Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I noticed on a few of my gold fish yellowish little spots that look like Ich, I have not lost any fish in a week. I threw a little salt in there on top of one that had it bad. The fish that have these bumps seem to have it all over their bodies and fins. I do not want to go too crazy on the salt.

How much should i put in ? How much per liter or is the treatment at the fish store safe for aquaponics? I am planning on waiting a couple days to see if I lose any of these fish. the others have no signs and appear to be very healthy

Hiya energyguyeric, generally 3 ppt is the ich salting recommendation, so that would be 3 grams per litre or liter...

I added some salt The non-treated stuff for pools, ponds and fish tanks. I lost another fish this afternoon. The fish with the spots/bumps on them are not dying. The healthy looking ones are. i took a water sample to a fish store and the test levels i am getting are confirmed. Ph 7.0 ammonia near zero, nitrites zero and low Nitrates but plants are growing. they tested for chlorine which was zero. I am puzzled as to why I suddenly have so many gold fish dying. some I find floating some on the bottom of the tub other stuck in the pump intake.

We have had large temp swings here 20 to 30 degrees F 8.8C to 35C ! my tank is in the shade under a pallet on big wood blocks outside. The winter is coming and I think I have maybe 6 weeks before a hard frost and temps freeze the bacteria and the I am shut down till spring. How should I clean my equipment so the next years is not infected with what ever this is?

Sounds more like carp pox, by your description, to me. Most common in the spring,often trigerd by stress, do to rapid/large temp swings.
But normaly they don't die from it ?
Plow thru this page http://www.pond-life.me.uk/fishhealth/khv.php (or google it) and compare the notes/pics with your fish

cheers

Thanks, it sounds like the GHV/CHV issue. I woke up this morning and found another 5 dead gold fish floating in the tank!!

Being that the temps here will soon be below what the bacteria can live in etc... I am thinking of not replacing any of the gold fish.

Winter temps here are normally in the -3.8C to 1.6C is just leaving equipment out in those temps enough to kill off diseases

The big question now is how can I clear this bad stuff out of my equipment so I do not have this issue in the spring: tanks, grow beds and media?

Without fish the lack of a host and the freeze would most often kill off diseases.
Empty the tanks wash with clorin salt UVC all depends on how you can isolate filter (bacteria) plants and media, you allways risk to kill of good bacteria as you treat.
You can look in to PP treatement here is one guide:
http://www.bonniesplants.com/PotassiumPermanganate.html

cheers

If it is a disease that crops up due to stress from temp swings, it is probably not the sort of thing you "get rid of" but if you want to keep fish from dieing from it in the future, you should get a system that is big enough that a day/night temp swing like that won't be able to swing the water temperature that fast, or add some heating to keep water temp from dropping so fast overnight.

Minimize the stress to the fish from temp swings and such diseases won't be likely to kill them.

Ok, so every thing I can find sounds like the GHV/CHV issue. My system is outdoors and seasonal and we have had a harsh winter. This morning it was -8F or -20C when I drove to work .

Will such cold kill this stuff off in equipment? My pump and pipes are empty but out in this as are my growbeds, gravel and tub with a little water in it.

What can I do as spring comes to make sure I am starting over with a clean system?