Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Looking good Mark

Nitrites seem a bit high..I would not feed tomorrow and test again in the morning. With nitrates showing the bacteria is converting the nitrites to nitrates..

Just need to don't feed and watch the nitrites drop..If still high in another day might have to put some pool salt in..

Pump cycles through night to keep aeration up.

LB

Thanks for that.... I'll skip feeding tomorrow..

Any particular brand/style of salt? I'll get some tomorrow anyway just incase I ever need it. Also how much do I add?

Ditto... don't feed your fish.... recently transported fish should never be feed for at least a day....

Re : Your nitrites 5.0.... way to high... considering that you've just stocked small, streassed fingerlings...

Salt immediately to 1ppt.... that's 1kg/1000L.... use Sunray Pool Salt (Bunnings, about $7-9/25kg bag)

And make sure that you have lots of aeration going full time for the next day or two...

i.e if you're relying on a 15:45 timer pump cycle and aeration by growbed drain... IMO... whack an aerator/air stone in there immediately...

Partly to alleviate the nitrites... and partly because they're trout and like lots of air...

Pool salt from bunnings or pool shop about $7 a big bag..
We usually add 3ppt for fish disease problems..
You might start with 1 ppt (1kg for 1000l)...test in morning and see if nitrites drop

beat me too it Rup

With 15min on and 30min drain cycle with aeration bar on system you shouldn't need a airstone...

Normally .. I'd agree with you ... but given that they're stressed from transport, trout fingerlings... and a nitrite reading of 5.0.... I think it would be prudent...

Forgot to add...

High Nitrites result in an osmotic imbalance and retention of nitrogen in the bloodstream... similar to "the bends"...

Small fingerlings have a high metabolism.. therefore they're exchanging oxygen and ammonia via there gills faster than normal... at a time when they're suffering stress...

With those nitrite readings the chances of further stress and "brown blood" disease is greatly increased IMO...

Given the water temp of 20... and a forecast of warm/hot weather by Tuesday... you still near the top end of environmental/stress limits as is....

All factors tend toward more stress... disease/death occurs when stressor factors/imbalances are tipped in favour of pathogens in the water...

Weakened, stressed fish are correspondingly at increased risk...

I'm going to be putting up a shade cloth tomorrow to use on hot days so hopefully that will assist with water temperature as well. It will be attached to the brick wall and I'll use tent poles to hold it out. I'll post some pics tomorrow. I'll probably leave it up this week to keep the water as cool as possible.

I'll add some salt tomorrow and for now I have added a smaller pump that is breaking the water surface to add aeration... I dont have an airstone.

That will help.. and probably be enough... be prepared to do a 50% water change if your fish look really stressed...

Wouldn't be so worried if the nitrites were 1.0 ... hopefully they'll drop in the next day or two...

Why cant this be easy?? What have you gotten me into Dicko!!! I guess I must be hooked now!

This is the fun part..after the system has cycled its boring...
Freeze some 2l bottles of water ready to add to tank during the hot days

Rup do you reckon seasol will have an effect on test levels?

Ah..great idea..

Neglible... unless the whole bottle was poured in... .... or some other "supplement" added...