Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

And Nardoo is a rare or uncommon plant, you're doing good for the world by looking after some!

Here's a site with a list of the prohibited water plants in Australia, as well as info on who to contact with questions.

Hey MCPHRO, you think you've explained aquaponics to a few people...? Man.... I am so used to the strange loooks....

hehe

Yep, posted that somewhere just a few days ago

They'd make a good addition to a newbie system that didn't have a big fish tank.

What do tomatoes do?

They taste nice

if you're serious, then they'd tank a large amount of nitrate in their growing phase, then more potassium and phosphorous in their fruiting stage.

I can't convince my silver perch or bass or goldfish to eat duckweed. Is there a trick or approach to training them to recognize duckweed as a food source? I've tried reducing their daily feed and I've tried stirring the water up so the duckweed is pushed down to the bottom, but they only look at the duckweed.

My opinion is that the silvers will only attack the duckweed if they are big enough. It doesn't seem as easy for them to get into as say lettuce or spinach. I have been putting a handful in every few days and it does get eaten. I figure, if they are hungry enough....

Maybe if you don't feed them for a few days, then put the duckweed in. Same technique works for kids and vegetables.

Its one of those things that I have never seen my perch eat, but when I am not watching it gets eaten. Stu - from what you have said, you must have a big leaf version. Have you got any pics?

same with me VB, the duck weed is always gone from between 1/2 day to 2 days.

and as the tiny perch in the aquarium get bigger i'm definatly noticing that the duckweed supply above is beng culled!

There has been duckweed floating around for about a week now, perhaps it is growing faster than the fish are eating it. The water temp is about 24C and I guess they're getting plenty of ammonia. I'll work out some kind of floating duckweed containment system so I can see whether it is growing or just not being eaten.

Would feeding the fish floating food help you think?

I needed a bucket last week and my last usable bucket had my duckweed in it, so in went the whole lot to the silvers, so I can't take a pic ATM. However, I am restocking from my BIL soon, as I believe it to be a very good part of their diet.It also takes up the slack if I am tardy in feeding them.

Yep, the big leaf variety

It would probably help get the fish used to eating from the surface. My goldfish attack duckweed as soon as I put it into the tank, although new fish I have bought in the past take time to warm to it.

As for keeping it together, make a ring of hose/pipe that is watertight and full of air so it floats. Put it on the surface of the tank and the duckweed inside the circle. I think Jaymie uses something similar, and also Les.

Nova