Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi there, just following your conversation about cutting back at nighttime, do you mean stop pumping completely overnight? or just doing one or two cycles. My AP system is open to the elements but my FT is covered with laserlight and sitting at 20 degrees. I had someone else recommend that I stop pumping at 9pm and resume at 7am to maintain the temp. I just want reassurance that I won't have dead Barra in the morning. Thanks

Your fish should be fine as long as you have plenty of air running through the night.

There are plenty of people doing it to keep the temps up.

Thankyou.... do you think one air stone off an OTTO in a 3000L tank is enough air?

Would depend on how many fish and what size they are.
More air is always better.
I am not really sure how much air the otto actually puts out.

Thank you again and neither do I. I have 18 x 6 inch plus Barra in the 3000L tank with 70 SP (1- 2 inch) in the sump tank with their own air stone. I think i will err on the side of caution and cycle every 1.5 hours and see what happens. thanks for your help.

Thanks guys. I have my tank covered with a tarp for the whole day... Tank temperature have been consistently 20degC min for the last few days, although the forecasted cold weather the next few days may drop the temperatures more... That's why I got the heater. Will probably get it installed tomorrow evening... too late tonight to see...

My pumping cycle is reduced overnight to 30 mins every 2 1/2hrs.... from 8pm to 5am... although I have heaps of air in the tank...

LJC021, in regards to pumping cycles, I believe that you should still set the system to do some overnight cycles. IMO the OTTO alone does not provide sufficient air overnight... The total output for the OTTO is 8000cc/min... one airstone is half that approx...

Where did the spring/summer weather go?? I am glad I got the heater installed this evening... Fish Tank temperature is 18degC ATM... Yabbie tank is 14degC... Although not ideal, but I am sure that the barra would prefer 18degC over 14degC... Hope they survive the night...

I have checked on Barra at 3am Ivan, when the water temp was 13 degrees. (Worse than having children.) They lived until harvest time around 6 months later. Try to get a good nights sleep.

Yeh perth weather is funny this year isnt it. My fish tanks 2 X 1000Litre tanks were 17 degrees during the day yesterday and last night I covered them up with a tarp and put the little 300w heater in with them, this morning the water temp was 20 degrees and all the barra were hovering down below the heater , silver perch couldnt care less and were doing little laps around there tank

PS I turn my pumps off at night, 50 2inch silver perch and 11 mature sized barra and no problems with ammonia levels, two air pumps running and the fish arent up at the surface grabbing for air either in the morning, so the oxygen levels cant be that bad either.

Thanks Faye,
I'm exhausted having dead fish dreams. You're right...it like having a new baby in the house. Water temp this morning was 15 and fish huddled near pump. I have my fingers crossed they'll make it over the next couple of days.

The joys of raising a tropical climate fish in a non tropical enviroment, and with the cold temps they dont eat and therefore dont grow, so the season is getting smaller and smaller, Ideally need a big heater and tanks in a greenhouse that will maintain a nice temperature for the extended grow time, lots of extras really needed

Well Faye, it's the first time I am keeping barra so the first time is always the hardest... but I suppose I can only help make it as comfortable as I can possibly provide... Tank was 18degC this morning, so the heater obviously helped by not letting the temperatures drop any further overnight...

Might get another heater over the weekend... I bought the Ehiem Jager 300W heater (supposingly a good brand) for $60. Apparently made in Germany and 3 years warranty... Sounds like a bargain to me...

I got ripped off then, paid $82 for the same one at better pets and gardens!
My tank was 18 degrees when I put it in and still 18 degrees this morning, so dont know if it did anything.
If I knew barra could handle 13 degrees I wouldnt have even bought it

They may be able to handle temps down to 13c but they wont be happy,
which means they wont eat or grow and are more likely to stress and suffer.

Yep, and with many pathogens existing naturally in the water, stressed fish turn into sick fish amazingly quickly !

Even worse is that stressed fish often bypass that stage and simply cark it .