Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

So I put 13 advanced size barramundi in my tank 3 weeks ago, since then they haven't been interested in feeding, only manage to get them to eat once in that time when the water temperature was up around 25. It been consistently above 21 during the day over the 3 weeks.

I noticed yesterday and today its much worse that they are all swimming near the surface almost a third out of the water, literally all of them and they keep sucking the side of the tank. They have gone from being spooked easily to now looking completely oblivious that I'm there. i could pick them up and they would do nothing.

I've noticed that their eyes have turned white / grey, have they maybe turned blind??

I'm guessing I should add some salt but I bet its already too late

forgot to say
Ammonia - 0
Nitrites - 0
PH 7.5

Just salted the tank to 3ppt, the fish also looker whiter / greyer than usual so looks like fungal, wish I had salted the tank when I added them but I didn't want to risk losing all the strawberries

Always a good idea to salt new fingerlings. Hopefully your little guys come through mate, keep us posted. Are you able to take a pic of effected fish?

thanks Charlie here are some pics, is it worth salting higher than 3ppt?

and another

Is that tiny white dots all over them? Looks like ich.. Where did you get them?

Unfortunately if it is ich, I don't like your chances... Plenty of info around, do a quick search..

If they are on the surface, could it be that there's not enough dissolved oxygen in the tank? Do you have an air pump pushing lots of air through?

I'd salt it right up. Better to lose the strawberries than your fish IMHO ...

Hopefully the upcoming heat wave is kick some life back into them too!

fish purchased from Golden Ponds......yeah I was nervous from others comments

I have an air pump with two lines going in, and lots of water disruption going on, 3 drain pipes pumping in 6000lph

Some seem to look quite white and ich'y looking others not so much but still quite a few near the surface and all there eyes seem cloudy, also they don't seem to see food or even me.

One of the fish you can see in the photo is obsessed with sticking his head in the small indent in the side of the tank at surface of the water. He had his head in there for 2 days not doing much. If I push him away from it he flips out and searches the side of the tank until he finds it again.....very very odd! You can see this in photo 7 and 4

temperature was up to 25 today and its going to get much hotter for the rest of the week I was hoping to start some serious feeding but now I'll be lucky if even a few make it. I have salted to approx 6ppt now

Most frustrating thing its thats $100 worth of fish if it goes wrong

Yep. Fish vs Strawberry.
No contest.
Salted yet?

yep 3ppt yesterday, increased to 6ppt today

never had any luck with strawberries in ap anyway...

that is the same look my Barra from golden ponds had before they carked it, and the same look my SP from golden ponds have now. both started to look a little funny 5-6 days in then started to fall over.

yeah I lost all my silver perch from GP with a similar thing.

Didn't loose a single trout though which were also from GP.

My first lot of SP from golden ponds where great, that was 18 months ago this lot just not playing the game.

You might be lucky with the heat wave we have just entered into.
To control without aquarium treatment you require water above 30 degrees and salt.
Make sure there is plenty of air in the tank.
Don't try to feed them anything.

Ich causes a slime layer to form over the gills of the fish, making it difficult to breath.
The higher temperatures reduces how much DO you can get into the water... making it difficult to breath.

Ich has been found to withstand salt concentrations up to 5ppt, so you need 6ppt minimum.

I would say the ones covered in white spots like your 4th photo aren't going to make it.
Unfortunately Ich is protected by the fish slime coat while it is embedded on the fish, it is during the free swimming stage that they can be killed, meaning severely infected fish more than likely don't have a chance.

Good luck.
Yet another GP horror story...

I will be waiting for Troutmans next delivery or going down to get some from him miself after this,