Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Some types of fish will overeat! I believe Koi might be one of those types.

I don't know about making fish obese but I find it very funny to watch the catfish during the end of a big feed, with their bellies all distended while they still try and cram more food into a mouth already full of pellets.

I suppose one drawback with food that is higher in protein than needed might be water quality issues if the bio-filter capacity is only sized to handle the normal feeding rate of the lower % food, then feeding at the same rate with a higher % food could cause spikes? Maybe?

TCL - I have definately noticed while feeding the higher protein food to all the fish, they dirty the water a lot quicker. I even get Nitrate readings now
I have had to run the pumps more often to keep it all clean. Especially the trout tank - dirty little buggers.

Hi protein poo!!!!!

Ah I always wanted to ask this: Suppose my feed consists of mainly wheat, then it would be mostly starch/carbohydrates right? I rememeber that starch and these things have molecules that hardly have any nitrogen atom, just carbon and hydrogen and oxygen atoms mainly.
So it would be so HARD to get nitrates right? Would that explain the non-explosive (slowish) plant growth I have in my system?

Proteins on the other hand have lots of nitrogen atoms. Remember, proteins are made of amino acids and amino acids can be broken down into ammonia.
So if I feed worms there should be higher nitrates than if I feed starch. Faster plant growth with protein feeds?

What do you think?
(I don't have worms but I may add pulses - these are high in protein and common in India here)

Moringa

I already started feeding a 50% moringa 50% wheat blend yesterday.

But I am not asking for protein sources, I am asking if proteins in the feed will give much much more nitrates than starch, etc.

I almost want to christen you 'Chappo, the Father of Moringa'

Smiles,,, father of Moringa ,, LOL.

I've found 30% is probably best if you are after maximum growth. Ok , back to the question , proteins , nitrogen>???
I agree that nitrates are created from the actions upon Proteins. So yes I would say the Moringa protein will help create nitrates ( as would other proteins BUT I am the father of Moringa). Feeding Moringa or any good protein source to your fish should sunstantially increase the plant growth.
Are you folliar spraying your plants with Moringa????

30% of protein or 30% of moringa leaves?

Foliar spray of moringa - does that help? Great! How does that help? Iron?
By the way, I've heard of 'foliar sprays', for pesticides that's fine, but for the plants?? Do leaves really take in so much raw materials? The roots would be the right place right?

(Just asking, I have no idea of foliar sprays)

(Right now I am just feeding the goldfish moringa leaf paste with wheat flour. Flour also a gelling agent, after a dip in hot water.)

Ok , 30% of Moringa , measure by weight of total feed is about maximum to use and still get tp growth rates.
Moringa can be boiled and the water diluted to then use as a foliar spray , it has very good effects.
I'll try to hunt down the web link for that.

Ah I don't even have to spend time preparing this water, as my mother drinks a cup sometimes - rumoured to keep high blood pressure away (of course she also uses the allopathic medicines)

Oh dear this is offtopic, it rather have been in a fish feed thread. But one thing always leads to another, the human mind WORKS that way you know.
But in the end, it's hard to find things you want if discussions go too off topic.

Gokul - that is the thing i like most about the forum - no overzelous moderating

Some of the other forums I frequent, anything slightly off topic gets deleted.

no, we just move things about to confuse you

Moving it is fine, it would be hard to find things many months later or for newcomers if things are offtopic too much.
But a moderator does things in moderation, not in extremism.
Otherwise (s)he would be called an extre... um... exterminator?