Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

johnny, where do you get some micro worms to start a culture? can you mail me a ziplock bag with some?

Steve

Would that be OK regards Aussie Quarantine Laws?

Let us have a look see of you can get a culture for Zilch in Melb!

They are very common ... any tropical fish breeder will have them.

They are tiny ... so small you need a microscope to see them. But I have an icecream container , a dollop of porridge, and under torchlight .. it shimmers and writhes with these things! Like water on a lake when it is windy! They are real good for the tiny tiny fry.

Anyway ... Try posting a message here .. or similar site ..

http://p198.ezboard.com/bvictoriancichlidsociety

If not .. we can somehow see if I can legally send them to you from WA...

Maybe no prob!

Lemme know how you get on .. I will chase up some other sites if needed...

Steve - normally the angels end up eating the eggs themselves when they perceive taht they are under sever threat from other fish. This means they do not lose all the energy that has been put into the eggs, sperm etc.

I am sure you already know this - the best thing to do is to remove the item that the eggs have been laid on as soon as the male has fertilised the eggs and place in a seperate tank which has an airstone sufficiently close to eggs to ensure good circulation (but not so clost that it buggers the eggs up). Also put some antifungal stuff in the tank (melathine blue or green or whatever its called). Then just wait for the eggs to develop and fish break free. Remove the unfertilised leftovers at first opportunity. I've just realised that I miss doing this - but will not get angels again - have always had problems with them dying within couple of years from some sort of TB related disease.

Oh .. Angel fish breederswill probably have some of these little nematodes too!

VB, thanx for the info.

I did realise that they ate them when under severe threat, but not that it was to conserve the energy it took to lay them:) smart fish

The first time i pulled the rock out and put it nto another tank, then thought, why not put the parents in too! The first thing they did was eat all the eggs.

Second time i put just the rock with the eggs in. Slowly they all perished frm fungus. The parents do such a good job at picking off the white eggs.

Some got to about the day before free swimming too. spewing.

The next three times i just left them alone in the community tank, and the eggs are gone by day three.

If they don't survive in the new tank this time i might just re-locate mum and dad there and let them breed in the new tank and look after the eggs. probbably the best way.

I tried the methlyene blue, but its a fine line between enough to keep off fungus and too much for the fragile eggs.

Might try some PIMA FIX. Its supposed to be natural and for fungus control. I've used MELA FIX before, its for bacterial nasties, its made from tea tree oil. Not sure what the pima is made from.

They always lay on the green filter suction pipe now. only twice on a green rock. I think i nature they lay on large aquatic plant leaves, so maybe thats why they like green! I have placed a dark plastic tube next to the suction pipe and i saw them cleaning it today, hopefully they lay on that.

They are beautifil fish, and quite friendly too

Steve

Thanks johnnie,

Can't see quarantine as an issue, especially if they are available here.

i've been trying to find time to go visit an aquarium for a few items, and although i have driven past 3 in the last 3 days i have not got the time to stop!

i was looking for a cheat option.
please please please. send me a package with some of your favourite worms, duckweed and azolla.

If its all legal:) its usually us not being able to send stuff to WA.

I'll fix u up for the postage and packaging

regarding quarantine - the only probs I have come up against in the past is getting things into WA, but no prob out of WA... so you should be OKAY...

oK .. no probs ...

But a double check would be appreciated if ya get time to contact quarantine dept ...

These little buggers need air .. so I guess if I send them in a small goldfish food container, holes in the lid,, inside a jiffy bag .. and cool them to fridge temp.. maybe 2 or 3 degs and a few ice cubes as packing they would manage the trip ..

Lemme do a couple of experiments to see if they can they can last a few days in a bag....

You will have to get an ice cream container ready, mix up some porridge oats, add a little yeast ... leave to cool ,, add your microworms and leave for a day or two ...

Then you got fry food forever!

Gimme a week or two to play around .. (I have a culture in the fridge that I would like to "rebirth" and use.) ... If they suvived that .. they can surely survive an overnighter or even a 3 dayer to VIC!

OK .. no probs .. If all is OK gimme a little while and I will do the business!

(Marking exams at the moment!) DoH!

OH .. PM me your adddress & phone no.

I wil return my phone no.

thanks johnnie, will do and contct you soon.

OH ..

duckweed and azolla .. again no prob .. (I have the vials already) , but please double check ... one phone call or e-mail to quarantine dept .. too easy!


OH! ... cat litter trays ... they are real cheap from kmart / coles!

Fill them with water .. let it stand for a day to get rid of any chlorine ... add a small handfull of cow poop ... add the azolla ... or duckweed ... and watch it grow. (I keep them separate!) (Don't harvest until ya got a real thick mat!)

Don't leave the trays on the side of the house where you sit out at night .. having a coldie ... the mozzies love the stagnant water!

When you get into it, you will be able to know how exactly how many cat littler trays you need to run to feed your fish depending on the season.

I would put some trays in the sun, some in the shade, just to ensure that you always have some around somewhere ... different conditions.. etc.

A little top up with water and any old poop now and again , and you have a wonderfully sustainable crop of duckweed and azolla that feeds your vegetarian fish!

I gotta buy some more cat litter trays!

My worm farm is great for feeding some meat to my fish too!

OH .. my fish love a few rabbit poop floaters as a treat!

OK ..

Lemme know ...

Stop it Johnnie!

I need time off work with all the ponic'ing i gotta do

Winter is supposed to be out "holiday" time in Aircon. Smart Bas@#ard that decided to make all split systems reverse cycle! Plus we fix ducted heaters too! Warren and LB will tell you how cold its been here of late.......

Hee Hee ..

It is getting pretty cold here ... but very mild compared to other years.

but this year is real weird .. very little rain at all!

I wanted to get some yabbies for some of the tanks at school , but the creek at the back of my place isn't even flowing yet!

...

OK .. maybe we can have a chat this weekend .. and see what I can send ya!

BTW .. my best mate has his own A/C co. here in WA ..

He is flat out!

yeh, its a great trade.

I finnished school and started a bio-science degree. Couldn't see myself doing 4 years of theory with no prac (and i don't mean lab prac )

Then did a trade in Instrumentation. Still gratefull for this because it gave me a very broad skill and knowledge base.

The left due to politics and tried and run my own business. Failed miserably.

Then did a cert IV in investigative services and went around taking statements for workcover insurers.

Then started an IT Business, much better that the first business attempt, a few corporate clients, but the domestic was killing me. I kept doing stuff for free.

Then a mate saved me and i've been working with him doing A/C. started just over the summers, but full time now, and booked into tradeschool as a formality. Besides its fun having wednesdays off and helping 19 year olds understand stuff i've been told i'd make a great teacher I have a knack for tailoring examples to the individual. I thrive on the problem solving / fault finding aspect of the job.

Quite a varied resume at 29, but i know this is the one for me. I know this because i have fun working

I think its quite sad that kids are expected to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives at 18. (16 if you condsider that you need to choose your last two years subjects accoring to the uni degree you THINK you want to do....... )I'm really glad that i didn't go down that track and then realise that i hated what i had studied for the past four years but still had to work in that field so i could pay off my accumulated uni debt.

(Got nothing against graduates, BTW)

Hee . hee ...

Been there ...

We will have a great phone chat ...