Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thanks for the link gnash06. Axl, I think it was bfff, works a treat on fires, really makes the water soak into the sand. I am in the process of filling and draining the tanks a number of times to try and flush it out (that is the firefighter and the fish tank).


Seems to affect their swim bladder, they can't control their direction very well, doing loop-d-loops and wobbling around. The gills seem to look OK, but who knows what reducing the surface tension would do to fish.

Nova

Well, it has been really hot here over the weekend and the fish haven't fared very well at all.

Temps over the weekend, Friday 37, Saturday 39, Sunday 40, today forecast 36. Sunday night minimum was 18.

I was away in Adelaide from saturday afternoon until sunday evening and got home to find more dead fish. The tank that has the silver perch in it must have got really hot (over 30) and another 11 fish died. I am assuming the DO levels dropped with the heat of the water (the water is starting to go green also) and this killed the fish.

I have decided that opaque tanks are only asking for algae problems. I have some goldfish in a black 200L drum and have not even looked like having any algae in that. It has 1-2ppm ammonia (as opposed to 0 for the opaque tank) so I would have thought it more likely to have algae. The black tank is more shaded, but I think clear tanks just let in too much light.

I'll have to see if I can find something else to use for a tank other than the IBC I have. Steve mentioned something a while ago about black IBC's? Has anyone seen these before? They sound perfect. I do like the size and shape of IBC's for tanks.

Nova

You could paint it Nova. Damn sorry to hear about your woes.

I'm going to see if I can find a couple of old bathtubs (I also have my eye on a round fiberglass tank, about 1200L, just need room and to make sure it is not useful for anything else). I only have 20 silvers left now so they should fit in one bathtub and I can then keep the other for duckweed and yabbies. Have to wait a while for yabbie season though...

Seems to have reached 37 here today, the temporary tank reached 28.5.

Nova

Carefull the black ibc/s are all chemical tanks

OK, thanks F&F.

Nova

Well, all the Silver Perch have now died. The last one died last night in the aquarium inside.

I have decided to leave this system empty and start again during the winter to be ready for next spring. I will not be using the IBC I have and will instead be using a bathtub and a round fiberglass tank. The gravel tubs I used will be re-used but flushed with lots of water and then left to dry completely.

The next system will be designed to use as little energy as possible. I think the fish tank will be partially buried to allow one pump to fill the growbeds and then drain back to the tank via gravity. There will be a sump tank, but this should drain with gravity too (if the levels prove workable). I would also like to include fish (goldfish??) in the sump as well as yabbies in their own tanks. The yabbies will need a pump from the sump to supply water.

I can't fully picture it in my mind yet, but I will endeavor to attempt a sketch-up plan once I have worked out how it will all fit together. Stay tuned for a new thread when I have it planned.

In the meantime I have the DWC system to construct and a tiny system for the surviving 7 goldfish from the original setup (1 tub as the tank, 1 tub as the grow bed, autosyphon and an itty bitty pump).

Nova

Feel for you and your losses nova.
C1

Thanks C1, just need time to get the system sorted, I think I rushed it a bit to get the sp's in.

Nova

Nova, how are Mick's goldies going? I'm really sad to hear you are not having any luck. Perservere, hopefully system 2 will be a winner.

The goldies are going gangbusters (see DWC link above). The ammonia is starting to drop, no nitrites at all, nitrates are on the rise.

Nova

excellent

Glad about that Phew!

I am feeling your pain Nova.

That sucks Nova! Onward and upward with version 2.0!