Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Today, I may have converted someone to aquaponics, albeit on a very small scale. I was talking to the sheila at the bank this morning, who knows about what Jaymie and I are doing, and she told me that they have a fishtank that hangs off the wall. Apparantly it is a liitle ornamental flat on one side and bowed out so that it "hangs " in the air on a wall. She said she was sick of having to change the water every week or so and also sick of having to buy new goldfish every week or so too. She does a water change, sits the fish in thier little plastic bag in the water and releases them a bit later when the temp has become the same. The fish only seem to last a couple of days before they peg out and need replacing. I asked her what she was feeding them, and she feeds them a level lid of fish food once a day, didn't know if this was too much so I couldn't comment. Then I asked her what sort of aerator she had in the "bowl" . She said "whats an aerator" . I said this could be your problem, she said"No, I think it is lack of food cos they kept coming up to the surface and "biting the top of the water as if looking for food". She asked my advice (not that I claim to have any sort of expertise in fish raising) I said Buy an aerator and stick some lettuce or a strawberry plant in a sheet of styrofoam and float it in the bowl. that way if the fish die at least you can eat the strawberries!
Have I done the right thing?

Hey A.
The "biting the surface" is the fish not having enough DO. You were spot on with the airator.

Cheers,
Duncan.

Yeah that is what I thought. Thank for confirmation D.

Axl (AP in training), depends on how big the lid of food is also - goldies are guts's and will gorge themselves.

O2 shortage causes them to gasp for air on the surface as Duncan pointed out

Eh! - this is great, I didn't know any of the above before joining this forum, now that should be real inspirational for you A

Alex may have also saved her heaps of money. If she's buying new fish every two weeks, she mustn't have any kids to spend her cash on!

good to see we have a "missionary" arm at BAP!

Funny stuff, the "biting at the surface" is definatly gasping for air, and her putting in more food "cause they're hungry" is only adding to the oxygen demad, as well as the ammonia load.

save the goldfish, Get her onboard

Stepson thinks it's funny that you were too lazy to type in the other two letters.

xl

actually I wasn't sure if it should have been Axl or Alx...both were there :S

You missed it Duncan - Steve misstyped 'Alx' as 'Axl' one time and it kinda stuck

ahh I see.