Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Alex are you for serious ? Have you made any substantial changes to how you are operating this system since you killed the last lot? I am sure I will kill mass batches of fish in my time, but you hopefully have learned something from your first attempt. Unless you have a constant supply of money, then wait until you get the growbeds sorted before you get any more fish. I am pretty much agreeing with the other guys, you are heading for the kill record books.

the water is from a roof water tank, i do understand that town water is toxic due to the product of chlorination and ammonia. I used to keep some fish in a half barrel outside. Only once I changed the water with tap water instead of tank water, result = dead fish.

I can vaguely remember what fish act like in highly alkali water. When I was in high school I had a couple of outdoor fish ponds, I placed fish back in freshly cement rendered fish pond. They half died, then they recovered in plastic bucket, a few rounds later they were happily alive in said pond. The SP died differently.

The pond has a small number of small boat type insects living in it. I doubt that the water is poisonous, or that 200 grams of fish can cause an ammonia spike in 4000l of water in 4 hours.

When I placed the fish in the pond, I floated the bag in the water first for a few minutes, then I punctured the bag so the fish could enter the pond water and the pond could mix with the bag water. The process probably took 15minutes.

Oxygen deficiency is a possibility as the water was recent from a tank, but even so. the pond has about 10m2 surface area, so it wouldn't stay deficient for long, and initially the fingerling's were quite lively - not lethargic.

Any way, we'll see if the jades are of hardier material than the silver perch. Now I also have shade cloth, so yeah, the system has changed in three aspects


cooler weather (not a freak summer day)
new species
new shade

AlexP I'm confused as to what your system is currently comprised of. could you give us all a complete run down of your system components and water flow.

I've been working on the asumption that one (or two) small PVC inflatable ring pools would be a maximum of about 500-800ltr.... with one flowing into the other... a real time fish pool of 400ltr maximum....

Just what size are these "pools"

make sure there is additional aeration too

I second the motion for additional aeration or a pump running and letting water splash back into the pool.

you do have a ph test dont you?

front pond is 3/4 full, rear pond is being emptied (first fill is flushed to garden)

no I don't have any aeration or pumping yet, I'm still waiting on my sparkie to send his quote in.

some aeration or splashing could've helped with temp control that day

hey, got some jades today. i was quite impressed with the suppliers packaging - oxygenated bag in a big polystyrene box. Could still smell the styrene . Put some in pond & some in small aquarium. will see how these survive. Now to put up shade triangle tonight.

Wow go big early

Alex at the very least could I suggest that you purchase two things tomorrow...

Several airpumps (as large as you can afford) and a test kit.

Could I suggest that you also have a quantity of water available to do a water change if required....

And that immediately setup some sort of filtration and/or growbed.

Otherwise.... to call a spade a shovel.... I'm pretty sure your fish wont last past the weekend... particularly if you get a couple of hot days

Those in the aquarium may survive.... perhaps.... if you have a filter in the aquarium system....

Do you run water through the two ponds frequently/continuously....

I'm not sure that you understand the principles involved in maintaining fish and water parameters Alex.

Hi Rupert

My wife has been 'advising' me to get a air pump for some time, today she even got one. A beauti 10w 4 port from Guangdong. Hopefully it should lessen my kill rate.

Against my better judgment, i threw the goldfish into the smaller pool, just to see if it would survive, nothing else has, and I've kinda had an expectation that local fish are as tough as goldfish. Said goldfish also ate the one fingerling I gave it as a companion last night. Will soon tell if the reason for the survivability of the goldfish is due to not bothering to move much and so not needing decent dissolved oxygen. Maybe sleepy cod might be similar survivor but a fussier eater.

I will get a test kit soonish

I have water for changing the inside aquarium, (aquarium came with a small filer)

I can say from experience that large surface area does not guarantee high D.O. Levels. Also, I can say that I have used the inflatible pools to grow fish with limited success. I have found it is far better to use a cheap pool with somewhat rigid sides. They will last must longer. Trust me.

I tried bluegill in a inflatable pool once. they somehow put holes in it.

Status at Sunday

Well 5 fish are left alive in the aquarium. There were 10.

I picked up a sea shell at the beach and threw it into the aquarium (might balance pH). I came back a day later and 2 fish were dead. So I did a 50%50% water change, tested pH ~7.4, and went out. Came back and 3 were dead. Then I did and full water change and fish currently are OK. Interestingly the water pH is now about 6 (straight from rainwater tank) maybe a slight loading of bird crap in there or acid rain. Anyway, my pH kit will need to be upgraded to be a wide range one, as both readings were on the extreme.

I got an ammonia sticker that changes colour, it had crept up to level 1 (there are 4 levels, 0-3, with 0 being OK, and 3 being change now and some might still live, level 1 is change water soon). its back down to all ok.

questions,
what pH do aussie native fish like (jade,siler perch etc)
is there any good buffer (I think the sea shell introduced some nasties that killed off some fish). will boiled mussel shell do.

lessons so far,
temp is important, first kill took 4 hours in hot day, aeration, shade, splashes and mass solve this.

DO is important, aeration helps, a flood/drain grow will be needed soon though

hygiene is important, unboiled seashells from beach can kill.

I think I'm yet to learn about ammonia and pH.... well its progress.

oh yeah, theres a floating raft with a very happy tomato plant with roots straight into the water, (its happier than basil at floating raft)

At least there is still a few left alive

You may find your raft plant will not grow too well, my fish at all the roots.