Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yes, I'm new at this! My system has completed cycling and I have minnows swimming around for a week now. Was planning on getting Tilapia fingerlings tomorrow. However, the water in the fishtank is really GREEN. I can't see the bottom of the tank or the minnows until they get 8 inches from the top of the water. I understand that tilapia can most likely handle it but I'd be comfortable with clearer water. How do I accomplish this. I have a 260 gallon IBC.

Cover your tank to exclude most of the sunlight- then it should clear up in a week or 2.

An algae bloom killed off my Silver Perch.
I have left the system pumps running on longer intervals and covered the FT, but the sump still has a jot of algae in strings
and the FT has a layer of floating algae, which is getting caught up on air lines and power leads /
pipes in the FT.
There are still several veggies growing, although suffering from lack of nutrients.

How can I clear the algae in preparation for fish to be reintroduced?


Thanks,

Tony

With Gavin still 6 weeks off you have plenty of time to get the system set up.

My tank has gone green twice. The first time when it was set up, and the second a year later. No fish deaths during those periods. Solution time one, stop feeding. Second time, shade tank with shade cloth. Still to find out if this works with third summer coming up.

Algae has not had a chance to overgrow my tank. Scrape marks around the areas of the tank which cope direct sunlight confirm that silver perch eat the stuff. If I remember correctly though, it is the older ones which have more greens in their diet. Somebody will correct me if I am wrong.

I recommend doing nothing. When you get the replacement silver perch get some older ones to eat the algae, and make sure that there is plenty of O2 in the system. It will be worth the extra cost. Getting the older perch will also increase nutrients as a tank full of fingerlings does not provide much substance to your vegies (well I found that). No the older ones do not eat the younger ones (so long as there is not too much of a difference in size). Aesthetically you may just wish to skim the surface algae off the top and compost it.

Thanks Jeff,
I will try that.

Tony