Bio-filter Crash of a Hybrid Deep Water Culture and Grow Bed Aquaponic System: Diagnosis and Handling an Aquaponicst’s Chlroamine Nightmare—Part 2

Summary: Aquaponic system bio-filter crash likely caused by chloramine poisoning of bacteria, which then led to buildup of high levels of ammonia. Subsequent treatments to reduce ammonia in the system ultimately proved ineffective. Follow us through our trials and tribulations as we tried to avert an aquaponist’s nightmare scenario.

Prologue 2

Like any good suspense thriller, this story combined danger with time sensitivity. The narrative begins the day we transported some of our resident tilapia to a customer’s house. After many hours of preparation, we successfully transported 20 of our resident tilapia over to the customer’s house and to this day they are happily swimming in their new back yard home. At the time our system’s water condition was conducive to growth: water temperature was ~24 degrees Celsius and no ammonia or nitrite. However, the system maintained stable but high pH ~6.8 that rarely went down.

Having accomplished a major feat, we refilled our system’s fish tank with water from our reservoir à la water poured into a tub and allowed to sit. Secure with the fact that all would be well, we decided that no further water tests were required. After all, what could dechlorinated water do to our system…

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Bio-filter Crash of a Hybrid Deep Water Culture and Grow Bed Aquaponic System: Diagnosis and Handling an Aquaponist’s Chlroamine Nightmare—Part 1: Prologue—Part 1

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Bio-filter Crash of a Hybrid Deep Water Cultureand Grow Bed Aquaponic System: Diagnosis and Handling an Aquaponist’s Chlroamine Nightmare—Part 3: Chapter 1—System Crisis, Ammonia Bailout

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Bio-filter Crash of a Hybrid Deep Water Cultureand Grow Bed Aquaponic System: Diagnosis and Handling an Aquaponist’s Chlroamine Nightmare—Part 4: Chapter 2—Aquaponic System on Life Support

Bio-filter Crash of a Hybrid Deep Water Cultureand Grow Bed Aquaponic System: Diagnosis and Handling an Aquaponist’s Chlroamine Nightmare—Part 5: Chapter 3—Vital Life Signs

Bio-filter Crash of a Hybrid Deep Water Cultureand Grow Bed Aquaponic System: Diagnosis and Handling an Aquaponist’s Chlroamine Nightmare—Part 6: Chapter 4—In Aquaponics, the Solution Finds You

Bio-filter Crash of a Hybrid Deep Water Cultureand Grow Bed Aquaponic System: Diagnosis and Handling an Aquaponist’s Chlroamine Nightmare—Part 7: Epilogue and Lessons