Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

The pizza oven

My pH has been sitting at 6 or lower (could be lower because that is as low as my test solution goes) for awhile. Plants and fish seem fine but I thought I might try to raise it a little. Did a 1/4 water change - no movement, so must be a fair bit below 6. Thought my test solution might be dodgey, so did a neutral test with tap water, and it was reading 7. So got some hydrated lime today as per Milne's advise and will put in 1/4 cup into the sump and re-test. Will post results this evening after the solution has had time to mix and react.

Q

PS - and no Milne, haven't made anymore progress to the woodoven!

Seeing its probley below 6 you may need a couple of goes at it remember slow does it

did a test and it is now at 6.4 so I'm thin king it was pretty much on 6 to start with. will leave it for a day or so and see if there is any change.

Q

now's the time to dig in 30 kg of shell grit it wont change things straight away but it will help just sprinkle over the beds it will mix in

where do I get 30kgs of shell grit? I got 1kg from the super market and they are in some pantyhose in the fish tanks.

Quachy

I got mine from the produce store you don't really need 30 kg that's what i used
Just more of it in more places its got a better chance of being a benefit
with shell grit the more you have isn't going to push the ph higher
In ap when the ph gets low it uses some of the calcium in shell grit till it reaches something like 7 then stops
If you like you could have a small bed with just shell grit

shell grit bed....I like it!

Buy yourself a few dozen oysters have a good feed and then take tool number 1 (hammer) and crush them!
value adding!

i like it! i like it a lot!

Just dont tell his misses she will find out soon enough

pH has now stabilised at 6.5. I am happy with this. Put in 20 red gauntlets and 20 lowans as well as 10 hokowase strawberries in a different bed to last time. Hopefully the aphids keep off this time!

I have changed back to Lauke barra feed as I think the low pH was caused by the growbest feed I was giving the trout. Now there seems to be more noticable growth on the fish (more than before - which was pretty quick anyway) and nitrate readings gone from 10 to 40 plus in a week.

{edit} I should add that the gowbest feed was pretty old, maybe 18 or more months so the protein may have broken down a bit hence less growth and maybe contributing to the low pH.

Having some friends over fo dinner so planning on harvesting 7 trout - should weigh in at about 200-250g each. Lemon, thyme, butter and well seasoned with salt, wrap in foil and then chuck in oven at 190deg c for 20-25mins. Will post pics as I go!

Can you lets us know how long and how much they weigh?

regards
Matt

Here are some pics of the harvest. The biggest was a brown at 225g and the smallest was a rainbow at 189g. Total weight 1.65kgs for 8 fish.

Longest fish was 28cm
Smallest was 22cm