Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yeah, might want to skip the soap from it, but the rest should be alright..

right, no soap in ap (maybe a drop in the chilli/pepper mix-but be careful)
aphids will go after lots of green stuff.. best thing for them is ladybugs, you can buy them from home depot online, or maybe a nearby nursery... just wet down everything in the evening just before releasing them

Ladybirds are good, I caught some in the dirt garden (4-5) and some ladybird larves (4 big ones) as well and they did the job wonderfull. Dont expect an instant success, I have put the firs ones in approx 3 weeks ago and still have some aphis but by now I fear that ladybirds will run out of food soon.

I think I got lucky because the leaf I brought in to photograph seems to be the only one with any thing on it. I did find a couple of very small green eggs on some leaves but they got removed to the fish tank. They disappeared instantly for some reason.

Do Bream require different food than the floating pellets? I have catfish and Bream in the same tank and the cats seem to get all the food. I feed them till the cats stop coming to the surface to get pellets. I do not see any more activity from the little fish after that but they are not growing very fast. I have given the Bream some flake food from the aquarium supplies. They really like that kind of food. I looks like the floating pellets are still too large for them to get in their mouths. Here I can only get pellets that are about 1/4" in size. I wish I could get smaller.

For the fish food, maybe use the on-counter blender, put the result in plastic bag/ziploc.

Intimidation works in nature. Those bream are small and don't carry big sticks, or pointy things like the catfish.

Is your tank is big enough to have a separate plastic mesh cage to block off a portion to keep those little fish in? Or get a separate tank connected to the big tank.

Dunno, just ideas.

Don, you might be able to find Purina Gamefish Chow at a farm store. People use this for ponds they've stocked so the pellets are all different sizes down to about 1/8 inch.

Unfortunately the pellets still float and they prefer to hit the feed as it falls to the bottom. Someone suggested soaking the pellets in the fridge overnight and then giving them a squeeze between your fingers to make them sink - bluegill in my tank mostly leave the ones that float alone and go for the sinking ones - all the same chow. Try this and see if the bream will eat the larger pellets.

blugill do better with a "high protein"(42+%) type fish food.. but catfish are ok with lower protein (32 to 35%).. most "feed mills" should have both
have you tried a low watt night light in the tank to attract bugs?

Next time I go to the big city Ill try there but here in my little town there are no better pellets for the fish. They all only have floating 32% food. They say no body wants the good stuff, too expensive for their blood. I have been looking for a couple of weeks and so far no better pellets.
Also I heard that the 45% protein will help stop the aggression of the catfish. Even frogs do not stand a chance in my tank. I keep finding parts of frogs in my tank. They eat the legs first. Sometimes all I find is bones. I found one a few days ago that must have been about the size of the palm of my hand and that is pretty big. His legs were missing already.

Today I ordered some multi-sized pellets from Purina Through the COOP store here. Should have some by Friday or Saturday. Thanks Guys.

Don, the gamefish chow is 32% protein so hopefully you got one of the other purina formulas with higher protein but multiple size pellets. Still works but growth will be slower.

Hi All,
I got a reply from the CO-OP dealer on the Fish Food. He found out that he can order a special blend for Pond Fish. It is called AquaMax 400 that has small and large pellets in it. Some sink and some float but the important thing is that it is 47% protein. But it is $40 per bag and takes 8 to 10 days to receive it. I hope I remember that when it is time to reorder. I have lots on hand now.

Up date on TruGro, It is $45 a SuperSack (one cubic yard, one ton weight). The shipping ruined the deal $220 per sack to ship so each bag would be $270. That puts it about the same as expanded Clay to me. I need 5 yards of media.

This morning I found a big leak which I fixed and then when inspecting the tomatoes I found a dozen of these green Horn worms eating my tomatoes. Leaves stems and tomatoes. I fed them to the fish. I also learned that the touch of them and a sore or a scratch causes much irritation.

Here are the pics that went with the previous post.
Between them and the stem borers I am losing my maters. Already lost the Brockley and Cauliflower to the butterflies and caterpillars.

Right now I am eating a cantaloupe from the AP garden. The first one. SEEEEEEE. Oh it is so good....

looking good

pick up some BT/Dipel for those caterpillers..... its not chemical and can be used
around your fish


JT

Yep... it's a natural bacteria... the caterpillars ingest it... and it dries their intestinal tract... killing them in less than 24 hours...