Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Jessy - Get an air pump like the one I got - It keeps 50 trout and 200 SP alive without any water pumping for 12 hours.

The only problem with not pumping water for that long is ammonia and aeration. There can be a nitrite spike after the pumps are restarted, but it is usually small.

If you can make a small nitrification filter that goes in the tank (basket of rocks or media) and place an airstone underneath it, the airstone will draw water through the media, assisting in ammonia and nitrite conversion while the pumps are off.

You may only need to turn the pumps off for a couple of hours - during the most solar radiant part of the day.

http://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/high_volume_air_pumps.php

These move a hell of a lot of air.

Above all, relax, take a deep breath, let it happen. There is not really a lot more you can do.

You can also get a bit of heat from pumping 24/7 not sure if it is noticeable in larger tanks.

Mostly from the solar radiation heat duff - I think even a 200w pump would only dissapate 150 watts of heat at the most - a tiny amount compared to the sun.

I'm sure frank could say for how much of the electrical input is heat load, and how much is used transferring water.

Its the recirculating that gets it going. Water volume and it bleeds off. I used a small pump in a 50ltr container for cuttings and every 24hr ish you had to change the water because it would heat up. But the cuttings did seem to root fast with the warm water.

wish I knew how to turn the flash off...but they are so neato...

The water has cleared to an acceptable level....and the refeeding program is on.....trying to get these guys off of pilchard and pellet mince......harder than what I thought..

This is the second casualty found this afternoon...still alive..was half shallowed for must of been quiet a while, before the bigger fish spat it out..no eyes left, I just picked it up off the bottom of the tank...

To be expected I suppose, the cat ate it, so it must be ok

In the process of clearing all the uneaten food off of the bottom of the tank..

Nitrite sitting on 1.0 , seems so high for fish not having eaten properly for 2 days...except maybe each other

System update....fish are eating again......due to the curse or pilchard whizzed in a bullet ...and pellets ground....and more pellets added but it works.....might have some decent growth happening now.

Found anouther blinded poor fishy this afternoon, and hopefully that will be the last...

everything in the system was restarted from seed...so hopefully the nute's will boost plant growth before the long hot heat wave hits

a few more pics of the dreaded Barra

I remember that shade of purple. And a darker one. The plants and fishies look good. Hasn't the long hot heat wave already begun. Hot and humid here. Not my favourite H's.

That's not purple.... that's a purplish haze.... just a lighter shade of pale....

I must be climatised.....it was 40, and I thought it was OK, but I am an air con sucker And only venture out to see the fish.........car.....work.....more aircons

Mmmmm purplish haze.

Here we have air Con for the air con.

2 more fish down.....eaten by a bigger guy.....geeze they are good chased them around the tank trying to spit out their Bro's....to no luck, now they just are hiding from me being guilty bad arsed Barra......

And bolting....wow ......some must be up to 20 cm by now easy....high protien.....each other

And high protein pichard shakes...

Not a good look first thing in the morning....first floater ....probably nitrite poisoning......30 % water change will be in progress