Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yep, clear as mud. . . . . Four more fins up this morning, I will give it some more salt and then I will start watching the strawberries fall off their perch in sympathy
Why can't some bright spark breed a strain of trout that will live in water up to or above 30 degrees. . . . . How long ago was it that man landed on the moon?

Have you tried catfish?

The whole lot of my silvers fell off their perch 2 weeks ago for no reason....No idea lol

In earlier days I found that by adjusting PH up, I would kill off the Silver Perch however the Jade Perch survived. (both in the same system) Are SPs suseptable to PH swings stressing them out????

Your not adjusting PH are you?

1ppt.... to mitigate against nitrites... and as a tonic to ease stress from transport/handling...

3ppt... for most parasites, including "ich"... and fin rot... but 6ppt for severe cases... it's about "shock and awe"...

6ppt... for fungal/bacterial infections....

10-12ppt.... short term salt dip/bath..... for severely affected fish...

Clear as mud....

Well, it's been a whole day and a half with no deaths. . . . .3ppt or there abouts seems to have had an impact on the fish, "All hale Salt"

Good to hear

Please help by silver perch are dropping off aswell. My system has been relatively stable for quite some time now and I had some loses earlier after a lenghty power failure but the rest of the group survived and have been doing well - all be it very slow growing particularly over winter (i have system in hot house but no heater over winter). I essentially know what caused by problem - I accidentally shocked the system by pulling out a very ramant tomato that was well and truely taking over. When I removed it and a couple of other plants, to replant and clean up grow beds it dumped loads of dirty water into the tank. The grow beds were really very mucky which I hadn't noticed. I have done two nearly totally water changes to clean up water and removed some media from grow beds and cleaned. I have tested the water and suprisingly PH, amonia and nitrates all pretty stable - very small increase in amonia but nothing to significant - probably just from removing such a large plant from the system. I have planted some new seedlings to try and counteract. However the silvers are still dropping off steady at least one or two every other day. General mid sized not the smaller or the couple of larger. They have some visible slime or fungus stuff on them and I finally spotted a sick one in action the other day (they go very quickly) I check system daily. It was struggling to breath, had quite a red streak through its silver area and looked like the scales of the tail of the fish had been stripped off. The slimely stuff more evident post death. I took a dead one out tonight that looked perfectly healthy with minimal slimey stuff but the whole back half of fish from tummy to tip of tail looked like scales have been scrapped off. Fish are active and feeding has increased since warming weather. No evidence of itching or flashing as I have read in other threads. I have read about salting but I have never ever added salt to my tank before - so bit worried and would like to know correct quantities. I source water from a main irrigation channel which has been settled prior to entry my tank (water pretty clean generally unless loads of rain). I have a 925 lt tank which probably sits at around 500-600ltrs full with three grow beds. Really not sure how many fish I'm down to would be guessing around only 30 now. Any ideas what my fish might be suffering from and do people think salt will help? If salt will help how much is necessary?

Hi Roybyn.
I dosed my tank to 3 parts per thousand and that has stopped the "ich" I had, you could try to catch your fish and salt bath them as Rupert suggests a couple of posts above which will make it a bit easier to work out how much you need. From memory if you go the salt bath at around 10ppt you put the fish in until they start to turn onto their sides, and then scoop them out and put them into fresh water again. ( I may be wrong here but someone will clarify I am sure) I would still be putting some salt into your tanks, even if it is only 1 ppt, so your 500/600 litres of water would require 500/600 grams of salt.
A.J

1kg salt in 1000L = 1ppt
so if your total water volume is around 900L then I would add 3kg pool salt dissolved in a bucket in one go.
This would take your system to around 3ppt which should help a lot

Things sound pretty severe though Robin.... go to 6ppt if you want to save the fish....

Your plants might take a hit... especially as they're seedlings.... but I think it has to be done...

Thanks all had a few days with no deaths so will try salting as a treatment and prevention strategy will let you know

add some worms to your growbeds too