Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yea i know i have said it before and i will say it again interconecting pipe work line that should be 90 mm 90 mm 90 mm

So, Food&Fish, I take it you'd prefer I used 90mm?

bump.

Let us see what you have done lately. Growth? Monster fish? BBQ pit?

Ah, yeah, sorry about the silence.

Three things combined:
[list=]
[*]lack of time - work suddenly went silly
[*]lack of money
[*]a bit of disenchantment
[/list]

...to have me take a break.

As you know, we've lost a few fish - a couple, then a whole bunch, then again a couple - leaving me with 10 of the original 20.

Those 10 are large and healthy. I thought one was going to also die, with the dreaded white blotches, but he seems to be healing - he still has quite a mark down his side, but it seems to be slowing going away.

So that was pretty discouraging.

The other this is that the veggies just aren't doing as well as we'd hoped. The broccoli all bolted; the peas and beans started well, then just died, as did the cucumbers.

The silverbeet and cabbage look OK; the tomato plants are growing really well - but not tomatoing, if you see what I mean.

The other odd thing was that the first couple of peas were great, but after that - bitter. As were the cucumbers.

So, I'm taking a breather, doing nothing but feeding the fish and keeping the water topped up, until I can regather my enthusiasm.

Thanks for your interest.

Michael... give a run down on your pH and temperature values over the time....

second season is always better than the first Keep at it

Ah, yeah - I'm just being a whinger...

Get up and get going, dude. People need to see what you have. People also want to help out (makes them feel better).
So, whatcha got for GH temps, water temps, Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, Dis Ox, etc...
Pics if you got em.

Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans, eh?

Well, I've not taken readings for an age... but:

First reading 29/10/2010 (no fish)
pH 8
Amm 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
Temp 14C

2/12/2010 (about a month later)
pH 8.2
Amm 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 25
Temp 18C

16/12/2010 - 30 fish went in

18/12/2010 - white blotches started to show
pH 8
Amm 0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 40
Temp 16C

20/12/2010 salted to 3ppt

23/12/2010 - 8 fish dead
pH 8.2
Amm 0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 40
Temp 17C

26/01/2011
pH 8.2
Amm 0.5
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 120
Temp 24C

23/3/2011
pH 8.2
Amm 0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 120
Temp 14C

I lied about the number of fish, by the way - I thought I had 20 originally and 10 left; I actually had 30 originally and I probably have 15-17 left.

Any more news here guys??

keep up the aquaponics flowers michael like simo said, the 2nd season is always better. My growth was average 1st winter, abysmal start of summer, ok end of 1st summer and now the system has matured a bit more i can virtually watch the plants grow

salting will kill of your cuces, and tommies not fruiting maybe you need to add some potassium

I'll try the potassium. We've some tomatoes, but very few, very small, and very green.

On the upside, the silverbeet would win prizes.

Yep keep up with it.... did u use blue metal??

My PH Locked out all my growth and made most things bolt... coming down to neutral now near 12 months in....

its a huge PIA to have a PH Lockout.... get some seasol and chelated iron and worm juice in there..... just keep it running man.... it will pay off in the long run

i think it is a bit disheartening to see other systems running well..... when ours doesnt seem to do as good, but trust me iv been in the state of mind where i want to scrap the whole thing..... but it will come round

Got any pics of the silverbeet?? There's a big veggie thread in here somewhere.