Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

That frame is a good idea. I will have to make something like that i expect. By the time they get that size though i will be in a new house and may well have to start all the plants again.

The frame was originally going to be for a green house arrangement but never really eventuated. It was a good barrier for the corn during the windy days in the end.

For my own observations I have planted corn in both my conventional garden and AP this summer to see what does better as last years experiment got cut short due to move of house. Of course Ill post my findings.

Quick update time. I cant be bothered typing in a full spread because lazy, but it goes something like this.

Blah blah blah tomatoes hogging all the light, lots of stuff growing, moving house 4 weeks. If you really want to see all that expanded to a few paragraphs then see my signature.

Now, photos

looking great Ryan.
How are the Silvers going?

Honestly mate, the silvers are boring. Half the time i dont even know if they are alive. I have to turn the pump off so the water isnt disturbed to see them.

I did loose 4 of them while i was away which sucks. I have no idea what caused the deaths, but they had been dead for at least a day or two when i got home. It made the water stink for days I am going to see if i can source a few bigger ones, so i can at least maintain some nutrient in the water. Maybe next month after i have moved house.

Looking really good Ryan.

Man it sucks moving house... especially if you have to move an AP system as well. Good luck

Best of luck with the move Ryan. Moving sucks. Do you have to move far? Is the move an opportunity to expand?
Silvers can be boring compared to trout but i still love my silvers. I love watching them when they feed - the have more personality than the trout. I use semi sinking food so watching them eat is fun. A lot like feeding the fish in the aquariums.
Looking at them at night with a torch is fun as well. Try that with trout and you will end up with fish in your lap.
SWMBO was so impressed by the trout she now wants the silvers in the sump tank and the trout in the main. I said no worries if you can catch the silvers LOL.

Yeah i am really glad i didnt expand too much like i wanted to. The move is about 45 mins up the road to geraldton. Not likely a chance for expansion, but i am hoping it will be a chance for more sunlight and protection from wind.

I think the problem i have with my silvers is that the food is too big. I have the BYAP 3mm pellets and the fish are only about 80-100mm. I have organised some smaller food so hopefully i will see them eating now. At the moment i am putting a very small amount of food in there and just leaving it for a few days. They yabbies will eat anything the fish dont.

After the move i might see if i can source a few bigger silvers just to keep the nutrients up and have something plate size sooner. My fingers are crossed for an expansion too!

Throw in some prawn on the cooler days, they will munch it up fast.

Gero eh?... Whats wrong with you mate? You might as well head down this way if your going for an isolated life style? At least we get some good plant growth down here....

p.s. At least you will be a bit closer for me to come visit!

The move is for SWMBO. When her apprenticeship steps up to 6 days a week, 45 minutes is a bit too far for her to drive. With my 2 on 2 off roster it is just easier.

So when are you planning the visit then? The house we are hoping for should have heaps of room

I lost 2 more silver perch again today. Starting to give me the shits. Plus it has caused an ammonia spike.

I did a water test and it is as follows.

pH: >= 6 !!!
amm: 0.5
ites: 0
ates: 160+

I might just give them to the cats and wait for trout....

I am surprised my pH has fallen so far. I have shell grit and a piece of coral in the system... Thats what you get for not checking more often i suppose...

Oh no, that is not good to hear Ryan.

Hi Ryan,
I had a similar problem with my Silvers over winter. The pH dropped and so did they. The trout were fine but the silvers would not eat and they did not seem happy. The trout were smashing the food and getting fat and I had a kg or 2 of shell grit and 500+gms of powdered limestone so I thought it could not be the water. When I used another pH test kit I found the pH was 5.5. So I would not put too much faith in the crushed limestone and shell grit on their own. The limestone and shell grit had been in for about 9 months.
I went out and purchased some slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) and brought the pH up to 6.5 and not a single death since. I use about a desert spoon of slaked lime every 2 or 3 days to keep the pH up and the silvers are back to their happy selves. TM’s website shows that trout are more tolerant of low pH than silvers so putting it all together I'm guessing that was my problem and raising the pH was the solution.
Give it a try, it can't hurt and it may even work.
Best of luck

Marc

It is quite frustrating faye!

Thanks heaps Marc. I add a bit of pH up this arvo after i tested the water and i will definitely be trying to get it up.

Hopefully it is a good sign for a very active bacteria colony that is causing the pH to fall so low

After i have moved i might try and add some of the shell grit into the grow bed to get a better contact with the water rather than be in a stocking.