Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yeah, for the moment, I'm just letting them be. I have been out watching them while I topped off the big tank. There is one that definitely has much darker coloring and is a bit smaller. The other two seem to chase that one around a bit but I'm not making any judgments at this point. Just glad they are looking healthy and playing the in their tank. The one that was unhealthy before is looking pretty good except needing to finish growing it's rear fins. I believe the crisis has been averted for now. Thanks once again to the wealth of knowledge and support here.

Meanwhile, the aquarium is setup and just cycling water through it. Finally up to temp this afternoon. My brain is scheming how to get this converted to an AP system and still look nice in the living room.

Is coppersafe safe for human consumption? Remember that eventually you will be eating from this system, either the plants or the fish or both.

Dosing with salt will not kill you, the copper might.

Mmmmm.... copper. Yeah, salt seemed to do the trick for all but the one. And, so far the strawberries look good... (4 days after dosing). The only thing that is looking pained is the zucchini. I suspect it is a nutrient deficiency since there are only 3 fish in the system and I had a problem in the dirt last year that looked just the same. I just gave it a small dose of my "fertilizer mix" (fish fertilizer, kelp & worm leachate) added directly at the plant.

I heard that there is an Israeli version of carp that has less bones.

Yeah, ok, noob here. I guess I forgot that one would eventually be eating the fish that are treated. I would advise not adding coppersafe as a treatment for fish that will eventually be on the dinner plate.

You can check your state regulations on the legality of keeping carp in a backyard pond or aquarium. There are some types of carp that are pretty well established and others that we are trying to keep from getting there. The four main types in the US are; common (probably your best bet to legally keep) mirror, silver (the most invasive and destructive type) and grass carp.

Hey Arnoldi, I'm glad you're here. I have been wondering about growing bluegill instead of tilapia due to the temperature requirements, and if you could make some comments on mrgrackletx's thread about bluegill that would be neat! Welcome!

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... 858#119858

Don't worry arnoldi, it is a common mistake to make. We have all learned to watch for treatments that are safe for people and for fish.

After a much too long wait, it looks like we will actually have fish coming in the next few days. I've made payment and should have a date and time soon as to their arrival. For those in the US, note that shipping prices have gone through the roof (67% increase) so if you're planning a fish purchase requiring shipping, I'd get on it. Our fish will be coming from Flaherty's and I will have extras so if you're in the Pacific Northwest and need fish, let me know.

Now, I must go out to the greenhouse and plant some more seeds. I had pulled a lot of plants as the 5 lonely tilapia that survived from the Asian fish market disaster weren't able to support the whole system. (No it's not Christmas, but... )

Christmas in July Victoria.... good enough for me

Yes, it will be Christmas in July. The fishies are coming.. the fishies are coming. They'll be here in the morning.

I think we're ready. The greenhouse is cleaned and lots of little baby plants to grow with the fishies. And, the aquarium system in the house is finally all running happily. Must get a couple of plants in there as well.

You are correct

We did pre-arrival water testing this morning. The main AP system looked good at 71.5 F (22C), 7.6 pH and all the rest 0's. The aquarium we've worked on all week actually shows ammonia level at 1.5 and nitrites at 1 so we opted to NOT put fish in there for the moment. We'll wait for the system to start cycling before adding fish.

Then, the big moment arrived about 9:15 this morning.....



We ordered 100 mixed sex fingerling tilapia because that was the minimum order. We figure we can handle about 60 full grown. And..... 268 live fish arrived from Flaherty's this morning. AHHHHH!!!!! They did an awesome job of shipping. Double bagged fish inside a styrofoam box lined with plastic and packed tight with newspaper. The styrofoam box was packed inside a cardboard box with TROPICAL FISH written all over it in big letters. Water temp was about 75 F with a distinct ammonia smell.







The ones that didn't make it look about the same size as those that did make it, except for that emaciated look - 1.5 inches (~37 mm) Guessing they got picked up in the net dead except for maybe one. Their weight averaged 1.4 grams so guessing the live ones are maybe 2 grams average.

Finally, our plants can start to grow. It's been sad watching them struggle when I see such beautiful pics here. Looking forward to healthy fish and plants now.

BTW, anyone within driving distance of Vancouver, Washington who needs fish, let us know. We have extra!!!

wooohooo! Congratulations!

Now remember not to fall for the begging routine just yet No feed for a day or three

Not to seem too dumb, but why not feed them from the start? The system is over 4 months old and has 4 ready to eat tilapia in it so I'm not too afraid of the cycling issue. Are there other reasons? (See haven't been paying attention)

it gives the fish a couple of days to settle in as well as allowing the bacteria a chance to catch up with the 268 new fish that have just arrived. The fish will still produce ammonia even if you don't feed them (respiration etc) and the bacteria will have to multiply to cope with the new load.