Hello from Boston

[natethegreek]

Hey guys I know it has been a long time but I am finally getting things together.

I had to use some brass fittings because home depot didn't have the PVC fittings I needed so is this going to be a problem?

All I need to do to finish it off is getting the growing media and some fish. You generally let the system cycle with fish first or with plants first?

Thanks guys,
Nate

[REEFBUG]

I don't think brass is good, my background is in saltwater though and brass is not allowed near my tanks!! It's OK for water lines, though, so let's get some answers from the "guys who know" and we will both learn. That's what this is all about right?

Plants can be added right away, they will do fine in the plain water until the filter starts churning out nutrients.

Glad to see you are still putting it together and don't forget PICS, we like PICS!

[badflash]

Brass isn't bad for fish, but it can be a problem if you have invertebrates like shrimp, snails or crayfish. Also, don't mix metals as one will cause the other to corrode. It makes a short circuited battery.

[stucco]

If you are just getting going, try and find some maxi crop or vermaplex at your local hydro shop for the plants. Worm castings and vermaplex are a good starter for beneficial bacteria and some people use aged urine to provide an ammonia source. Make sure you have a test kit to watch the levels. This cycle period may take six weeks, but it may seem like twelve. Good luck!

[wolfracer]

This cycle period may take six weeks, but it may seem like twelve. Good luck!

Truer words were never spoken!

[davidstcldfl]

Tabasco makes a mild, green jalapeno sauce. Your water may look just like it, shortly before you are cycled....

[badflash]

If you can find someone with an established tank of healthy tropical fish, rinse out their filter in good aged tank water and add this to your tank. You'll be instantly cycled. I do this all the time.

[jackalope]

I've always read that brass isn't good .... why? because it takes copper to make brass (red brass has more copper content than yellow brass) so it would technically still give off copper sulfates, which are deadly to fish.
Of course most homes have brass fittings and sometimes copper pipes, so you will have to be wary. If you're going to have brass in contact with your FT or GB water all the time, I'd beware ..... However, if it's just going to run through the brass fittings, it may be OK, as some have said ..... I just purposely try to avoid it as much as possible

[badflash]

It takes a fair amount of copper to poison fish, far less for inverts. Dosing an aquarium with copper salts to kill snails is pretty common. As long and the levels are kept low the fish do fine. If you look at many commercial fish foods, or even rabbit pellets, you'll see they contain copper sulphate.

[natethegreek]

Hey guys I know it has been a long time, but now that the summer BBQ season is done I am ready to get down to some serious Aquaponics. I am replacing the copper fitting today and I have added fish (i know i should have done that in reverse but I forgot all about the system.

My PH is 7.4
Nitrates 0
Nitrites 0
Ammonia .25ppm

I just need to find someone with a biofilter and I will be all set!