Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

got any pics faye

Here is the link viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2204&p=192742&hilit=crusader+bugs#p192742

Thanks Faye, first time ever seen them even in the adult form.
They have certainly found my plants however!

Yes, easy to replace the plastic diaphragms, depending on the size of your pump. On something about 40 litres/min (ACO-02) you can buy the little silicone pattie pans (cupcake thingies) and cut the bottom out of them - it's the perfect size and won't be affected by the heat.

I currently have to replace the diaphragms on a 120 litre/min pump so am looking around for something bigger.

Fish are feeding happily.

Plants have basically stalled.
Using some seasol weekly since November and its not made much of a difference. Guessing I need something else that I'm not getting from the bore water top ups.
Some lettuces I planted 4 weeks ago still have 3 or so small leaves.

Last couple of days the cucumbers and corn started to die off.

Ph 7-7.5
Am 0-0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10-20

Have you also been adding some iron chelates? If your PH is at 7.4 it will help add some extra iron to the system and green the plants up.

Your numbers look good and your adding seasol so it should be firing!

The other thing is do you have salt in your system? I notices cucumber or zucchini in the photo's, neither of them like salt. Not sure about corn?



Edit: Just noticed the beetroot looking very red, this is how my beetroot looked till I started adding Iron chelates and now they are green as!! I add 1 scoop (5 grams) per 1000l every month.

No salt beyond what comes from the water. Used to sit at about 1.5ppt has dropped to 0.8ppt once I stopped using town water.

Didn't really think of Iron since there is so much of it in the bore water but guess it may not be absorbable.

A bit of chelated iron might help... at your pH any iron in the water probably wouldn't be motile...

Added some chelated Iron and has made a bit of improvement. At least I have got some new growth on some plants.

However tested water on the 26th as I had increased my feeding a bit with the warmer weather. Only what they would take in a couple mins leaving no leftovers. Have been testing once a week on average.
PH 7
Am 1
Nit 0

Those values have stayed the same since with no feeding. Can't find anything dead in the tank either.
Tank temps up to 22deg and slowly rising with this hot weather.
With the warmer weather I thought an ammonia rise should clear fairly quickly?

1st death. Found it this afternoon on the bottom.
Others seem to be "flashing" a bit so I used some natural salt I had and got it up to 2ppt. Probably get some more tomorrow.

Belly didn't seem to be sunken so I don't think I staved it to death.
I think the others might have been nibbling on the fin, but not sure about the mark behind the head.

Amm of 1 is actually high for a cycled system. With rising temps, ammonia becomes toxic at lower levels.

Probably hold off feeding until u can ammonia down to 0.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

Not fed since the 26th of Dec. I am aware with current PH/Temps I am getting very close to danger zone for toxicity.
I can see the bottom easily and there does not appear to be any more dead. Looked under pumps etc.

While the bottom looks a little dirty there is no buildup of waste.

New tests this avo.
Am 0.5, Nitrite 0. PH 7.
Also did nitrate test - 20

Priv,
would a dead fish cause that much ammonia? (Pretty small fish)
if you didn't feed them for 2 week how does the ammonia get to this level??

at least it would of kept your plants going...
regards
Matt

Hows your airation in the fish tank.
PS nice looking Koi.