Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

DO NOT ASK ME ABOUT TEST LEVELS I WILL JUST GET VERY ANGRY

I realised in time that you are aware of where I domicile and thought better of mentioning the unthinkable

Sorry to hear about the fish Jaymie. Some massive ones too .

I'll leave it a while before I start badgering you about getting a kit

Thanks......reckon 3 days should be enough........

Just went up and scooped out another 4 dead ones
I rebiult the purgeing IBC, it was leaking-still is but it is needed now, and we put about 6 or 8 others that were floating and looking bad but still alive in it. It has freshly dechlorinated water plus a lump of salt a little pump and a couple of air stones. We shall have to see how many are still alive come morning time. I don't hold out much hope for at least 4 of them, they were barely moving their fins, the other couple were just cruising slowly around the surface.

I am hoping that this was an ammo spike, because we did not quarantine the mussels before we put them in the system and I just hope that they didn't bring something in to the system.

Axl

When I tested my water this morning - first time in months and I only did it because of the power having been out for 40 hours at that stage - I was a little suprised at how low the ph was (under 6 and closer to 5 than 6). This is despite me adding calcium carbonate powder fairly regularly. The bacteria do work at those sorts of levels, I know because I have operated my mature systems at these levels many times, however the bacteria are probably not as efficient. Therefore other factors can tip you over the edge, like in your case the reduced pumping capacity while your pump was buggered. It would be interesting to know your pH.

pH of 6 is probably OK for fish.... but pH 5... could be placing the fish under considerable stress from what I've learnt at Natfish.... mainly interfering with the production of the mucus/slime coat of the fish... its first line of immune defence...

Stress leads to opportunistic bacterial and fungal infections....

well fellas, come up here and fix it for me then

Yeh - I agree. I don't run them purposefully at such low levels, but have each time thought that the calcium carbonate I was adding regularly would be taking care of pH. I must use my test kit more often, afterall the pH testing is so bloody easy (3 drops, 1 bottle).

I've not added too much today (just a couple of hands full) because there was some ammonia in the system - but over the next couple I will increase the pH back to 7 or fully buffer it to 7.4 if it turns out that way.

Jaymie - if it turns out you pH is low, don't increase it too quickly heh. You have done quite a lot of water changes - I wonder what your changover water pH is!

you are getting close to mentioning the unmentionable

Just hard to diagnose Jaymie - that's all. Not taking the piss or anything - I know how you must feel. Although I've never lost as many (well, not big ones anyway) as you, I've been fighting an uphill battle all winter to keep my buggers alive and then again over this 43 hour blackout. I was reminded of my barra losses as I cleaned out the fridge and freezers which held all our spoiled food. There were heaps of barra in the freezer - many eating size - which I'd been pulling out through winter and must have blocked out of my brain, cos I had memories of them being smaller. I'd gutted them and frozen for later eating, as I was pulling them out before they died.

Hopefully for you the worst of it is over. Do you know how many fish you have in there still - must be heaps. Have the second batch been dying also - or is it just the biggins?

mostly the bigger fish, doesn't seem to be any weights under about 400


at last estimate, 335? maybe?

Hmmm - I always seem to lose the biggest ones too. It doesn't help too much in terms of dignosis though, because I would assume that the big ones may go first in relation to various issues, including:

- Low DO, because their demand would be greater.
- Ammonia and/or nitrite issues. Small ones may be more susceptible to a spike, but if it is an ongoing issue, the big ones may have been exposed for longer???? Rupe - do you know anything about susceptibility to ammonia issues based on size.
- ph....actually, have just realised I have no idea about this line of thought

You're actually close to the mark VB... larger fish literally move larger amounts of water over their gills...

If the water quality is compromised and/or contains pathogens... then their exposure is greater... by sheer volume...

i did the same thing just added a bit every now and then when i tested the other day ph 5 so far put 1 handfull in for 4 days now 5.2