Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thanks peeps.

Then this happened:

Maybe it is all the dead fish fertilizing the plants.

Went to the home improvement store tonight (Lowe's), and spent way way too much on mostly aquaponics stuff. I got a fountain pump for the basement, it's rated 320 GPM which I was worried about, but after trying it in the kitchen sink I think it will be fine. I bought some plywood to make a new growbed out of. Plywood costs way too much. Also got some pipe and fittings to try making a siphon!

Then I got home and another one just as big as this one had died too. :shaking:

Aeon, I know what you mean about people getting to know you because of shopping so much. I went to Lowes today and the cashier asked me how the aquaponics systems were coming. I don't remember her though, but I have been there alot.

Dave, we were posting at the same time. I am so sorry to see your losses. Chin up, we are all rooting for you. This one sounds like when in doubt, add more grow beds.

I've been thinking about my motto. Maybe I will change it to "when in doubt, add more fish food." That would be even more dangerous!

What the heck Dave? Those from the outside tank yet? I'm still playing with the bue barrel syphon. I have added a bigger burp line and trying to make it adjustable with a threaded fitting, if I get it perfected i'll let you know. You can do an external syphon easily enough, and a low flow flood. How big is your system going to be in the basement? Same?

Yes, same 100 gallons (375L), and I'm looking at a 3'x6'x1' (134 gallons or 500L) gravel bed. I have been having the wife buy up scotch pads at Sam's at $6 per box. I am going to try adding some lightweight biofilter volume with them, maybe in the siphon bucket. I want to put a bubbler in the siphon bucket with the scotch pads too, and if there is enough acceleration I would like to put a venturi on the drain pipe from the siphon.

Sorry to see you're losing fish still. Your plants are beautiful. Those strawberries are crazy looking like wild ones.

If I had unknown reason consecutive fish death I'd be changing water out at a rate of 10% a day for 5 - 7 days unless the fish noticeably 'prick up their ears' sooner.

You can always autopsy the fish see if it had diseased organs or internal worms to rule those possibilities out. Wee little livers etc should be clean. An aboriginal taught me on how to eat snake - "If it's got a clean liver, it's a clean live-r.

I'm thinking you're running rich, another growbed will do it, but to stop more deaths in the meantime the water changes could be neccesary.

Thanks for the info AD
The pH is back up, so I think I hurt them with it going down temporarily then back up. I want to get an ammonia test kit to see if that is why it has a smell. There is not a lot of frothing of bubbles, less than I have seen previously. The fish are still lethargic and not interested in food. How much would a nighttime low of say 12C slow the bacteria down?

I hope you get it all sorted out Dave, At least your plants are looking great.

Thanks Stu, I'm more worried about YOURS!

Hey, I'm doin enough worrying for all of us LOL

This is why i like testing, at least when things go south.

It could be any number of things. Lethargic fish could quite easily be nitrite poisoning. It binds with the blood to stop O2 uptake much like carbon monoxide does with us.

I think 12C shouldn't give you too much problems. I think Joels winter night time water temps are commonly around 10C

Hey Steve:
Nitrite was the one test kit I still have and it's reading 0.

cool, thats one out of the way

Check this out.

I have been worried about my indoor perch for a while, they seemed to not be feeding very much. i thought it was the new pellets, so i tried going back to flake. still hardly feeding. It been like this for about 30 days.

Checked PH Ammonia and nitrite last night. 7.0 / 0 / 0

Checked nitrate tonight and it was maxed out at 160PPM!

Did a 70% water change and it now reads some where between 80PPM and 160 PPM, i reckon its 120 PPM easy. Making the original somewhere between 160PPM and 320PPM, probably 240PPM

No big surprise that 4 hours later (now) and the fish are once again almost jumping out of the water for food. DOH! I need to put some lettuce on top of the aquarium or something

I might check the outside system as i know i don't have enough plants in yet. And although i have 90% of my tank covered with black plastic the algae is still quite bad.