Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Don use builders plastic.

Problem with half IBCs for DWC in a system this size is... You think you are saving money, until you have to multiply pipes and fittings by the number of IBCs.

another idea i had was to set up the fishtanks, going to 3, 1 ibc systems where you chop and flip and use the bottom halves as sumps, all chained together flowing out via a clarifier to a main inground sump. from there id split my pump in 3 going to the 2 fishtanks and the dwc.

this means id have to build my dwc channels. i dont actually know where to get a good liner for them though. can anyone recommend a supplier in canberra?

lastly, while i like the idea of using round tanks, i want to be able to keep a few tanks. for example i have sp that have been growing but are not yet plate size and id like to get trout over winter. then, next season i want to get more perch fingerlings so while one big tank would be nice, i think i have to stick to separate big ones.

SP have both ich and a fungus... dumped about 11.5kg salt into the system hopefully that will bring it up above 4ppm.

They probably didn't like the recent -5C mornings we've had and got too stressed.

Lost 2 SP and a 3rd was floating upside down but still moving its gills. Left it in the tank overnight we'll see in the morning.

Trout are happy as larry swimming around and eating like crazy. Salt should protect them just fine.

Will update when I have news.

pulled out 2 more perch, added 7kg more salt. Expecting some more perch to go. Trout are happy as larry splashing my face wanting a feed.

Down to 12 perch from 24. the rest aren't looking so healthy. I recently got a GoPro and took a video. It's uploading at http://youtu.be/9Copji51ETQ

Looks like I'll lose another 3 perch... since I'm fast running out of live perch I thought I'd try something different. Put them in a net, just under the spray bar to see if the superoxygenated water would help them recover... they're still alive but were mostly upside down in the bttom of the tank. If they're still looking bad by the end of the day I'll put them out of their misery.

A few days ago they looked like lammingtons(Rupe's words) now the ic is almost all gone but the fungus persists. The water is so salty that my lettuce is inedible due to how salty it tastes.

My trout are doing just fine. They're in the same water, but in a separate system and the water goes through a growbed before it gets back to the trout. They look healthy. Video uploading

Tested for ammonia and pH, Ammonia at 0, pH around 7.8

By the time they look like "lamingtons".... they're pretty severely infected by Ich... and probably near death anyway...

The secondary fungal infection is the last nail in the coffin... you've done what you can .... you might save a few...

Damn this cold canberra winter

Hoping to have a greenhouse up for next year so my next batch will hopefully fare a lot better.
And I was so proud of myself for no fish losses due to stupidity.

On a positive note this is 2 weeks after I was finally allowed to have a go at clearing the pond at my wife's grandmother's place. Previously you couldn't see anything below the surface of the water other than green soup.



A pond guy was making visits every 2 months or so, charging his fee and scratching his head. The pond has not been clear for at least the past 5 years

Are you referring to the warmest July ever recorded in Canberra?
Better get that greenhouse going in case next year is closer to average!

Down to 4 perch and 4 goldfish... The perch are just dropping like flies at a rate of 2-4 per day. Generally I find them floating upside down, caught on the SLO or in a corner of the IBC where the water doesn't circulate well. I used to leave them just in case they recover but none ever did and now I just put them out of their misery.

I'm hoping at least these last few survive but I honestly don't like their chances given the past weeks events. Shame goldfish aren't nice to eat. the damn things seem bulletproof. It's amazing that so many die in petshops or shortly after given how strong they are in my AP system.

I've decided I'm going to run 3ppm salt in the system from now on. I'm also considering running a second system with Koi as a strawberry system as they don't like the salt but Koi are as bulletproof as goldfish.

So in the space of 2 weeks I lost all 23 perch... I find it interesting that they died a few at a time... I would have imagined they would have just about gone all at the same time but I guess the time would have coresponded with the infection setting in.

Goldfish are just fine and Trout are happy too...

I'm not expecting any more deaths but I have to say that the loss of all the perch is very disappointing. I didn't even get to eat one