Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

It has been suggested that running an AP system with a level of green water (algae bloom) may have benefits and that some AP'ers may in fact be doing so....

So what are people doing and why?

My water is fairly clear, but since my system is indoors, I would have a bit of problem generating greenwater if I wanted.

Seems to me that the few members who have had problems with radical pH shifts through the day have been running heavy green water. Once the algae gets under control (light green?), the problem goes away.

Water in my little demo system was clear but has gone green again since I removed the timer and have been turning the pump on manually a couple times a day. I prefer the clear water, although the goldfish might like the free food (they're grazing it as I type).

I think Miles was doing some stuff on using a bale of straw to remove algae, so I don't think he is into green water and pH swings...here's the link if anyone is interested

http://backyardaquaponics.com/forum/vie ... 54#p122654

I like clear water too

I know algae is great fish food, but I like to see my fish...
So I just let a thick healthy algae coating build up on the walls (The goldfish don't let this happen easily - they love to peck it off)

Some types of fish love to eat algae and for them I would love a nice coating of algae on surfaces for them to feed on. I don't think I want more than a heavy green tint to the water as I like to see what is going on in the tank and pea soup sounds really hard on the pH and disolved O2.

So far I've never gotten pea soup and I probably won't since most of my tanks are shaded a fair bit. I do get algae growing on any surface in the water that gets a dose of sun. I might have to gets some cutting boards or something that I can place in some water in the sun then I'll move them into the tilapia tank for them to graze on or something though the fish will still get pellets too I think.

I didn't vote as the answer I want isn't in the list.
My answer would be Only a little bit or just green surfaces.

4 of my systems are green while the other 2 are clear. no coincidence the ones that are clear have plants while the ones that are green don't. why don't they others have plats? because i've been to busy to get plant them. soon. the extra DO is pretty vital. the fish are still healthy but i can see them to closely monitor.

I picked the second last option but would have prefered the last, new pump today I hope, and again I hope this fixes the problem

my water is sometimes green, sometimes clear. I don't think the fish care.

I would have selected another option... I want green and the greener the better!

With all the talk of oil from algae, this is one of the goals for my greenhouse to grow enough algae to fuel my tractor, feed my imaginary "fish" and run my generator.

Sounds a bit like a perpetual motion machine, i know...

Poppa

I'm not sure that the lagae growing in your aquaponics system is the algae that you can get oil from

If i let logic stop me then i'll get nowhere faster.


Depends on whether it can be controlled to any extent.

I prefer to have a bit of algae growing on the sides. I read somewhere that it is the perfect food for very young tilapia. I want to even put a window in the side of my raised pond to ensure sunlight gets to the water because the Greenhouse covering on top might limit that. I would show you a pic of what I mean if I could figure out how!

One thing I have wondered though is whether algae in the water will taint the taste of the flesh? I have not yet tasted mine.... what a thought! Definitely not a challenge for today! They swim and I watch and we're all happy....

Chelle

Our newest system is partly shaded by trees, but with temps in the upper 90s and lower 100s it did not take long for the algae to turn the water pea green. Last Sat. we got a temporary cover for the fish tank and I searched the internet for a way to get rid of the algae. I found a site that said filtering the water through quilt batting would remove algae. I had some old quilt batting, cut it in small squares and put under the water nozzle feeding each growbed. I changed the batting 2X a day for four days; the algae is mostly gone and the water has cleared up a bunch.