Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

clean water
they still get some nutritional value by swimming in
water with goodies

Has been some good rain lately so I have managed to to a complete water change. I'm still lossing the ocasional fish but the losses have slowed down dramatically. I have been using a UV light over the tank or about 2 weeks now and it may have some thing to do with the improvement. I have a large inline UV water sterilizer ordered (should have it going next week) and I hope that it will improve things to the point to enable more restocking. I also have "Morris" the tortoise to go into the FT as well. The wash up is that I have lost pretty well all of the catfish. What is left is about 50 fish: 18 goldies and the rest silvers and cod. The sad part is that the largest of my fish were cod and I thought that they were the least likely to grow competeing against the silvers. It is had to understand why, when you pull out a dead silver and it looks perfect on the outside, no blemishes or signs of fungus.

Have you had a chance to look inside those valves to see if the metal has corroded. Not sure how much it takes or if it would be visible yet.

The last time I pulled one apart it looked OK. The surface finish had dulled but no evidence of leaching. The problem is I cannot find a suitable replacement. I need a 1" 240VAC full flow valve that operates as soon as the pump starts, so I have it wired in parallel with the pump. The reason I need it is because the FT level is above the GB's and if the Irritoll control valves leak then the FT will syphon to the GB's. I tried a check valve but wasn't happy with it - leakage and pressure drop across the valve. I will pull one apart this weekend and check it out again, I'm not convienced that is the problem. The only to prove it would be to have the water analyised.

This time of year, as the tank cools rapidly... it happens... I lost a few a while back for no apparant reason...

Funny part is I dumped about 80 Silvers into the big tank, and couldn't be bothered getting them out when I put the trout in...

That tank is now down around 12-14... while I was netting some trout today I netted 4 Silvers... and they looked beautifully healthy and gleaming...

Hi Rupert. Thanks for the reassurance. I'm still not sure if the two brass valves that I have in my system are causing copper/tin leaching to the level that would cause the deaths of my fish. Only one valve is used during flooding, the other is a back up. What are your thoughts on that matter?
I think you have answered a question that I was going to get around to asking. Can you put trout in with natives? I was toying with putting some trout in with my natives next autumn.

I have Trout, Silver Perch, Black Bream and goldfish all in 1 tank

Hay OBO, how big is the tank you have those fish in? the reason i ask is i need to move my system to dig up the ground underneath to put a grey water system in so i was going to try and get one of those above ground pools that are about 3m round to put the lot in till i get the job don, but if there are happy in there they may stay in there for the winter?