Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Guess you know which one to go for then... Good idea to salt your system before adding them as small silvers can be a bit finicky when transporting..

Yep definetely get the bigger ones as small silvers take an age to get going. Got small silver fingerlings last Janurary and they have hardly grown at all, but they are in a tank with bigger fish. The catfish I got at the same time have grown heaps
Will be restocking with cats, not silvers next year

excellent thanks for the tips. I'm cant wait

I can imagine the price. Had on quote of nearly $5 each :-/ Have to be an awesome size for that cost!

I have clad my IBC fishtank with colourbond, including the lid which I have hinged half way across for access. Seems to be working well so far although I'm thinking there could be water temp problems if it gets too hot in summer. So far the water temps have been between 18 - 21 night time and up to 34 during the day. Will these daytime temps be OK for silver perch. I have started to leave the lid open now and covered the top with green shadecloth to give a bit of sunlight protection.

I got 20 silver perch fingerlings from Trevor on Sat 5th November and up until last week were doing fine, but I changed the feed I was using to 5 mm pellets which i have been crushing as they are too big. Since then I have had 5 fish die, one per day roughly. Could anyone give me any idea why this could be? Could it be that some of the fish are eating food which is still too big for them and dying from that. The water parameters are all good. This is a new system which has been cycling since the addition of the fish.

The water test readings over the past week are as follows. pH 7.2, ammonia 0.25 and has now reached 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 20 - 30.

When I feed the fish they all look active and healthy, none showing any signs of disease or illness and all swimming together, in the morning I open the lid to feed them again and there is one floating on the surface. Can anyone give me any advice, as at this rate they will all be gone by Christmas!

I'm not sure of the numbers of Fish you have.. But if the water temp is getting Supper hot 30+..

Me I would add some thing to get more Oxygen in the system..
Maybe add a air stone to cause the water at the surface to turn over..
- ie a Mini Air-lift..[A section of Pipe that goes to the bottom of the tank and has an Airstone hang at/near the bottom of the pipe(inside the Pipe)]
--> The Air Rises helping to move the water up.. the more the water mixes at the top the more Oxygen that is put into the water..[Have I used Airlift to move Water..? Yes.. as an Experiment.. Am I going to incorporate something Like this in my own system....? Yes..]

Juergen

Update: I called Trevor (Gingin) yesterday, and he says no more SP for sale for 6 weeks.

I am in need of 10 x 10" Silver Perch. If anyone can help, please let me know - shaw@netplus.com.au

Hey all,
not sure if this is the correct place to post but i am lookin gat stocking my first system soon and was not 100% sure of what would be the best fish to start with. I was thinking Perch as they seem to be more tollerant of water quality and being this is my first system i may need tollerant fish.
Also i was watching a you-tube clip that stated 1 fish per 10L water. i have a 600L fish tank and looking at it 60 fish looks excessive. I was thinking more along the lines of 10-15.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Yes, ignore that youtube clip, it is BAD information..!!!!

You were much closer with your estimation, I'd start with 10 if I was you...

Ditto... ignore the information in the video... it will kill your fish...

So aside from waiting another few weeks to get some SP from Trevor, does anyone know where I might be able to get 15 SP?

I added a second GB to my system and the plants are showing signs of lack of nutrients so I think I need to increase my nitrite levels. Only got 12 SP left in the FT at the moment.

Just feed your fish more.. Silvers should be eating lots at this time of year and the equation is, feed in = plants out, so if you can feed up the silvers you have a bit more, it's pretty much the same as having more fish..

Thanks earthbound. Can you suggest how much I can feed my SP? I currently give them 2 teaspoons each morning. How much more ca I feed the without wasting food?


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-32.060277,115.861797

you can feed them 2-3 times a day, as much as they want to eat basically, just be sure they are eating it all and the feeds not dropping to the bottom of the tank and breaking down.

As for stocking a 600L tank, 10 fish will power your vegies along just fine. My 500L greenhouse system has 16 jade perch and I have to watch how much I feed or I get ammonia and nitrite readings. The vegies in this system are doing so well its scary