Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Sorry Nocky,forgot about that.

The dark blue one is a brom blue(low range) pH test.

My card has faded to useless,can't see the sense in buying a new kit just for a card If you know of a good chart I can get Let's know.
Likewise I can't see the sense in buying a high range pH test kit for the few weeks I'll be needing it.the low range tends to work OK.

pH is about 7.8 I would say.

Nitrites are a bit of a concern but the fish are Ok so I guess we'll battle on as is unless told otherwise.

Cheers.

My low only goes to about 7.4, have you got a high range one

If you could scan your low range card or take a photo and log it I would appreciate it Nocky,After 7.4 it's purely guess work but It will do for a couple of weeks until the pH drops down.

Cheers.

Will try BD but mine are blowing around the yard, but I'm sure it only goes to 7.4, the high range starts at 7.2, I have never seen low pH so blue and I think maybe should do high range

Cheers Nocky,will do if it continues to stay in that range for to long,might order a master kit soon.

You were right again Rupe,

Water tests for today
Ambient temp 10.5
Fish tank temp 9.3
Ammonia up slightly 0 ++
Nitrites still teetering on that 1 1+ reading can't wait for it to crash.
Nitrates up 20
pH down 7.7 now it's swinging a bit like I expected.

Will still feed trout 3 times a day,may be slightly less in my 4 finger pinches.
Trout are still looking happy.

Cheers.

A quick update on the barra system,

Fish tank crashed to about 20 yesterday,barra got the sulks and didn't feed again.Ambient was probably 9,10 degrees all day still and clear. took the oppurtunity to vacuum the bottom of the tank.Turned the grow bed off last night opened up grow bed this morning and fish tank temp about 24 Barra fed well indeed.

Cheers.

Hi folks,

Water tests for today,

Ambient 15
Fish tank 9.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrites Up slightly if anything 1-5 not 2
Nitrates definately up 60
pH 7.8

Fish are happy and feeding will look at slowly increasing feed rate on the weekend.

Cheers.

Hi folks,

The barra system was struggling yesterday to maintain heat.I really have to fix up my lid because my temporary permanent lid just is not efficient enough.
Ambient temp iwas up to 9.2,well up on the previous days but it was bucketing down with a slight breeze.Tank temp crashed to 18.
I am convinced that rain coupled with cold weather and slight wind will cool your grow beds and fish tank much quicker than if it is much colder with no rain and no wind. - the old evaporative air conditioner theory.
Plus I didn't turn off the grow bed the night before last either,I believe the tank would of been way over 20 if I did.I turned off the grow bed yesterday at 0900hrs and opened it at 1230 hrs. the tank just hit 20 C
I am trying to keep a balance of good water quality and warmth in the tank,that's why I don't turn it off a lot.Plus the heaters normally don't do too bad at all.

Turned off the grow bed again at 2100hrs temp 17.8 ambient 9 but the grow bed overflowed so I dumped about 50 litres or so from the fish tank at 1500 hrs.

The horrid weather has stopped for a couple of hours until it starts again as expected in the afternoon anyway.Fresh cold morning,still,relatively cloudless,complete contrast to yesterday,temp is a bit colder 0630hrs barra tank 24.3 degrees and the barra are munching out very well gee wizz,it sounds good.Ambient 6 C Grow bed on.Trout tank steady at 9.5.

Cheers.

BD no luck with the low pH card, has blown in the wind, unfortunately we are sending some more icy weather your way, it is freezing here at the moment

Read that you are chasing a color card.... Check out this page...
[url]
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Downloads.html[/url]

Thanks for trying,Nocky,sounds like your filing system is the same as mine.I got some netting yesterday and have just laid it on top of the trout tank so far will secure it soon. Freezing.... Damn straight....I hate it. We got your icy weather right now,It's raining and miserable again.Oh well these things happen.If this is a sign of things to come brrrr is all I can say.One guy said he got -5 @6am,his veges have ice on half of them,I wonder if his feet have thawed out yet.
Cheers, Ivan,
That is really helpful.I've printed it and will laminate it soon.

Cheers.

yeh we had minus 2 & 3 last week, which you got now, but only 13 today and getting colder, we are 200km's south east of perth

Sorry Nocky I didn't mean to,but I misled you a bit the guy that got -5 was up in NSW,we can get 0-5 and rarely at 0 or just below but that's about it I don't mind it so much when It is clear but it can be higher in temp windy raining and feel absolutely freezing in my books.It looks like your nights are much colder and your days are similar to ours.Maybe a bit cooler.

Cheers.

Might want to consider insulating the sides of the tank as well... Are the barra plate size yet or they are still small?? If they are still small, you might be able to move them into an indoor aquarium and feed minimal...

Hi Ivan,
The barra are pushing 300mm last time I saw them,They are definitely too big to transfere to an aquarium,Did plan to build a small enclosure around them before now,to stop the wind cooling them down,mainly.But as usual Gunnadoo National Park struck and I got a bit too busy to have the time to do that. Will fix the lid up first,finish off the two grow beds and maybe soon I can do the enclosure.Mean while the heaters are pumping and costing a bit but that will have to do for a short time.

Cheers.