Yes, we like to refer to this as “Fish Cycling,” meaning you will be monitoring the health of your fish population while simultaneously growing the nitrifying bacteria population. Adding the fish before the bacteria does come with some additional challenges, so see our post on Cycling With Fish for special considerations […]
In a smaller sized tank, <50 gallons of water, we recommend stocking the tank with 1″ of fish for every 1 gallon of water. For example, a 10-gallon tank could hold 10x 1″ fish or 5x 2″ fish.
For larger fish in tanks over 50 gallons, we recommend a stocking density of 1 lb of fish […]
The Best Fish for Aquaponics
The first decision to make when selecting fish is if you plan to grow edible fish for harvest or ornamental fish for enjoyment. You can […]
Unfortunately, nitrifying bacteria are some of the slowest growing bacteria in nature, and the cycling process can take as long as six weeks. There are a few things you can do to speed up this process, however.
Temperature – like most microorganisms, nitrifying bacteria multiply more quickly in warmer conditions. Their optimal temperature is between […]
There are several ways to add ammonia to your system, but honestly, the best is to simply purchase our Cycling Kits. They come in 3 sizes – Small (< 100 gallons), Medium (100 – 300 gallons) and Large (300 – 500 gallons). They come with all the ammonia you will need to […]
Once you have your aquaponic system set up and your test kit in hand all you need to do to start the cycling process is add a source of ammonia. Traditionally this has been by adding fish and using the ammonia from their waste, but we’re not a big fan of using fish as […]
Without being able to see nitrifying bacteria grow, you must have some way of telling where you are in the aquaponics 
cycling process – typically a four to six-week endeavor. Specifically, you must monitor ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels as well as pH so that you know […]
Nitrogen cycling happens in soil and water all around the earth. 
Aquaponics cycling is the natural process of bacteria oxidizing ammonia into nitrates.
Cycling in aquaponics starts when ammonia is present in your aquaponic system. Ammonia (chemical formula NH3) is a compound […]
Here is what we recommend.
1) Get an API GH and KH Test Kit and figure out what your carbonate levels are.
2) If you are above 4 dKH, then you should be fine for now but be sure to retest weekly as part of your normal testing regime. Remember that as your system matures, it […]
Creating and maintaining a buffer in aquaponics is crucial for stable water quality balancing. While fish can generally adapt to pH levels that are outside of their ideal range, they cannot handle dramatic, rapid swings in pH. We take phone calls every week from customers who are struggling with what appear to be random fish […]