Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yep my tom's are on second flowering last year temps were still 30 end of April, put trout in May last year and was still 24ish for first 2 weeks

1 1/2 days and no CD in the forum

computer must have said no........

Sorry guys - some time off from work, my folks are here - very little computer time. A number of seed types sprouting, and looking good, which is a relief after the heat killed the seedlings I planted initially.

Trace 'rites still, but everything else looks good - SPs feeding well, as are reddies. Yabbies pissing me off; 2-3 dead ones every couple of days.

Couple of quick photos...

The only time they won't piss you off will be when you stick them in a dam with opaque water. Go back about halfway through my thread and you will find I was saying the same as you then.

Yep, passed the odd comment about that once or twice myself... bloody stupid critters...

Good point - think I'll grow the survivors out, eat 'em and then use that 2,000 litres for something that's worth the effort ! Trout ? More SPs ? Black bream ?

I have the same problem with the yabbies.If they all died at once you would know that something was wrong but they die in ones and twos and everything else is OK.My redies are about double the size now and I am reasonably happy with them .They just love slugs and snails.

Mine were dying with shells half shedded, and same in ones and two's only, still trying to get them out as the ones still in tank are hiding well and can only catch them with string and meat

I don't know if there is any correlation or not, but in my reef tank I have to insure that there is traces of iodide (not iodine) in the system. My understanding is that the shimp need it to molt properly. Perhaps crayfish have a similar need. Anyone?

Forget the bream.

DV not sure they need much as they just live in farm dams or freshwater river and streams, these are not really crayfish although some refer them to freshwater crays mainly because of the resemblance I suppose

Well, overall the system is pretty healthy - Silver Perch and Redfin are happy and feeding well.

But..... some of the plants are dying for no reason that I can determine. As you can see below, my strawberries are dying from a fatal case of death - I just don't know why

The strawberry plants died off a couple of weeks after transplanting back in the middle of March, which I put down to the temperature constantly getting well above 30ºC every day for about 10 days back then. However, it cooled down and the plants started sending out new growth. Now, that new growth is dying.

Does anybody have any insights ?

- Salinity is no more than 1 ppt, probably less
- pH is sitting around 7.8 - 8.0
- ammonia around 0 - 0.25
- nitrites around 0 - 0.25
- nitrates around 5-10
- water temps within 2-3 degrees either side of 20ºC

I think strawberries kinda prefer more acidic conditions, I've not had many do well long term in my system with a pH of 7.6 though one plant just produced a berry. Have you dossed with seasol? That is good for trace elements for both yabbies and strawberries I bet.

Thanx TCL - yeah, pH is my guess, but I don't really know and wanted to see what experience others had.

Wonder if that is why the spring onions aren't growing as well

Yep - putting ¼ cup of Seasol about once a month.