Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have had my system running about six weeks and have learned so much from reading this great forum, thanks for all the time and energy that you all have contributed! I would appreciate any further help you can provide.

I have 2 IBC's (top part growbed) with a 100 gallon sump tank, the pump is on for 5 minutes, off for 30 minutes. I started with 20 (2-3") catfish, 20 smaller hybrid bluegill, the catfish never did well, they died off one by one. Some of them had open ulcers when they died, they exhibited flashing also. The HBG always appeared happy, always eager to eat until a few days ago. A few of them started getting large whitish areas with reddish areas underneath. I used a diagnostic tool for fish diseases that I found on the forum and thought it looked most like Costia. I waited about a week after the system was set up to add salt to 2 ppt, I gradually increased to 4 ppt (looks like increasing all at once would have been more effective after reading more...). On the ATC Salinity meter (just came in the mail today), reads about 5%.

Other info:
pH 7.6, Ammonia 0-.25, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 40 ppm

Do you have any more suggestions for treating this nasty parasite (assuming my diagnosis is correct)? Should I isolate the fish that are symptomatic? I have one fish in an isolation tank with higher salinity (about 10%), he has a nasty reddish area, I thought it would die but he's holding on. If I lose all the fish, what do I need to do before restocking?

Thanks again for any additional help you are able to provide.

I went through the same thing with several batches of channel cats. All of the small ones eventually died from ick parasite. You really should salt BEFORE adding fish, be careful in an established system of how much you salt as its hard on plants at high levels. Adding the salt a week later gives the infection a chance to get established, at least you did add salt. Hope you get it cleared up!

Does your pump move the volume of your fish tank every hour? If not you may need to circulate more water. How are your plants doing?

My plants look good now that we got all the grow lights made (they were leggy before). The system is in our basement b/c it gets very cold in central Iowa and I was hoping for fish and vegetables in the winter. It takes two hours to circulate the water in the fish tanks, the sump tank is only 100 gallons, each IBC holds 175 gallons. I can't circulate it any faster as it takes 1/2 hour to drain through the grow beds, in addition to the top of the two IBC's there is 2 halves of a 55 gallon barrel on top of the s.t.

I appreciate your input!!


Thanks!

Here is a picture of my most recent patient...they don't last long at this phase.

Do you think it looks like columnaris? It looks "cottony" on the surface. My tank is at 6 ppt salt. I'm down to 7 fish or so. I've been trying to read up on how to proceed if I loose all the fish. Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks!