Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I am using the 4mm pellets. The trout are about 200 to 250mm now. I will weigh the amount that I have been giving them and post later. I have 49 fish, what is the recommended amount for this many trout.

Around 1% of body weight per day.

Assuming around 200 grams weight each, thats 100 grams a day for the tank.

Has anyone weighed the fish we got from Rupert? I am only guessing at the length, some may even be 300mm long.
Any Ideas John?

You mentioned having changed feed. I've noticed that feed is key to water quality. If it isn't simply a different size of the exact same formulation then the different feed could be a major factor in the differences you are noticing. The increase in temperature should be helping the bacteria but often warmer water has a bit less O2 so now the system has to re-stabilize to the new situation. Good Luck with it.

Hi All,
Its been a long time between posts. All is well with the fish no deaths yet and trout seem to be growing ok. The only problem I have had over the last 2 months is the colour of the water. It is like cola black, so dark that I cannot see the bottom of the tank. It has been like this since I changed to the 4mm pellets. At first I thought it may have been the change of season but it has been 2 months now and still the water is black.
All the readings are ok, the amo gets up a little but all in all not too bad. The trout are around 180 to 220 grams, is this about on track for fish of this age? Anyone got any size reports for me?
One thing that has been a problem is the ph is droping constantly, if i buff it up it drops straight back down. Any ideas?
Cheers in advanced

Fish are about the right size Darren... and yep the Ridleys feed and the trout doing their thing... does seem to darken the water...

As to pH... your tank is stocked to nearly the limit... you're feeding accordingly... and nitrification is happening... your pH will continue to move as you have noted...

Buffering with a couple of kilos of shell grit ( a slow release buffer) may help... but if you need to keep buffering, then you'll just have to keep using other buffers accordingly...

Might be time to put another growbed or two online...

When I was feeding my fish the good dog pellets, the water had a brownish tint that slowly went away when I quit using the pellets.

Thanks John, what buffer do you recomend and where do you get it from.
The water temp is starting to be a worrie as it is up around the 20o c mark now. Hope they last to november otherwise there are going to be alot of bony fish fingers in the freezer.

Thanks John, what buffer do you recommend and where do you get it from.
The water temp is starting to be a worrie as it is up around the 20o c mark now. Hope they last to november otherwise there are going to be alot of bony fish fingers in the freezer.

Yep, even my tank is pushing toward 20 degrees... and htat's with 6000L as opposed to your 1200L...

I use EcoRose... Potassium BiCarbonate... as a buffer and a Potassium source when the plants are flowering/fruiting/seeding... (try Bunnings)

You can also use Baking Soda... Sodium BiCarbonate...

Chalk/chalk dust/shell grit... basically Calcium Carbonate...

Dolomite Lime (carefully).... Calcium Magnesium Carbonate...

Slaked Lime (carefully)... Calcium Hydroxide...