Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thanks Faye,

Might have to stick with the goldfish in this tank as it is only 250L. Koi would need a new home after a short while in this tank and I dont want them in with my SP in the 1500L tank.

Have upped the feeding rate to three good pinches of food am and pm. Have noticed readings go up if not crushed. Pellets found floating on top. Fish must be lazy eaters. Have never seen them come to top to eat, but they are fattening up well now on crushed pellets. Some bolters almost 6" long. Does it take much to convert them to full pellets over crushed?

Pulled out all lettuce, donated to worms, as was brochilli. Strawberries giving me about 1 berry per week, and toms not any better, although I think growth rates better now all the greens were pulled.

Can't say I'm getting much vegies out of the system at mom. Lettuce was hard and bitter, and broch... no better. Hopefully thinning things out will see me get toms and strawberries, mind you the weather has been all over the place this season. Rain in January??? 9degrees at night. Needed the beanie when I took dog for walk Sunday morn.

Anybody else haveing low growth rates , or is it just the balance of only 15small fingerlings in a system, and need to wait until feed rates high enough to supply plants with sufficient nutrients.

The growth will partly be determined by the amount of feed going in to the system, having increased to three pinches morning and evening seems no where enough to produce good growth. I would be increasing the feed as previously suggested up to as much as the fish will eat, you could also add a little seasol to help boost things along. Can we see some more photos please Dr Bee?

Shall take some pics tonight. Forgot to say I had a HSM on Saturday. Was picking up dog poo and found a fish on the ground. Thoughts started running through my head. Didn't actually think to look if the species matters, and walked away with greif stricken heart. Why would one of my fish have wanted to escape from its tank where it gets a regular supply of food????

Anyway, was walking over to the neighbours later in am, and spotted another fish on their front yard, and thought, oh no, their cat must be gettign into my fish. I mentioned I saw a fish on their lawn, and they said, have a look at the rest of them. There were some baby bream as well as other varieties. Maybe some of the local louts had been past and dropped them on the lawns down the street, or a cat had found some bait???

phew!!! That is why I know my fish are growing to a good size,cause I went and had a good look to make sure they were all there. SP are not easy to count when they dart around like they do.

I would be thinking about the possibility of a bird visitng and removing or scaring some of the fish out of the tank. Bird netting over the fish tank might be a good idea. We knew that we had a bird problem when we spotted beak marks on the side of the fish

New Years day had me puuling out all remaining broch and lettuce out. These were planted as I started to cycle my system back in May and had been moved and replanted and not fed for periods at the start. Hardy plants, but not much growth and tasted like .... I think there was too much vegetation and the toms at the back are suffering.

Two weeks later and the toms on left have gone off. Heaps of growth. Ones on right have been pulled up 10-15mm to get them out of the water, and are showing improvement.

Lettuce plated at correct depth

Lettuce raised to correct level has sprouted new healthy leaves after 5 days.
Strawberries showing benefit of less competition for nutrients. Berries now an inch long rather than pea size. These ones pack some flavour.
Water quality and clarity still excellent. Have changed to feeding more times, less each time, and not crushing. Feeding 2 pinches at a time rather than 4, 4-5 times per day, basically if I pass the pond. When I take the dog for a walk at 5:30, on the way out to work at 7:30, when I get home from work 3:30, after feeding the dog 7pm. No pellets left floating on surface now.

Alot of my time over the last six months has been doing stuff around the house trying to keep the sand from a newly built house out in the yard. Started inside with painting throughout, then moved outside Paving around the house, paving around pool, fences, gates. All these things around taking kids to sport Saturday mornings. Some where in there is time spent with the good lady wife, inlaws over from Sydney, and maybe some time playing as a family.

Finally got to the front yard, dug retic for a future garden, and water for shed right across the yard, levelled out the yard crushed blue metal base (9 tonnes all by hand) compacted, and the final result.

Enjoyed last week end, sitting out the front watching people mowing, working on retic, digging out lawn bettle, weeds, airating thier lawns, fertilising, watering, top dressing edging while I enjoyed a coffee and carrot cake. No more work on the lawn for 10 years hopefully.

Its summer lawn so has three different greens through it and acurly yellow thread, so it looks quite realistic.

http://www.turfdirect.com.au/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48

They usually have a sale in Winter approx 40% off by the roll.

Now for the shed, finish paving out the back, maybe get the lawn out the back growing.

That looks pretty good. Did you lay it yourself??

Just curious which product it actually is (there seems to be several listed on the page).

SW,
Its the summer 30, all layed be me preped and layed in one weekend - 6 hrs per, 4 hrs tolay I guess.

I thought it was the most realistic for the price. 30mm pile was not to long, not too short. ST has come along way. Its only when you get close you can tell its not real. Standing next door you wouldn't know, but then I was never out to trick anybody, just wanted a low maintenance front of house. Kids get really good even bouce with their cricket balls. Being new its still a bit slippery when wet too.

Hahaha. How long before they have stolen the dish washing liquid and have the hose running. Bet it makes a wicked slippery slide.

Hopefully they don't use the concrete footpath out the front to stop them. Already had enough trips to Hospital. Got to expect that with three young boys I guess.

Looks like carpet

Gives carpet burns just like carpet. Was a bit worried that it would be hot under foot in the summer sun, but not much hotter than normal grass. I guess grass is cooler because heaps of water is pumped into it. Probably just as hot as dry grass.

Saw the fish finally eating off the surface when I chucked in their feed last night. That sunset feed disappears pretty quickly. Looks like they are happy eating full sized pellets now. No more crushing pellets for me.

How do other AP peoples go if they add fingerlings to their system and have advanced fish in already? Feed pellets for the big fish first, then crushed for the little ones? Just thinking ahead to next spring/winter when I chuck in some more SP's to keep the cycle going.