Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Out of curiousity Murrray what bio-filter are you using... sounds very effective....

and did you end up using the activated charcoal in your system at all??

if so what results??

Rupert,
The Bio-filter is a "Bio Easy"
I have had a charcoal filter (home made) containing 5 kg of charcoal for about 3 months and frankly I cannot detect anything it has achieved. I leave it attached because I have been too lazy to disconnect it, but I cannot say it has had any effect at all.

Muzz:

1. Panda fabric is the plastic that is white on one side and black on the other. Dope growers use it to line their rooms that have artificial lights. To get rid of the algae I coverred my tank - white side out and black side in. That way you do not get the heat from the sun.

2. Regarding the ammonia - I think you will find that ammonia will be created from rotting food as well as fish poo and other excretions - so the fact there is ammonia doesn't necessarilly mean they are eating.

3. What did you have filterring your MC tank before you hooked up the bio-filter. Not good to have ammonia levels - particularly if anything other than very low.

4. Jealous about the MC - will be keen to see how they go. I am going to expand my system very soon and am keen over time to try a few things. I think MC may grow a bit slow for my liking, but will see how you go. Iwill monitor temps over winter and may try for some Barra next spring if I have managed to keep temps high enough through winter. Jades though will remain my favourite I think. Those buggers grow so quick.

Gotta come see your system again soon - will wait till the MP's get a bit bigger and then I'll be there.

yeh, i'm itching for a MC too...........

VB, I have had the Bio Filter on the MC's for the first week then moved it to the big tank for 3 days to clean up the big tank then back to the MC's again.
MC's doing fine, I just cannot see them taking any food. I will go to the Aquarium shop today and get some of those frozen blood worms, they might be more to their liking.
Muzza

I caught on of my big Silver Perch last night and droped him/her on the scales....1.5 kg as near as I can tell (the uncooperative fish would not stop wriggling) The bog Silvers are so healthy looking , and now that I can see them in the nice clear water, it is so satisfying to watch them gliding around in the tank.

Muzza

How old are they again Murray - my reconllection is that you were told they were only about 18 month/2 years old??

When/if you do get around to eating one, I am told you can guage age by counting the rings - kinda like on a tree. May be worth looking at so we all know how long it could take to get a fish to that size.

VB, about 20 months now, but they spent their first 12 months in a dam , so I think our tank grown ones will grow out much faster. The guy I got them from told me they were pretty small when he took them out of the dam at 12 months old.Muzza

Murray - how are the Murray Perch going and how is the system fairing in general?

VB, Murray Cod are doing great....Have lost 6 altogether, 3 from the trip home and another 3 about a week ago, they were very skinny, not eating I suppose. Have caught a few others to take a look at them, (they are easy to catch with a small net) and they all have fat little bellies, so I am guessing that the 3 lost just recently will be the last, so out of 109 I should still have 103 or thereabouts.
System going great
It is still recovering from the "Salt" event (cure the Itch) The salt knocked the plants around something fierce, and I suspect the bacteria as well, but the system is changing in just the last few days, it takes on a different look, you know what I mean, once you witness the change, it is exciting.
The tomatoes that were almost totally dead are recovering and showing new leaf growth and new flower clusters, as are the cucumbers which suffered the worst from the salt. Salt blocks potassium and cucumbers are particularly susceptible to potassium loss.

Muzza

Muzz - while you are correct that salt blocks potassium, this would have stopped once you water changed the salt out of the system. I still think that the reason your plants have suffered in recent times was lack of nitrate. With the new fish this is likely to be improving in recent times hence the improvement in the plants.

I think you are mostly right VB, about the fish waste quantity, but the salt burnt the tomatoes etc very badly, remember the system was doing great before the itch episode.
One thing is for sure I would never allow salt to go through my grow beds again, If it ever happens again (Itch) I would isolate the fish tank and keep the grow beds going on seasol while the fish were undergoing treatment.
Anyway it can be largely avoided by quarantining new fish for a month before putting them with the others.
I think any plumbing/flow system needs to be such that will allow one to isolate the fish tank from the grow beds if the need ever arises.
My fish are precious, but the vegie supply keeps the wife happy and involved.
Muzza

I agree. It is interesting how these things effect different systems and plants in quite different ways. I had a huge tomato plant in my system that continued to thrive while the system was treated with 4 ppt salt. It is a good lesson for us all I guess.

Tha't a wise man! Keep the wife happy and involved, and it's not "your" hobby, but "our" veggies!

I enjoyed dinner last night - my first Silver Perch - Excellent eating - I can highly recommend Silver Perch. Good flavour and texture. Will be doing it again soon.
Must confess though, I felt a bit uneasy dispatching one of my little mates. I have been scouring the internet this morning trying to find out if anybody has yet perfected breeding a variety of fish that are ready for the plate...