Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Sounds like he doesn't want the job VB, I'd check out your other offer!

Will see how the weather goes and if he stuffs me around too much I'll definitelly look to the alternatives. The thing is that I want it done ASAP so I can spend my time off work doing all the stuff that needs to be done - including building the base for the tank, installing the tank, getting the bloody tank away from where it is now so I can get at the chook pen to finish it and install my 6x6 shade shed etc etc etc etc.

several available you dill

Veebs, most upside down swimming was done towards the end of their lives and possibly brought on by the stress of low temps and netting out their mates

Hmmm - not the cause this time around, for me.

maybe they saw the pictures of Ivan's breast fillets and it sent them troppo

I've had it with Barra Never again will I grow them.

There has been a fish in the tank that is doing the usual on side/back thing. I tend to leave them for way too long before knocking them off (particularly if too small to eat) because I guess I still have a delusion that they may get better . Anyway - checked it out tonight and thought I should take it out. When nettign it - another stupid barra swam into the net. Was only in the net for a couple of second, but has gone into shock and is now also an on side/back fish. Bloody hell. This is ridiculous. This fragile state is not a temperature thing. The tank is 27.5 degrees. It is ridiculous. Back to perch for me. With them, you can net them, put them on the scale, measure them and probably play with them for a bit also and then return them with no obvious issues.

I'm over it. The sooner these barra are gone the better as far as I'm concerned.

I've made the decision to not get any more fish until I've put the system in a greenhouse - so will try and keep the barra through to then and if I need to will keep the system cycled with goldies until the perch become available next season.

Never really heard of Barra behaving like that VB... I'll ask around next week... strange...

Sounds like Stu had a similar problem. He associated it with low temps - because they were low at his joint at time of harvesting, but perhaps that was not the issue at all. Will be interested in what you hear Rupe. What keeps coming back to me is a comment by a aquaculture guy that attended the AP conference in Brisi a couple of years ago. He said that he had been advised that Barra handled high nitrate levels well, bit this had proven to be incorrect.

I still haven't measured for nitrate (lazy arse) - but I would not be shocked if I found out that excess nitrate was contributing to this problem. Though - it does lokk like a basic shock issue - fragile fish.

Every time I've raised the issue of nitrates with anyone... I've always got the same reply.... not an issue... no known problem.... at least not unless levels are astronomical...

My silvers do the same thing, but only when it's really cold (below 12 deg c).

Yeh I know - but that suprises me a bit given that it is acknowledged that the main issue with recirc aquaculture is the need to change the water over all the time. I wonder what they consider astronomical. I would suspect mine are pretty high. Must test.

On water changes. In AP the bacteria and plants help clean the water but the plants can't be taking every thing out. Even my salt tank I do a few changes even with 0's across the board. Maybe there is something in older systems that get built up over time. Does anyone flush a system that has been running for a few years. How old is the system with the barra in it?

I'm not worried about there being anything dodgy like that in it Duff. My nitrates will be high because I've only got 2 beds hooked up at the moment (a bit over 1000 litres) and those are not heavilly planted - mainly because I've left some of the winter veg to go to seed and am only just now removing some of them (and others are still finishing the seed development process.

Also - pending me putting up a greenhouse - my beds are not ideally situated in that they are in full sun most of the day - which is good, except the sun is very friggin hot at the moment, making it hard to palnt new things (you could cook an egg on the gravel - serious). I'm at home on hols at the moment, so have made the effort of planting some new stuff (eg some tomatos) which I can give some attention to that I wouldn't otherwise have time. In particular I'm watering them while they settle in and have shaded them also.

I will try and remember to take a nitrate reading tomorrow and post for interest sake.