Noticed that the isolation tank and the main tank had warmed quite considerably over the last few days... and the front yabbie tub was warm as well....
But the back tub was noticably cooler.... but clear and fine....
Had been feeding the yabbies in the front tub... and the fingerlings in the isolation tub...
Looks like I probably shouldn't have fed the yabbies... there seemed to be probably enough feed being drawn up and into the yabbie tub from the isolation tank... which I'd noticed seemed remarkedly clean...
Had interconnected the two tubs with 19mm tubing at the bottom...
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With water flowing in from the isolation tank... and out back to the main tank...
The front tub, although covered, is exposed to sunlight... while the other tub basically isn't...
I'd intended to put duckweed in the second shaded tub... in case there was any excess ammonia build up because of limited mixing...
But had thought there'd be enough....
In reality, it seems that there hasn't been enough flow to stir the front tub... and not as much mixing with the back tub....
Given that I'd been feeding the yabbies in the front tub... and uneaten feed being sucked through from the perch tank.... and with warm water....
It was becoming rapidly nasty...
In retrospect ... I probably didn't need to feed the yabbies at all... they would have got enough from the isolation tank debris washed through...
Testing this theory by feeding the yabbies in the back tub the same amount and re-testing...
Can't really up the flow rate into the tubs.... could perhaps increase the size of the pipes to encourage more mixing between the tubs...
But I think the easy solution might just be to aerate the front tub... and not feed in it...
Interesting... and I'm glad I caught it... was fine last night, although I didn't look that closely...
About the only time I've seen a marked differential in ammonia and nitrites within a system ...
Backyard Aquaponics
