Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Come to think of it, it might be best to empty pockets and buy a proper round 1000ltr FT and place that outside the greenhouse but what about the pebbles in the growbeds, wouldn't they be 'contaminated' as well.
Lining the IBC seems to be a bit of a waste of money since the liner is quite expensive too...............

it's a difficult decision for me as well... and I'm still trying to decide.

get a IBC cheap but lining it is expensive and then lining it just throws the idea of "one man's rubbish is another man's treasure" out. then to forget thinking about reusing what is already made somewhere else so I get a custom made tub thats even more expensive than the IBC but at least, food-grade = safe for fish.

being responsible verses being safe?! very hard choice.

That is so devastating Gran But stick with it, you are neither the first nor will you be the last to lose a batch of fish.

While IBC contamination is on the list of possibilities, I think as Faye and others mentioned temperature combined with other factors could be the main issue. Temps around here were near 30 degrees yesterday, when I got home after work my system was sitting at 21 so it is not hard to imagine a slightly different system/location could have been even higher.

To narrow down the possibilities I would chuck in a Silver Perch and see what happens. If he lives, your system is probably safe, if not then perhaps there is some kind of contamination issue. Either way, it would give you a better idea where to go from here.

I am just down the road in South Lake and have a spare SP if you want to test this theory (or just commiserate over a cup of tea) Just send a PM if you want one.

Good on ya Gaz, thats the team spirit I like to see.

Thanks Gazza for your encouragement, I've sent pm

And to update on my system: It is fishless now

Gran I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but have you considered taking one your fish to a Pet store like City Farmers or Better Pets and Gardens and ask for their advice?
If you bring a sample of your water in a jar they might figure something out if its the water. The local shops in my area have some pretty clever people and they help me heaps.
Heaps of good luck to you solving their mysterious deaths... personally I think that its good respect to the fish to find out why they died.

Jensilaedi - I could try that but I doubt that I would be very popular with any of those shops. I've never been in one. I could try though I might turn out to be a good customer in the future:)
I won't put any fish in there in the moment, I stared into 50 little eyeballs............not a nice feeling

yeah... kinda makes you feel like its not happening again... but what I discovered is that if I get around and talk to people who know how to do it, and realise that it's a common thing - not that it's good thing but it does happen and in a lot of situations there was no way of changing the result. but talking around reading up and thinking about does help me figure out what happened and how to prevent it from happening again.
I'd go for being unpopular just to find out what the second opinion is, particularly an expert one.

How are things going Gran? Are the goldfish still kicking?

Thanks for asking gazza, I waited until yesterday 2pm before I went to the shop to buy 2 Shubunkins, they were the cheapest ones and I apologized to them already....before I set them free in the tank.
They are still there but I think they have to be in there for at least 10 days to see if the location is safe enough to add something else.

Our pond btw has been home to Gambusias (sneaked in with pond plants) for years now, no feeding at all.
The girl at the shop told me they are the ''Rats" of the fish world and could carry deseases. Another point to discuss why the trouts died, I topped up the FT with pond water in my first settings.

The pond water will stay out of the system now, no rainwater either only tap water will be added for topping up. The pond water currently feeds the peas in the two half barrels and their growth is quite satisfying whereas the growth in the greenhouse GBs is to cry over

It can only get better, so crossing fingers that the Shubunkins survive and I don't have to undo everything because of the IBC being the culprit of the fish death.

I got my liner from Ebay for $128 delivered to my door, not that expensive.

No, that's not too bad.
By the looks of it (Shubunkins still alive) I might get away with my IBC, crossing fingers.

I asked for food grade containers at a company in Kenwick, they advertise food grade for $250 but on the phone he said $200....................but they don't have any in the moment. It is a matter of asking every beginning and end of the week.

Gran, pm'ed you the IBC supplier in Welshpool where I got mine from. As my fish and veges are still alive, I'm going to say that the IBC should be safe enough to use. (just give it a good scrub).

Thanks Aquanoob, very much appreciated and already replied.

And then I have a question regarding the drain system.
What's better:
One big stream going down quite a lot
or
many little ones making lots of surface bubbles