Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

you might want to test the water they are coming from.. ph difference? something stressed them i think.. and it sounds like you introduced them to their new home correctly..
did you use the feed that the fishery uses?

Hi Great looking GH and setup. That is a really great looking system. I see a couple of things in your thread here that you need to change. I will be going back to read your passive solar links....

First is take the rusty iron out of the system. It will do no good and could possibly cause problems. It will not leach iron out into the water as you thought. It will just cause corrosion and if it is next to the plastic of the IBC it will cause a failure and leak where the rust stains the plastic. Use a Cheleated Iron product like Seasol or MaxiCrop if you need to add iron and trace minerals.

On your SLO you should put a tee at the top in the fish tank that is open at the top for an over flow. That small hole in the top for an air brake would not help in an over flow condition. It would still work the same for every thing else.

Stop putting in Acid and Vinegar into your system. You will cause more problems than you can fix including killing the fish and the plants. Do it naturally if at all possible. You are going to eat the plants and fish.

Also I forgot to put my two cents worth on the Flood and Drain being better than constant flood and siphon. I believe that the time between floods gives the plants time to take up oxygen that the plants need to do there thing. So cycle time of 15/ 45 is great.

Keep up the great work.

Don't worry Peter, u didn't make me, it was my decision and i'd do it again I do feel bad for the cute little catfish but it's always a risk taking fish from unknown sources. The fact that your other batch is still alive tells us something. They had itch the moment we got them we just didn't see it through the bags. Transportation + temperature changes + different water source all these factors make good conditions for infections to flourish (and remember Mark said that the first batch died off infection - i wonder what kind of infection, could it be the same as this time?:). Next time we'll take bigger fingerlings which are usually better for surviving these kind of conditions, from a differente source ofcourse. It's a risky business, keep on searching my friend, don't give up!

Good day!

I tested their water on the arrival, tha ph was ~8,5. As far as I know they where raised on the same feed...

Seasol, MaxiCrop I cant have those products here, so I have to find similar makes. But those are hard to get and I have to double check everithing before buying tham and putting tham in.




I tried the T instead the elbow on the SLO outflow. It worked but raised the level with some 3-4cm-s causeing an owerflow condition. With the T I dont have the siphon behavour on the SLO so it creates a higher water level. Im running with the elbow since the startup without problem.



There was no vinegar, it was Hydrocoric acid, but I had a reason for that, as I failed to clean out the tanks. I had no fish but the plants suffered from the cloride. In the past few weeks the system is solid 7 - 7,5.



Thx for the comments and the advices, it helps me going on!

Thx for your friendship!

The highlander gave up the fight by dawn.

The rest are well, eating, growing.

Just a quick one:

Im on holiday, my mum takes care of the system. On monday night we had a thunderstorm back home and it broken some trees so the elecricity cables where damaged too. The power loss lasted 24 hours, so far seems like all made it.

More on this topic later...

The fish are dieing, again and I'll only be home by the weekend

Just a quick update for the record.

Its been a had time for my mum while we wre on holiday. 24 hour power out, dead fish, extreme evaporation due to extreme temperature, it was a long week for her. She had to graduate on an intesive course of aquaponics, with tasting the bitter end as well.
Plans also suffered this last week, as in the 35-38C temp the pump was out for more than two day because of power out, and low system wate.

This week was also busy, with deadlines of several. You might see some of that work but until than its a secret.

- I got a theory on fish death and testing to prove it.
- There where two a big storms with high winds and even some hail, but the GH took it without problem.
- The system is going fishless, the plants ar recovering as now they dont suffer from lack of nutrients. - I have some red tomatoes, we are not far from the first aquaponics tomato harvest. Cucumbers, and pumpkins are the next to follow, while I still have some radish.
- My frends "the diggers" come over tomorrow with their family to check out what happened to their "pit". Its gonna be an ozther nice community event!

Thats a bugger zsazsa....bit like falling off a horse tho really...gotta get back on straight away.....so, get more fish !!!

I have changed 1/2 water in this last week and today got a test fish, this time a little bigger one from a local fisherman.


This is the minimum market size of tham. He is 1,5 kg and about 60-65 cm long. I hope he will make it, and got to buy some bait fish for him to eat.


My kids were realy excited about the big fish

The beast in the sump.


He seems to enjoy the place, I tried to feed him with worms, and chicken liver. All of those dissapeared but so far couldn't catch the moment.

I get some smaller test fish as well maybe some goldies, to test the water quality and becom a feed for a big guy later if they survive.


I met two guys showing intrest in aquaponics on monday, on tha way back home I stopped for a coffee in a highway petroll station by this field.

Looks nice in the sump there zsazsa..

Ahhh sunflowers we have a big bag at work, must remember to go spread the seed through the vacant land up the back, they put on such a good show..