Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 32
  1. #11
    Members
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    17

    Re: Hello from Boston

    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

  2. #12
    Members
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Tucson AZ
    Posts
    19

    Re: Hello from Boston

    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!

  3. #13
    Moderator badflash's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Malden Bridge, NY
    Posts
    1,544

    Re: Hello from Boston

    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.
    The best fertilizer is the farmer's shadow

  4. #14
    Moderator stucco's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    palmbay florida
    Posts
    755

    Re: Hello from Boston

    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!
    Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.-- Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
    Simplicity of character is the natural result of profound thought~fortune cookie

  5. #15
    Moderator wolfracer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Flint Hills of Kansas
    Posts
    263

    Re: Hello from Boston

    Quote Originally Posted by stucco
    This cycle period may take six weeks, but it may seem like twelve. Good luck!
    Truer words were never spoken!

  6. #16
    Moderator davidstcldfl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Saint Cloud FL USA
    Posts
    2,029

    Re: Hello from Boston

    Tabasco makes a mild, green jalapeno sauce. Your water may look just like it, shortly before you are cycled....
    "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - President Ronald Reagan

  7. #17
    Moderator badflash's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Malden Bridge, NY
    Posts
    1,544

    Re: Hello from Boston

    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.
    The best fertilizer is the farmer's shadow

  8. #18
    Moderator jackalope's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Montana, USA
    Posts
    878

    Re: Hello from Boston

    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
    I use the Linux Operating System ...... Free as in beer!
    You're never too old to learn something
    Aquaponics - food'n'fish at your doorstep

    Helena, Montana - Home of the Northernmost Monument to the Confederacy

  9. #19
    Moderator badflash's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Malden Bridge, NY
    Posts
    1,544

    Re: Hello from Boston

    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.
    The best fertilizer is the farmer's shadow

  10. #20
    Members
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    17

    Re: Hello from Boston



    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!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •