Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I went to feed my trout this morning to find one dead floating on the top of my IBC and one laying on the bottom. The others or not every reponsive. I feed them and they dont seem intrested. We have had a week of about 23/24 degrees in Northern Ireland and my tanks or in a pollytunnel so water temp has risen to about 21 degrees. I checked PH, Nitrate, Ammonia & Nitrite all were ok. Is the water temp to high? I put more airstones in this morning.

The water temp is certainly up near the top of what they like but should be ok.

How much aeration do you have?

I've a 840 litres of air per hour pump on it. I had half going to the FT and Half going to the ST. This morning I put it all to the FT

Punch as much air and water movement in as you can by running all pumps flat out.

If the cause is heat stress then there isn't too much to do other than making sure the water has sufficient air (DO falls and fish requirements increase as temp rises). Do you have the capability to make sufficient quantities of ice to add during the hottest part of the day? If feasible with your system design and performance, try not to pump through the GBs at the hottest part of the day, and pump as much as you can during the cool of the night (GBs are really efficient heat exchangers).

Higher temperatures can also help promote algal blooms, which further increase the oxygen load, so be careful to minimize nutrients and water exposure to light.

A few years ago, I had one batch of trout which survived prolonged periods above 27 degrees; another batch all died before the water temp hit 24 degrees; there is no "standard" temp which is fatal.

I too have had trout survive up to 27º... but they certainly weren't over the moon about their jacuzzi.

It's my understanding that due to breeding here in WA many years ago our Trout will handle higher temps than Eastern states Trout, which in turn can handle higher temps than European or North American Trout.

Checked temp this morning now at 19 degrees, slowly coming down. Dead count up to 16, not good!

just checked the trout again 3 more dead just the 2 left. Temp at 19 degrees?

Do a water test and an autopsy to make sure there isn't something else going on which is killing the fish.

Temp shouldnt be killing them. Any signs of disease on the fish.

What's happening?

How many fish did you put into the IBC and what volume of GB do you have attached ?

Their all dead

I had 25 trout in a IBC. I have a 8' x 3' x 1' GB and an other IBC ST. Did all the water tests and they were all fine. Fish didn't seem to have any sink problem. I opened 2 of the fish up couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. The only thing was a yellow/orange die thinking it was from the koi food I was feeding them it was orangey colour. would it have been the food a friend gave me a tub of koi food he didn't need.

Might have been the koi food ?

I feel for you mate.

I have a mate down in Co. Kerry with a poly tunnel possibly thinking of doing the same AP as your self . Please keep us tuned.

My best advise would be to run a fishless cycle for a few weeks, keep a check on the water, even if you have to take it to an analysis, source a few more fish and get a decent feed supplier.

All the best. i hope this is just a hurdle, and you make it threw