Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

What is an airstone?

Is there a way to search on topics like that on this forum, to save asking silly questions that probably are answered elsewhere?

vg

Block or ball (may be ceramic) which is porous and delivers air bubbles (via power source and airline) in aquariums or fish tanks providing fish with extra source of dissolved oxygen necessary for their survival. Hope this basic description helps.

Sometimes also called air diffusers
http://www.aquaticeco.com/search/0/air%20stone

Cheap ones can cost less than a dollar but tend to need to be replaced regularly. Invest a little more and get ones that will survive long term.

then of course you need an air pump or blower attached to the air line to make bubbles come out the air stone.

D'ya reckon I need one straight away if I'm about to slip 20 or so trout fingerlings into 1800L clean rainwater? Or could I add it later...
I'm just planning to pump water through scoria at this stage until it stabilises.

Get it first
Trout love heaps of DO

I wouldnt put too many trout in to start with anyway...esp if the system has stabilised/cycled. But yeah they love O2 so get as much in as you can. Im just concerned that you might have a few deaths because your filter wont be ready for them.

yep the Ammo will build rapidly,
and bio filtration will be minimal,
plant something, the moon is good for planting now.
buy some garlic and plant that (after you break it into corms).

Yea Yea if the moon comes out at night i always plant next day it always works for me

Google?

First result - http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q ... tone&meta=

To search the forum database use search.php - There is a link on the top right of the forum page.

If you ever have a "what is" or "what does" type of question (actually any question), always ask google - it knows everything

As far as adding plants, I was following a 'to-do' list from Steve, from 2006 (maybe out-dated now?) on how to start a system - it said to add fish, feed minimally for the first 4 weeks before adding plants as there would be not enough nutrients to keep them going...
I also have some aquarium filter gunk and 20L aquarium water from a friend to add to the (1700L tank) system - I presume before the fish get added.

that will help cycle it quicker

Hi bk,

So if the ammo built to 0.5ppm could it be the reason for 10 deaths 4 - 10 hrs after fish arriving in system still be a lack of filtration?
I have just posted a full description of what was done, and the not so good outcome on 'Member's Systems' under "New System - fish deaths - help!"
Have planted seedlings now. Am still a little confused - which need to be in place first, the filtration or the fish? If the filtration, what are the plants growing on? If the fish, what are they being filtered by?
And lastly, should/can I use 'ammo-lock'/'ammocarb/ammochips in an aquaponics set-up?
It sounds like it may stop fish deaths at least.
Can a lot of fish die from levels of 0.5ppm?
My ammonia test kit recommends ammolock etc, and also api (brand name) Stress Zyme, to speed up biolog filter dvpt.
Is this OK for aquaponics?
Eek, poor fishies.

put about 20-30 goldies in and cycle it... and if youve gone n put trout in....make sure theres LOTS of O2 in it and dont feed them (they can go a few months without food), thats alot of deaths, I think youre trying to much too soon

Had a 4200L/hr airpump with 4 x 10cm x 10cm airstones continually running.

Better not to feed at all then?

Half died before food was added and the others haven't eaten the 10 pellets anyway. We'll remove them.