Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

That high ph is helping keep your fish alive, so don't worry too much. You should be shooting for about 2 parts per thousand of salt. That is by weight, but we Americans never weigh out measurements. This is one area where going metric makes life easier. That is to say that for 1000 liters of water, you put in 2 liters, really 2 kilograms, of salt. The range people give is 1 - 3 ppt, so shooting for 2 gives you some breathing room.

In my opinion we should have gone metric long ago. As a geography major in college we use metric as much as "standard" or more anyway. For a long time I've wondered why we haven't switched to metric, and aside from people's general stubbornness and unwillingness to change, I think I finally figured out a big reason why we haven't made the switch. Our whole country is surveyed in the township section range system, meaning our every map, including land ownership documents for taxes, zoning etc. is laid out in 1 mile by 1 mile sections to switch would really screw that up. Still think we should do it personally a base 10 system makes much more sense plus just to be the same as the rest of the world in today's global society makes sense. Anyway, rant over, Thanks for the advice guys. I may try to find a source for bluegill &/or perch and maybe switch to a cooler water fish if I can. Is it ok to have more than one kind of fish together in the same system if I did go with bluegill and perch?

You guys did go metric but then changed your mind and went back.

Well if we did I wasn't involved in that decision. lol. How long will it probably take before the Nitrites go down?

It is winter now, it could take a while...

Well the nitrites are way down. In fact I think they were in the first place it was Nitrates I was reading (I think) anyway the Nitrites are down now but the Nitrates are pretty high. That good or bad or neither? My pH is still around 8.4+ , rest of water parameters seem good according to my test strips. Would it be a bad idea to add 4 or 5 more fingerlings now?
Thanks