Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I awoke this morning to find my 1000l tank was down to about a sixth of its capacity. Fortunately the 27 silver perch seem all right. I realised immediately what had happened: when topping up the tank last night I failed to remove the garden hose from the tank, simply turning it off at the tap. Don't try this at home! The hose siphoned off all the water it could reach - good job it wasn't at the very bottom of the tank or I'd have 27 dead fish. Couldn't see where it had siphoned the water TO - must have gone back into the mains supply! Although my coffee this morning didn't taste of fish.

My quandry now is should I fill the tank up to capacity, or do it gradually over a few days. I've filled it to about half just now; think I'll do it gradually over the next few days. Don't want to shock the poor fish. And does this mean I should add some bacteria? And will the system have to cycle all over again? It has only just started to take off!

I really should have known better - I used to empty my water bed the same way.
Senior moment.

How old is the place most houses in Perth have anti siphoning connections to stop contaminated water being sucked back into the mains system.You can tell by looking at the tap connection to see if it has holes drilled around the top.
Top up gradually sounds like a good plan

about the bacteria, probably depends on if your water has lots of chlorine or whatever in it. Do some extra testing for a while to watch for spikes and finish topping up gradually.

I can't tell. There are two dividers connected to the tap for the reticulation. And there is a little ring around the very top of the connections that I can't get off - holes might be underneath that. The house is only 2.5 years old. I thought the water might have gone into the reticulation, but nothing seems to be overly watered. Strange.

As for water testing, never done it. I think it would stress me out too much watching the normal peaks and valleys of water quality. I prefer to let nature take its course. So far so good.

Re: bacteria, I agree with TCL. You wont have killed any bacteria, as they live in your GB for the most part. Adding contaminated water may be enough to kill them if done in large enough doses. Sp +1 for the small increments.
Just carry on, take it easy and adjust the tanks back to full slowly, as you can. You'll be fine.

Thanks KP, will do.

Don't you people have jobs???? How can you answer every topic that comes up? I'm retired and have trouble reading thru one thread!

Guess some folks are lucky hey KP and work in businesses that mean we are online at the most unlikely of time

As for the FTs, yep slow and steady the race.

Handy Hint:
If draining your tanks with a garden hose, simply cut the hose close to the suction end [dependant on the FT depth ofcourse] and insert a 13mm inline tap such as those used in the garden irrigation systems used for driplines etc. This means that you can then stop any possible syphoning by closing the tap correctly, this has NEVER let me down but I have done the same thing in my 6x2x2 aquariums and it is no fun panicking about the poor fish.
It also allows flow regulation should it be required

HTH

KP is unwell today, and has the day off, yet usually as above is indeed the case.

Ahhhh sorry to hear, did you have a big weekend mate

yes and no, not much sleep, lots of stuff outside, got burnt, built a pergola, half finished my system, dug a hole, filled a hole, sank a catermaran, floated a catermaran, put the bungs in, tried again, found most of the ropes had rotted, so under tension busted rudders wouldn't stay in the water, trampoline ripped so were dragging feet and lines in the water, and this all whilst 1km from shore
All in all a good weekend.
But I have a feeling this is a touch OT, even if Grey Mare started it

Mate they say that variety is the spice of life........But you took it to the limit by the sounds ...............How's your mouth after that banquet of a weekend?

bit claggy.
Parched as.
Not as bad as the head-ache that has ensued today.
Really glad my boss doesn't read this forum. not sure I'd want him to know my sickness is probably self induced

Your secret is safe with us...........Maybe

Don't blame me for your over-indulgences. And over-activity. I don't suppose the smoke over Vic helped your headache either.

Anyway, getting back to the self-syphoning hose - I think I've sussed it. I tried the same trick with a bucketful of water and it appears the water IS going into the reticulation system. There are so many drip points it wasn't obvious this morning. Should do all my plants some good having all that fish water.

Now you behave KP and get yo' arse back to work!

Yes Mam, sorry Mam.