Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Some of my 100 SP's have suddenly changed their behaviour.
For 6 months they have stayed near the bottom of the tank, particularly when I open the lid and they see the extra light. They have been feeding and growing well. despite the colder temps
Average length was 45mm in Jan, now around 80mm.
Tonight when I opened the lid, at least 20 of them were swimming around near the surface.
All seem healthy, able to swim strongly against the flow and really attacked the food when offered.
One of the two goldies actually broke the surface as it rushed the food. Never seen that before.
An hour later they were still doing the same thing.
What does this mean???? Am I just a worry wart????
Any clues???

they're hungry? stop teasing them with the food?

geez, they sure are powering ahead, let's hope they don't start carking it Can't really help Peterall, but I reckon feed them if they are eating it and your system is pretty nicely established, then enjoy the increased plant growth. Keep us posted though.

+1 for Hungry

Lap it up.

if you don't I'll come down and steal them, most of mine are less than 80mm

Buggar, buggar, buggar....... my concerns have proved to be significant as yesterday I lost my 100 SP's and 2 large goldies.
I tested the water after noticing the odd 'swimmimg on the surface' behaviour and it was all as normal:
ph 7.4, Am 0, NO2 0, NO3 60.
Two days later every fish is dead.
I again tested the water with the same results.
The dead SP's (and 100mm goldies) looked healthy.... no fin rot, pinkish gills, plump bodies, intact scales...no indication of trauma.
It is almost as if they were poisoned but we have done no spraying etc. so cannot pin it to anything.
The only clue I have is that the water changed from clear to a faint brown tinge (very weak tea) over the 3 days.
Any thoughts would be welcome as I'm not sure which way to go.
I will empty and clean the whole tank this weekend and start again with some goldies for a few months but would really like to find a cause.

Damn, that sucks!

Do you know anybody that would want to poison your fish?

From your thread:

"That is an overflow into a stormwater drain.....just in case things go pear shaped and the sump overflows

A question about your stakes - is the green dye on the bamboo fish-safe?

I have GB's painted with external acrylic paint, some standard silcone joints and green bamboo stakes but still everything keeps growing and the fish thrive.
Maybe it will be different in the long term and when I get 100 SP's in the tanks, but for now....no probs. "

I cant find anything on google regarding the toxicity of the bamboo stakes, maybe the paint leaching chemicals? Silicone should not be a problem, I have been fine for 8 months sofar. ANy chance of something coming through the stormwater? Even a chemical mist may do it?

Do you have enough 02 in the water?

Sorry about the deaths too

That's terrible!

Any chance a neighbor sprayed and it drifted in the wind?

When the fish were near the surface, were they gulping air?

For every fish to be dead, must be some toxic compound added to the water, usually the goldies would survive low 02.

Green bamboo ..... painted with that arsenic stuff they use on treated pine????

That or DO.

I would have expected to find a bit of info within the first page of google if the green bamboo poles were dangerous?

Green as in painted or green as in fresh. When ever I see green wood I think arsenic ..... but that may be a fobia from my first marriage:)

OHHH ,, maybe the dreaded COPPER!!!!
http://www.bamboojungle.com.au/pages/pr ... tment.html