Bythebrook's system

bythebrook

I think I've cycled (or at least the new system has)!!!!

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test results 28052012 (800x600).jpg [ 358.59 KiB | Viewed 1119 times ]

This is the first time I have had zero nitrites. Ammonia has been low (0.25 or less) for a while, but *finally* the nitrite conversion is complete.

I've only been lightly feeding the trout, but now I plan to ramp it up (but still checking the water regularly).

I wonder if this would have happened anyway (it's just over a month since the trout went in), or if the water transfer between the old and new system worked? Perhaps it was transferring a quarter of the trout from the new system to the old system? Whatever was responsible, I'm glad it worked.

RupertofOZ

Probably both... and time...

Go easy ramping up the feed... do it incrementally... and in conjunction with testing...

bythebrook

Time for another update!

The trout are feeding well in both systems, but I need more plant growth in the old system because the nitrates are still high. In the new system the plant growth is keeping the nitrates down. I haven't had any nitrites since I last posted, so I've cycled for sure.

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File comment: some celery left, new brassicas are brussel sprouts and white cabbages

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New system first bed, with celery, red cabbage and small white cabbage:

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File comment: celery and red cabbage

bed1 120612.jpg [ 528.42 KiB | Viewed 977 times ]

view from the other end of the bed:

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File comment: red and white cabbages

bed1 second view 120612.jpg [ 460.99 KiB | Viewed 977 times ]

bythebrook

The second bed has some broccolini that didn't like the winds on Sunday. The basil also leaned over, but I propped them up again. I can't move the broccolini, but they're still growing.

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File comment: basil, lettuce and broccolini

bed2 120612.jpg [ 512.54 KiB | Viewed 975 times ]

The third bed has broccoli, a few remaining cos lettuce and flat leaf parsley that will be harvested soon. Why would anybody need eight parsley plants, which is what you get when you buy a punnet?

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File comment: broccoli, cos lettuce and parsley

bed3 120612.jpg [ 580.92 KiB | Viewed 975 times ]

Charlie

Nice

bythebrook

Today I harvested all the lettuces except one, and all the self-seeded celery in the old system, so I could plant broccoli and English spinach seedlings. Here is the harvest:

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File comment: celery, lettuce (cos and fancy) and flat leafed parsley

harvest24062012.jpg [ 566.13 KiB | Viewed 863 times ]

DrLuke

Nice. I would have had a haul like that if 7 of my 8 lettuce hadn't got a slimy leaf disease.

bythebrook

DrLuke wrote:

Nice. I would have had a haul like that if 7 of my 8 lettuce hadn't got a slimy leaf disease.

I did have problems with some sort of dust (spores?) and a bit of slime. I found out that any leaves in contact with the media would be damaged, so I removed all the lower leaves.

bythebrook

New pictures of the growbeds. First the new 3000L system:

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File comment: celery and red cabbage

bed124062012 (800x600).jpg [ 597.17 KiB | Viewed 852 times ]

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File comment: basil, broccolini, new broccoli seedlings, a remaining lettuce and a couple of spinach seedlings

bed224062012 (800x600).jpg [ 559.03 KiB | Viewed 852 times ]

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File comment: broccoli, parsley, spinach, leeks

bed324122012 (800x600).jpg [ 603.34 KiB | Viewed 852 times ]

bythebrook

The old (1000L) system is still powering along with 15 trout. The nitrates are high, but I can't make the new plants grow any faster!

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File comment: brussel sprouts, cabbage, a surviving tomato, garlic and some strawberries

oldsystem24062012 (800x600).jpg [ 602.06 KiB | Viewed 851 times ]

bythebrook

Yesterday afternoon I noticed that neither system had mains power (the power was definitely on at the 11am feeding). The RCD for the aquaponics (and spa and possibly some other stuff) circuit had tripped. I reset it, and all seems OK. Fortunately I've got BYAP backup air pumps on both systems, and the power was only off for a maximum of two hours.

Mysteriously, my PVR lost all its channels (except the four digital radio channels) for the first time yesterday as well, so I had to do a new search to find them all. Curiouser and curiouser...

Charlie

Close call!

And the backup system reins again :cheers:

Glad to hear all is ok :support:

bythebrook

Looking back at my previous posts, I can see how much the plants have grown. Here is the latest update:

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File comment: celery, red cabbage, some later white cabbage and a few leeks

bed107082012.jpg [ 692.15 KiB | Viewed 544 times ]

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File comment: one lettuce, broccolini, later broccoli and some strawberries

bed207082012.jpg [ 652.15 KiB | Viewed 544 times ]

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File comment: flat leaf parsley taking over, broccoli, strawberries some spinach hiding under the parsley

bed307082012.jpg [ 553.28 KiB | Viewed 544 times ]

The strawberries in the old system are delicious and juicy, so I'm going to add a row of strawberries on the northern edge of all of the new growbeds. Being low-growing, they won't shade any of the other plants. For the same reason, celery and leeks will be grown on the southern side of the growbeds, so they don't shade out the other plants.

I've sown seeds for cucumber, butternut pumpkin, rockmelon, watermelon and tomatoes in trays, and put them in my mini-greenhouse.

bythebrook

Now for the old system. There are cabbage, brussels sprouts, strawberries, and garlic.

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old system07082012.jpg [ 627.8 KiB | Viewed 548 times ]

Looks like we'll be eating cabbage for the rest of the year (or longer).

faye

Nice looking foliage Bythebrook :flower:

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