Aquaponics system: How to cycle an aquaponics system using the fishless cycling method week 1
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2024
- Aquaponics system: How to cycle an aquaponics system using the fishless cycling method. What to do week 1. In this video, I will show you what to do on week 1 of you aquaponics cycling. The hardest part in setting up your first aquaponics system is waiting for you system to cycle. Most of you are likely scratching your head and thinking "wtf is cycling?" I thought the same thing when I setup my first aquaponics system.
The best place to start is to explain the nitrogen cycle that takes place in an aquaponics system. We start with the fish. Now you might think that fish are the key to making aquaponics work, but you would be wrong. The real key is ammonia, without the ammonia there is no nitrogen cycle. Ok, ok, what about the fish right? Well as the fish go about their day, they produce a fair amount of ammonia. They breath through their gills, pee and poop, all creating ammonia. Now ammonia is toxic to fish and most other living creatures, so if the ammonia levels get too high, say 0.5 to 1 ppm or so, the the fish will die. Luckily for the fish, a bacteria called Nitrosomonas can convert ammonia into nitrites through a process called nitrification.
Nitrification is simply a conversion of ammonia to nitrates. Before you get on my back, I am fully aware that I said that Nitrosomonas converts ammonia into nitrites and not nitrates. The nitrogen cycle is a 3 step process and nitrites to nitrates is the last step, so lets not get ahead of ourselves. We need to focus on the first step, introducing ammonia into the system.
We know that in order to begin the nitrogen cycle we need ammonia. This is where the fish come in right? Well that would be one way to go. It is a method called fish cycling. This is where you add a few fish at a time to produce ammonia. If the fish are lucky, the nitrogen cycle completes before the ammonia levels become toxic. In order to reduce the toxic ammonia build up, some of the water is removed and fresh water is added to the system. In this attempt to restore balance, significant stress is placed on the fish and loss may occur. Eventually the nitrification will take place and you will end up with a balanced aquaponics system. In order to avoid fish loss, an alternative method to fish cycling is fishless cycling.
Fishless cycling is where you find a source of ammonia other than fish waste. There are many sources of ammonia that can be added to the system, I have even heard of people peeing into the fish tank. I am sure the fish really want to live there after that, gross. I just use pure ammonia from the drugstore. You have to make sure that its only pure ammonia and not ammonia mixed with detergent, because the detergent will kill the fish. Finding a nonliving source of ammonia to use for cycling offers us many advantages over using fish. In my opinion, the greatest advantage is the speed we can cycle the system. Because we can raise the levels of the ammonia quickly, we decrease the time necessary for nitrification to occur. Fish cycling can take weeks for ammonia levels to increase to a desirable amount, whereas fishless cycling allow us to raise the ammonia levels to 0.5 ppm immediately. So, with fishless cycling we are able to jump start the nitrogen cycle by raising the ammonia to toxic levels without killing any organisms. This is where we begin week 1 of cycling our aquaponics system.
Follow these simple steps for the first week of the cycling process:
Add the ammonia to the fish tank a few capfuls at a time.
After you add a dose of ammonia to the system, take a reading with the ammonia reading kit.
When you read an ammonia level of 0.5 ppm, take note of how many capfuls it took to get to that point.
Add the same amount of ammonia each day, then take a reading with the nitrite kit.
When you see a nitrite level of 0.5 ppm begin to appear, cut back the daily dose of ammonia by 50%. This will decrease the levels of ammonia in the system making it more hospitable to your future fish.
It will take about 7 to 10 day to reach this point. Stay tuned for the next video that will outline the next steps to cycling your system in week 2.
For more tips and projects visit my blog www.getforked.ca.
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Oh my god! This is the best video I have found. I have been searching for the past 6 months and no video is so detailed and straight forward. I will be using your information to set up our systems. thank you so much.
Very clear and detailed video Rob! This is exactly what I was looking for before I attempt my first mini system. I've watched tons of videos over the last few days and yours is the first where I have come across the minute details that are necessary. Thanks for the attention to the small stuff!
it's a shame he stopping making videos...... he did a good job!
agreed
Wow. This is the most straight-forward, informative cycling video I've seen yet. Thrilled to have found this. I'll be watching your other videos right away. Thanks!
You're very good at making these videos and explaining processes. I hope you come back.
Robert, I have been running a system for years. If you start out with larger plants mixed with seedlings. You can add the fish 24 hours later with little to no problem. I keep my planting staggered, always making sure I have larger plants in the system and replanting as I go. This seem to maintain my needed levels without fuss and keeps my fish happy.
Yes please i would really appreciate if you can send me an e-mail with next videos about how the water will react to fish, plants and maybe worms?.. you are the only one i have seen so far who gave me clear information about how to set this up, please keep doing that..
Your set of videos were very well done, the explanations were clear and concise. Good job.
Awesome! I have been watching how to aquaponic vids for ages trying to understand the system before making one. Your vids are by far the most informative I have seen... I think I will finally feel confident and knowledgeable enough to start building now! :D
Best explanation!!! Thank you so much.
Thanks Robert, that was helpful. You mentioned you were going to make another video of the next step, but you never did. Are you ok?
Robert your teaching skills are great, come back and upload some new videos
This is an excellent series. I've been reading about home aquaponics systems, but most assume an available backyard or greenhouse, this is great for an apartment-based system!
was the best real explanation i got until now, thanks a lot.... i subscribed to your chanel!!!!
Hey Robert great video. Just wanted to point out a few things... in the beginning I think u confused Nitrate with Nitrite (dont worry I do it all the time) Also, when doing the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate tests you need to shake the solution bottle for about 30 sec, before adding it to the test tubes. You also need to shake the test tube for about 1 min and then let it set for 5 min for the color to develop otherwise you'll get a false reading.
I just came across you vid series on hydroponics and was wondering are you going to be adding the next vid in the series of this ?? These 2 vids you have posted so far are the best i have seen for doing this - i actually understand them!! lol..and I like how you have shown everything step by step... looking forward to the next step!!
great video and i digested it by heart...i have to construct my own aquaponics too,thanks a lot...
Beautifully explained !!! The best one till date !!! But where is the next video !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very informative for biginer of aquaponics studies and well explained. Thanks.
Very Helpful!!! Thanx
great info thanks a lot!
Can you please post the next step in this process? There are a lot of people interested. Thanks.
is there no part 3? these videos were really informative and well done.
a very good and clear step by step understanding of the starting operation for aquaponics. Though the flow should be from Ammonia (NH3) to Nitrite (NO2) and Nitrate (NO3). Anyway it =s a job well done.
Very nice and informative Video.
Did I miss something when you built the overflow, most use a bell siphon and yours was just a tube a couple inches from the top for overflow. When the pump switches off is that when the rest of the water drains into the system? I am following closely, as I want to construct one for this winter. Great job on the video's and I can't wait for the next one!
hey btw if you test for ph and the the low ph test turns blue almost instantly, highly recommend you test the high ph range. blue is the highest ph that test can determine and it should take a few mins for the test to fully darken. my tank got up to almost 8, because I kept using the low range.
We really need the next step of cycling
dud yor r so good man!!!
why you dont Uploads the next video about the cycle
Question: I can get my hands on a plastic barrel it's food grade, but contained corrosive 8 materials in it. Can I use, if so how should I ask them to clean before I get?
Thank you
Thanks for the video. I was just wondering if you are running the pump, and cycling the water while performing this process?
I want to see the results before starting the system. seems easy!!!!!!!
You did a good job, but the Ammonia should have sat for 5 minutes to get a more accurate reading. 5:39 shows that your system is actually reading really high levels of Ammonia around 8ppm. I made the same mistake when I started this and thought my system was reading 0 ppm, but you gotta let it sit and that's why it's dark on slide 5:39. One way to lower ammonia in a fishless cycle is to take some water out and replace it with fresh water. The more I did this from 8 ppm, the more those levels dropped.
Great video. I have a question: so I am building a model aquaponics system, and I need to balance out the pH of the aquarium. I understand that pure ammonia can increase the pH, but I am not sure what I can use to decrease the pH. Do you know any method you can use to actually lower the concentration of H3+? Thanks!
ok, thanks !
Stick a few fish in the system and they will make ammonia, he was just trying to speed up the process. Also I am pretty sure that you can get a cup or 2 of the water you get the fish out of, stock tank or pond water to jump start the system and introduce those beneficial bacteria.
subbed and liked hope for a new vid onn this soon ;)
Ok need help. Once you get the ammonia levels to 0.5 and cut back to reach 0.5 for nitrite. What about the rest, the ph and nitrate levels? What levels should they be in to introduce the fish then plants?
Were's your plants at? I have started several of these and you can put plants right from the beginning. In fact plants will help your system get ready faster
Great video although one mistake is testing your levels immediately after shaking the vials. Always give them at least a couple minutes, ideally five.
(This may be why you read elevated spikes "after cycling the system" in ammonia. You didn't give the test long enough to give you the true reading, my API FWMTK ammonia tests (same as yours) take at least two minutes to give an accurate result.
spewin you stopped the videos....i was really interested in seeing this.
Hi !
I need to know if this type of operation must be done while pump is ON (water is circulating thru grow bed)
thanks again !
What effect do the non-food-grade plastics in those storage containers you are using for the system possibly have on the plants/fish/system?
so i buy ammonia and thought putting one 1" pvc cap's worth in my system might bump my readings off of zero ppm.
it went straight to 4! guess i'll have to wait this one out lol
maybe i'll grow some monster plants...
You could always go to the store and buy some frozen raw shrimp and put a few in the system and that will stat your cycle and you can cook up the rest of the shrimp.
I noticed that you only uploaded 2 episode when 3 or 4 would probably be perfect
Please help, I keep telling my aquarium to let me buy a testkit from it. But it doesn't respond...
When you will please upload the third video
Watched this with interest one thing you don't mention is ammonia quanitity with regards to fish tank water volume be helpfull if I knew. Otherwise would have to do so many tests to get that .5 ppm
OK...Where is the vid with this system in action? BTW I am going to copy your design. My Idea was to used the same black totes you did. I really like the way you used the 2 totes on the bottom. I think I would have my water return go to the tote without fish. I think my last system messed with the fish when it drained.
Also you have to wait five minutes for the ammonia, nitrates and nitrites to get a better reading.
Test bottles should be kept vertical to get a real drop size ...
It is entirely possible to "fish cycle", as long as daily testing is done and feed minimised, or ceased, according to ammonia levels
With minimal feeding a "fish cycle" probably wont exceed levels of 0.5 - 1ppm anyway, unless you're overstocked
Fishless cycling, especially at the levels of 0.5 - 1, will only cycle your bacterial colony to that level, and the addition of fish, (if feeding is not monitored along with testing) will only see the system "mini-cycle" to the levels required anyway
Looking for the next video??? Any ideas when??
Why did you choose the parts per million levels for NH3, NO3-, and NO2-. what information did you use to get those starting numbers?
Water changes... unless done for specific reasons when cycling with fish (should be unnecessary)... will only prolong the cycling process... or reduce the level to which the system is cycled...
Ok so like this is great, but is there any way to do this organically? I can get everything I need to build the system, ( pretty sure anyway ) but the ammonia made me cringe..
wheres week two video? what do your nitrite nitrate and ammonia levels need to be at to introduce plants and fish?
Off the subject, how long does it take to get this hydroton to stop floating?
Will the next step be coming soon?
any vids of your system gatewaypreppergal?
still waiting for video 3 .... its been 7 years how long does it take to add the fish
Michael Spencer about 8 years I think.
Too bad he didn't come back, nice videos learned a lot
do you think my system is cycled with this values?
No3: 12.5ppm
No2: 0.0ppm
Nh4+Nh3: 0.5ppm
Ph: 7.6
T: 23.8C
Kh:6
Gh:11
(it is cycled with fish inside)
thanks !
What about using a vertical drip for perfect distribution.. Or the shake for 30 seconds... Or the wait time after shaking... Or shaking in between bottle 1 and 2.... Hahaha wow. Good job, but its vital for proper reads!
the ammonia test tube turned dark green which means in this system he had high ammonia concentration. he said.he had a baseline with all at zero....
where is part 3 of the video? this video is almost 3 years old now..
This is his last video.. maybe he died..
jull Clerc maybe nobody has subscribe ....that's why he haven't make the video
where's the next video, I've been looking for it and check on your channel and is not there
Robert Brennan: HAVE YOU ANY PLANS TO RETURN TO AQUA/HYDROPONICS IN 2021?
Plants can only absorb Ionized ammonia and Nitrates. The ammonia cycle goes from Ammonia NH4 and (NH3- (Ionized)) to Nitrite (NO2-), then to Nitrate (NO3-). Bacteria, known as Nitrobactors (But have a huge diverse family) do the conversion in water and soil. Plants can not absorb atmospheric nitrogen directly. It needs to be "Assimilated" (converted to nitrate). Then the nitrate molecule is just the right size for the endo, and ecto-mycorrhizal (fungus) on the roots to allow water and nutrients to be absorbed into the root system by osmosis.
Thunderstorms are the largest contributer of nitrogen to the earth and water systems. Farms, human, and animal waste are the next largest.
The goal of the aquaponic system is to convert the fish ammonia into nitrates so that it is in a usable form for the plants. ammonia in a fish's world is the equivalent of carbon dioxide in mammal world. Humans breath in oxygen then breath out carbon dioxide. Fish breath in oxygen and then give off ammonia. This happens through there gills (they don't have a pee pee, they just poo, they have a poo hole in which they give off inorganic and organic waste...)
The aquaponic system tries to mimic a natural system in which the fish eat, they breath and exhale ammonia, the exhaled ammonia is gladly eaten by special nitrobactors that convert it to nitrite. Then a nitrobactor cousin converts the nitrites into nitrates. Then the lovely fungus twins endo (inside), and ecto (outside) mycorrhizal (which shares a symbiotic relationship with the plant (look it up)) is able to allow the plant to absorb nutrients and water.
In a nut shell. Fish give off ammonia. Any substrate that has a lot of surface area (like cilia in our lungs), and a good supply of oxygen will allow the growth and healthy population of nitrobactor bacteria (Usually happens in a tank adjacent to the fish tank). The tank is filled with as many high surface objects as possible ( think hair balls). The water is then pumped into the plant tray which is floating your vegetables. That is it. Just make sure the system has plenty of oxygen!
You know theoretically it could be possible just to urinate into the water since it contains ammonia, instead of purchasing ammonia. Also the pH of urine is typicalIy more acidic than the pKa of the ammonium ion, meaning it stays in solution and therefore more easily controlled. If possible it could make the aquaponics system more economical. I have no idea on volume of urine required. As long as your pee doesn't kill the fish and you're okay with peeing in your system, it might work.
I heard that you need about 1000 square feet for an aquaponics system to feed a diverse, fully nutritious diet to "a small community". I find that very hard to believe, especially if you're growing fish feed.
Can you please give me any info / refer me to a good site for info on how much space you need to feed a family of 4, and/or to feed 30 people a balanced diet, while having the space for growing fish feed, in a closed loop aquaponics system?
When is part 3
Yea the problem at the end us that you did not make anymore videos on this subject.
Well then Robert... the next video was coming 10 days from Sept 4, 2012... so that would have put it on the 15th of Sept, 2012... It's now May, 27th 2013... So did I miss the Rapture and you went to be with Jeezuz H. Cripes how it amazes me that so many people start a project and tell you how to DIY it like i do... and how they will follow up with the next ones... and like magic they disappear never to be seen again...
Me too.
Where's the next video!!
Temperature.... it's almost impossible to get your tank too hot, but the colder your water is the longer it will take to cycle
I cant find week nr 2 video ? :S
What gives. where is video number three? Did you ever complete your system, did it crash? perhaps the third video was never made but the Aquaponics desktop is doing well, in wich case can you post a video of the completed project?
Hey Robert, great video! Did you upload a follow-up video? I can't find it in your profile. If you did, please could you paste the link in a reply to this message. Thanks!
Next video must be still in production...
If you're going to "fishless cycle"... then you migth as well bump your ammonia levels to 2-4ppm...
If you're only cycling at levels of 0.5-1.... then you may as well just cycle with fish....
Ammonia toxicity is entirely related to a combination of pH and water temperature... and unless your pH is > 7.8... and temperatures less than 20C (you'll have to do the conversion)... then levels of 0.5-1... shouldn't present a problem if cycling with fish....
"Finding a nonliving source of ammonia to use for cycling offers us many advantages over using fish. In my opinion, the greatest advantage is the speed we can cycle the system. Because we can raise the levels of the ammonia quickly, we decrease the time necessary for nitrification to occur."
Completely untrue... the time taken to cycle a system is primarily dependant on (in order)..
Where are you man?
Your text is right, but your video said ammonia to nitrate to nitrite...not nitrite then nitrate.
"The fish gets too toxic for the fish, the fish end up dying and you end up losing fish" 😂😂
6 months later no updates :(
Nice job on the video but your testing methods are racked with errors. I would recommend reading the instructions again with emphasis on the bold print that describes vigorous shaking for specific periods of time and waiting periods before analyzing. The blue Ph color also indicates that the Ph is potentially much higher and thus requires a high Ph test.
Step 1 set your aquaponics system with all the filters running
Step 2 pee in the tank
Step 3 wait for 4 weeks
i have only 2 little strawberry plant
Don't understand how the ammonia levels are changing when they are no plants to convert it?
The plants don't convert the Ammonia, the ammonia is converted by Nitrosomona bacteria to Nitrites. The Nitrites attract Nitrospira which convert that to Nitrogen. The plants use the Nitrogen... When cycling, the objective is to create this bacteria colony that will generate the Nitrogen then you can support plants!
Ah got it. But how to those bacteria come into being? Airborne?
Why did you stop making videos?????????????
Level of ammonia.... adding too much ammonia.... above levels of about 5ppm... can actually inhibit the cycling process.... (nitrification to nitrates wont begin in the prescence of ammonia - nitrification to nitrites will, but can be inhibited also).... and only prolongs the "nitrite" spike...
Nitrites are as potentially dangerous to fingerlings as ammonia...
I thought you're supposed to wait 5 mins until you compare the test to the color chart, but the video never mentioned that, he compared the two immediately. And, I thought you were supposed to aim for 0ppm on all parameters, not 0.5ppm -- aww man I hope I'm not doing my cycle wrong DX I'm so confused -_-
next video isn't coming..?
This is his last video.. maybe he died..
.5 ppm? Is there a molar equivalent?
2.94x10^-5M
Thanks, it is much easier to do the molar math than to just put capfulls in and guess.
That must be one really accurate stock solution.
Lifted it from a Community College. Someone needs to tell them using Avogadro's number for a passcode is not a good thing.
Sorry... you'll have to read the posts in reverse order....
plants must be introduced immediately, fish after 1 or better 2 months imho
You said a week a year ago!!!!
Has it been "About a week" yet? D: