter will be tough for them. Also, tilapia tend to be very aggressive and so that limits how many can be stocked in such a system.

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## luctor-et-emergo

> I understand it's not necessary, but if fish are going to be involved, you might as well go for some fish that are worth eating. It creates added value to the system.


Fish protein is not the main output of an aquaponics farm.. 
Leafy vegetables usually are. Fish is just a 'once a year' bonus.

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## TomKat

Excellent info! I have been 100% organic in my dirt garden and try the same in aquaponics so I am aware of this as well as many of the other extra additives that my water comes with so I have tried to only use rain water to fill. When I use city water to fill, I fill a bucket and let it sit in the sun for a day and test it before I add it. My biggest concern about chlorine is that it would kill the benificial bacteria that tranform the nitrogen from the fish poop into nitrites as well as the bacteria that turns the nitrites into nitrates, which feeds the plants.

 As a pool guy the word, chloramine, rings loud and clear. When you add chlorine to water, it gets broken down into hypochlorus acid also known as "Free chlorine" in the pool world because it is free and available to kill organic matter. Chlorine kills by breaking the cell wall of organic matter and then dissolving the cell and then it becomes airborn because it is an oxidizer (thats why you smell the chlorine at a community pool, you smell it dissolving organic matter and becoming airborn. You cannot smell chlorine even in high amounts when it is in water. #FunFact, also it is the ph that burns your eyes not chlorine. Tears are normally 7.4, where I try to keep my pools). When the hypochlorus acid attaches to organic matter and starts to dissolve it, it is called "combined chlorine" in the pool world, also known as chlorimines. Any pool test kit, whether liquid or test strip, will have a reading for "free chlorine" and "total chlorine". If you subtract the free from the total, you will get the combined level, or chlorimine level. In my aquaponic system, I have only put in chlorine free water, no combined, free, nor total chlorine allowed. Lol 
(Sorry so long, I am a total pool nerd, as shown)

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## TomKat

> I like your style, but you missed the whole point of the aquaponics system. You need to grow fish that you will eat. Aquaponics is awesome because of the fish protein grown in the system. Tilapia tend to be the best suited to aquaponics due to how hearty they are and how fast they grow. Throw some duckweed into the fish pond and that is all the food they need. You have to keep an eye on the duckweed though, too much and it will start clogging your equipment.


I have already done the duckweed thing, it does clog up the system, but also it is free here in the swamps!! 
Ironically, I don't even like fish. I thought about tilapia and maybe catfish if we could catch some this year but for now I am just sticking to the cheap fish for cheap crops.

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## TomKat

> Tilapia might not be the best choice if you're keeping them outdoors in North Carolina like TomKat is. Winter will be tough for them. Also, tilapia tend to be very aggressive and so that limits how many can be stocked in such a system.


This is why I have been trying to talk myself into making a greenhouse for gardening as well as for my hot tub aquaponic system. I could add a hot tub pump and heater to it and have tilapia and crops year around.

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## TomKat

> Fish protein is not the main output of an aquaponics farm.. 
> Leafy vegetables usually are. Fish is just a 'once a year' bonus.


Very true.

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## newbitech

> Excellent info! I have been 100% organic in my dirt garden and try the same in aquaponics so I am aware of this as well as many of the other extra additives that my water comes with so I have tried to only use rain water to fill. When I use city water to fill, I fill a bucket and let it sit in the sun for a day and test it before I add it. My biggest concern about chlorine is that it would kill the benificial bacteria that tranform the nitrogen from the fish poop into nitrites as well as the bacteria that turns the nitrites into nitrates, which feeds the plants.
> 
>  As a pool guy the word, chloramine, rings loud and clear. When you add chlorine to water, it gets broken down into hypochlorus acid also known as "Free chlorine" in the pool world because it is free and available to kill organic matter. Chlorine kills by breaking the cell wall of organic matter and then dissolving the cell and then it becomes airborn because it is an oxidizer (thats why you smell the chlorine at a community pool, you smell it dissolving organic matter and becoming airborn. You cannot smell chlorine even in high amounts when it is in water. #FunFact, also it is the ph that burns your eyes not chlorine. Tears are normally 7.4, where I try to keep my pools). When the hypochlorus acid attaches to organic matter and starts to dissolve it, it is called "combined chlorine" in the pool world, also known as chlorimines. Any pool test kit, whether liquid or test strip, will have a reading for "free chlorine" and "total chlorine". If you subtract the free from the total, you will get the combined level, or chlorimine level. In my aquaponic system, I have only put in chlorine free water, no combined, free, nor total chlorine allowed. Lol 
> (Sorry so long, I am a total pool nerd, as shown)



Yeah after I posted I watched a couple more of your vids and realized you probably know whats in the water!  Ha!  Well I am curious now, cause we used the test kits off the shelf from a local pet supply and it had a chlorine test.  I did end up learning that a regular chlorine test does react to the chloramine.  I also learned that I can't just let buckets sit out for the stuff to go away, and it only takes such a small amount to contaminate the fish water.

What is really disgusting to me to be honest is that if fish cannot live in it, how can it be safe to drink?  I am not really a purist, cause I make my coffee and tea with tap water. It is just startling to me how much impurities I ingest that is deemed "safe" and I really have no idea what it's doing to me!

Also, something else I learned about water, cause I had to deal with some AC problems recently, the water that comes from the AC drain is distilled, no chemicals, just about as pure water as you can get once you boil out any organisms in the drain pipes. 

So of course I have gone ahead and set up a collection system for that H20 (its a lot!  5 gallons a day!), and use it to water my garden.  

I REALLY want to give aquaponics a try, and your first video has reignited my interest that I kind of gave up on cause of lack of time.  You set up looks completely self sufficient tho.  I bet it's something that can get going over the weekend!

I hope getting a larger aquarium solve the fish die off problem.  I'd also like to know what you think about pest control with that set up, I bet it helps to not have dirt.  Your plants look awesome!

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## TomKat

> Also, something else I learned about water, cause I had to deal with some AC problems recently, the water that comes from the AC drain is distilled, no chemicals, just about as pure water as you can get once you boil out any organisms in the drain pipes. 
> 
> So of course I have gone ahead and set up a collection system for that H20 (its a lot!  5 gallons a day!), and use it to water my garden.  
> 
> I REALLY want to give aquaponics a try, and your first video has reignited my interest that I kind of gave up on cause of lack of time.  You set up looks completely self sufficient tho.  I bet it's something that can get going over the weekend!
> 
> I hope getting a larger aquarium solve the fish die off problem.  I'd also like to know what you think about pest control with that set up, I bet it helps to not have dirt.  Your plants look awesome!


I forgot all about using the a/c system. Recently it has been 100% humidity and it runs nonstop and like you said get rid of the organisms and you are in business. Also a point of interest, some good a/c guys will add some "pills" to the air handler overflow pan to kill bacteria that may acrue due to the overflow is sometimes higher than the pan bottom and water will collect . It probably wouldn't be good to water plants with this since they need bacteria to get nutrients. On the other hand, if you are just using the air handler drain (the one that drips water more than the other) then you should be good to go with your plan, just wanted to add that in case you tried to get more water stored faster. 

Good luck getting a system going. It was really easy to do.

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## TomKat

Quick update: I spent a few hours yesterday fixing up the hot tub fish tank. Today I moved the beds over to the tub, got it plumbed and it is going again. I should have a video of it made tomorrow to show the progress.

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## TomKat

Here is the latest update to the garden. Platform made, beds moved, killed a cantaloupe plant. You know, progress. Lol.




I also made a quick walk through on how I made my aquaponic garden. I hope this may help those on the fence about building.

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## TomKat

Another update video.

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## TomKat

Newest update includes my favorite chicken recipe I use.

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## TomKat

My bro-in-law started building his own aquaponic garden out of an old paddleboat that has been framed in. The bed will be in the center over the "hump". More details to follow.

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## TomKat



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## Neil Desmond

I'm going to be getting very involved in this kind of stuff.  I recently joined the board of advisors for a startup that's trying to automate aquaponics to help improve the situation with world hunger problems: http://www.cyberfarmsystems.com/cont...pagename=board

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## speciallyblend

simple plan for me . I will not be combining the systems. I will just fish farm and then do the plants hydro.  I will just use the fish heads and waste for the compost . I am more interested in keeping them seperate  and using nutrient water for my plants. I do not need the headaches since my hands are full with many projects. I just see too many problems to worry about combining the systems.   keeping them seperate just seems to be the best option, i know folks say aquaponics is the best but i really see no need. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb-ENedIEwE

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## angelatc

> 


Your algae eater (a pleco) might very well start sucking the slime coating off your goldfish.  They're not compatible. The fish sleep at night, and that's when the omnivorous pleco roams.  When the goldfish's slime is damaged, it's an invitation for disease.


If you can manage tropicals in your locale, otocinclus are a better bet for algae eating goldfish roommates.  

Also - snails.  They're a nightmare in an aquarium, but they eat algae like anything. 

The only way to beat algae is to keep the water out of the sunlight.

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## TomKat

> I'm going to be getting very involved in this kind of stuff.  I recently joined the board of advisors for a startup that's trying to automate aquaponics to help improve the situation with world hunger problems: http://www.cyberfarmsystems.com/cont...pagename=board


That is too cool! I am super jealous. Wish I was closer so I could help out.

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## TomKat

> Your algae eater (a pleco) might very well start sucking the slime coating off your goldfish.  They're not compatible. The fish sleep at night, and that's when the omnivorous pleco roams.  When the goldfish's slime is damaged, it's an invitation for disease.
> 
> 
> If you can manage tropicals in your locale, otocinclus are a better bet for algae eating goldfish roommates.  
> 
> Also - snails.  They're a nightmare in an aquarium, but they eat algae like anything. 
> 
> The only way to beat algae is to keep the water out of the sunlight.



I read about the threat of this happening and decided to take my chances since it is a low probability but yet a possibility. I just wanted to get something to help clear up some algae and all of the pet stores around here had this one kind of pleco. The good news is that if I fail and all the fish die, I only had about $12 in goldfish! Lol!

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## Neil Desmond

> That is too cool! I am super jealous. Wish I was closer so I could help out.


I sent you a PM.

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## TomKat

I just made a new filter prototype that I will be modifying in the future. The basic design is to use a hot tub filter backwards to filter the water and then let gravity take over and deliver the water to the beds. Here is the mockup.



And here is my new filter in action in an update! Also I pulled all of the jalapenos and replaced them with romaine lettuce and trimmmed the tomatoes and strawberries.

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## Deborah K

This is truly badass, TomKat!   I was planning on starting up aquaponics to grow duckweed for tilapia, and also give it to my chickens and rabbits.  I got hurt pretty badly riding one of my horses and had to scrap the idea for this year.  Next year for sure.  Thanks for all the great info.

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## Deborah K

Just finished reading through the thread and noticed the mini-debate over tilapia and duckweed.  This is the best use for us since it's a cheap way to feed the fish, foul, and meat for our consumption.   We've accumulated about a dozen blue, thick-plastic barrels like the ones seen here:



This is the sort of set up we're looking to do.

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## TomKat

> Just finished reading through the thread and noticed the mini-debate over tilapia and duckweed.  This is the best use for us since it's a cheap way to feed the fish, foul, and meat for our consumption.   We've accumulated about a dozen blue, thick-plastic barrels like the ones seen here:
> 
> 
> 
> This is the sort of set up we're looking to do.


I love that blue barrel design! If I could find some I would have a design like that siting on and draining into the tub.

As far as duckweed goes, it might be worth trying again now that I have a deeper fish tank and it shouldn't get caught up in the pump. It also might help shade the tank to help prevent algae growth as well. Not to mention that it is cheap (especially since I live in the swamps), multiplies quickly, and is good food for the fish or for the chickens like you said. I will have to try it again. 

The chickens also love any garden pests that you find (one snail so far this year, yesterday in the ap garden, but many in the dirt garden) or any pest damaged crops.

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## dannno

Did you ever get a TDS/PPM meter?

Do you think it may have been the iron supplement that was giving you issues?

When water evaporates, it actually increases the TDS/PPM of your solution, so you would optimally want to add back zero or near zero PPM water (Reverse Osmosis is good enough), plus micronutrients to bring it in around 200-300 ppm. I don't know what the solution of the water in your system should be, but for hydroponics it is usually around 800-1100 PPM for growing plants. The fish poop and any supplements for your plants will bring up the PPM, but then the plants of course filter out the nutrients and will decrease the PPM over time which is why you have your fish to put more back in.

I won't discourage you from using TDS, but PPM seems to work pretty well for hydroponics.

I've had some experience with hydroponics, haven't experimented with fish yet.

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## Deborah K

> I love that blue barrel design! If I could find some I would have a design like that siting on and draining into the tub.
> 
> As far as duckweed goes, it might be worth trying again now that I have a deeper fish tank and it shouldn't get caught up in the pump. It also might help shade the tank to help prevent algae growth as well. Not to mention that it is cheap (especially since I live in the swamps), multiplies quickly, and is good food for the fish or for the chickens like you said. I will have to try it again. 
> 
> The chickens also love any garden pests that you find (one snail so far this year, yesterday in the ap garden, but many in the dirt garden) or any pest damaged crops.


Have you ever seen a chicken go after a scorpion?  It's priceless!  They stand right over them and then WAP!!  Nail em right in the middle of their backs a couple times and then eat them up!  Like pros!  Our hens free range and keep the pest population pretty well under control.  Except the flies.  We order fly predators for the flies (among other tactics), and I think the chickens are eating the fly predators.

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## TomKat

> Did you ever get a TDS/PPM meter?
> 
> Do you think it may have been the iron supplement that was giving you issues?
> 
> When water evaporates, it actually increases the TDS/PPM of your solution, so you would optimally want to add back zero or near zero PPM water (Reverse Osmosis is good enough), plus micronutrients to bring it in around 200-300 ppm. I don't know what the solution of the water in your system should be, but for hydroponics it is usually around 800-1100 PPM for growing plants. The fish poop and any supplements for your plants will bring up the PPM, but then the plants of course filter out the nutrients and will decrease the PPM over time which is why you have your fish to put more back in.
> 
> I won't discourage you from using TDS, but PPM seems to work pretty well for hydroponics.
> 
> I've had some experience with hydroponics, haven't experimented with fish yet.


Hmm.. now you have me thinking....
The chelated iron that I used solved the problems at the time but that was because I had a small system and it used up the iron in the water and it needed to be supplimented. Since I moved the beds to the bigger tank there hasn't been any signs of iron depletion so it should be ok for now on that front. I don't have a TDS meter yet but using my "pool guy eye" I can say that for sure they haven't got worse, aren't in the highs, nor the extreme highs yet, but I don't have a number to throw out.

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## TomKat

> Have you ever seen a chicken go after a scorpion?  It's priceless!  They stand right over them and then WAP!!  Nail em right in the middle of their backs a couple times and then eat them up!  Like pros!  Our hens free range and keep the pest population pretty well under control.  Except the flies.  We order fly predators for the flies (among other tactics), and I think the chickens are eating the fly predators.


I have not seen that! It sounds like it would be great to watch, though. Can you video it?

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## TomKat



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## TomKat

I am really excited to share this video. It may not help the aquaponic garden much more than cleaning up the water quality but I think it is one of the neatest things that I have made for it. 
It is a homemade sand filter, running on its own pump, made out of 1/2" pvc that expands to 2" for the filtrating area then back to 1/2". I let gravity do its thing and it holds the sand in the pipe instead of just pouring out with the water. As the water enters the 2" pipe and makes its way to the bottom, it has to pass through the pool filter sand that I filled past the 90 degree couplers. In this straight run, the water goes through the sand which will pull out big particles and later smaller and smaller.



Since I was in the mood to build, I tore apart the bucket filter idea and replaced it with a real swirl filter that I built. Simple idea. A bucket, hole at bottom with a shut off for draing solids, drain on the side with a 90 degree overflow like the last one, an input line that t's and goes to two 45 degree couplers that "swirl" the water at the bottom of the bucket, and something to deter the solids from floating (I used a smaller bucket lid). 
Add these together and you get a swirl filter.

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## TomKat

Water clarity clearing up pretty nice with the new filters. Newly planted lettuce is taking off like crazy!!

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## TomKat

Major progress this week! 
The water clarity is darn near perfect (for a fish tank) and the plants are going wild! Even the tomatoes that were dying out have sprouted new growth and are getting big (I forgot to mention this in the video). I modified the drains that fill the beds and then I picked up another two dozen goldfish and they fill out the tank perfectly. They all swim around in one giant school and eat every insect that I throw in. I have sighted the pleco for the first time and he seems to be fine. I picked up some bio-balls so I will be building a new filter system to incorporate them into and replumb the system yet again. Good thing I like to plumb!

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## TomKat

Sorry for this entry. New swirl filter design made with bio balls. Crappy design but another design in my video diary. It will be fixed tomorrow.

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## Barrex

You dont have fishes that you eat?

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## TomKat

> You dont have fishes that you eat?


Just goldies until I have a more permanent setup with a greenhouse unless I can get my hands on some cheap catfish.

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## Barrex

Ok. I get it.
-Dont eat me I will grant you 3 wishes.
-Nah. I am hungry now.


Keep us updated.

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## loveshiscountry

> Just goldies until I have a more permanent setup with a greenhouse unless I can get my hands on some cheap catfish.


Isn't all catfish cheap? Not going for barramundi or tilapia?

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## TomKat

> Isn't all catfish cheap? Not going for barramundi or tilapia?


Catfish seems to be the cheapest and if I could catch some it would be even cheaper. I thought about tilapia and barramundi but I need to make a greenhouse first so I can grow all winter.

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## TomKat

Got the swirl filter fixed. I tried over a dozen different ways to correct this and this seems to be the best way so far. 


F.y.i. The old filter with the supply at the bottom of the bucket would drain the contents back into the tank via venturi effect whenever the pump lost power. Another good reason to ditch that design because you would lose all of the fish poop and good bacteria back into the tank.

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## TomKat

Another update. The tomatoes have started to flower, the strawberries are trimmed up and the lettuce is doing great. The tank is still clear and the fish are loving the tank. The updated filter has been working great and a tree frog has made it its home.

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## jtap

I am interested in this. Good stuff!

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## TomKat

> I am interested in this. Good stuff!


If you try it, let me know how you do.

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## Scot

Did u ever find out what killed your little gold fish? I noticed u had 2 copper fittings going into growbed. Copper is toxic to fish. Maybe toxic levels built up over time.

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