Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

The fact that there is no nitrites in such a new system means that the ammonia is not getting converted at all - meaning you will have a significant amount of ammonia in the system. I agree that a water change is in order. Use your rain tank water - but check the ph of your fish tank water and your rain tank water first.

When doing a water change you want the ph to be as close as possible to the water you are replacing (provided you are not changing the water to change the ph) and also want the temperature to be as close as possible.

I reported on this in the other fish thread but basically all the fish are now in clean water. The pH is the same in both waters and the temp is almost the same. We have a second tank with clean water waiting for another transfer is necessary.

The tanks arrived yesterday and are being installed today. I'll write about it in the next day or so.

There's just something about those tanks, like Joel's they look really nice

It's Australiana

That's the one I saw at Foley's, they had it inverted and were finishing the base, the guy said it was aquaplate and quoted me $580, mind you, it was lunchtime and I only got to talk to one of the apprentices - what did it work out to when you changed to aquaplate forest??

Congratulate the H, forest great work! How's the fishies?

Ahhhhhhh, a fishtank thats all shiny and new....... take some photos Forest, it aint gunna be shiny and new for long...

apparently the aquaplating was included in the original quote, EllKayBee. So $300 for the fish tank and $200 each for the grow beds. I reckon you should talk to the owner - ask him for a quote.

John, the fish are doing fine. We changed them over to clean water again yesterday. Hopefully they'll be in their new home tomorrow. I'm a bit worried about not feeding them.

Don't worry about not feeding them. Most fish can go up to two weeks without food. They can also eat 3-5 times a day if given the chance. They would rather be a little hungry then stewing in their own waste.

I had a friend who went on vacation and came back to his aquarium 3 weeks later - one of the fish was gone, but the rest were fine, ... Hungry, but fine.

gone as in dinner?

Don't fret them missing a meal or two, better hungrey then dead. Glad things are comming along so smoothly keep it up. Fish pictures soon?

The one thing you need to remember with fish is that they will eat whatever and whenever you feed them... However they will regurgitate what food their little bodies do not require to function (which adds to the Ph and ammonia problems).

We bought an ammonia testing ket and have tested three times. Once it was ok, the other two times we were in the unsafe zone and moved the fish to clean water.

The irrigation system is almost finished and we should be filling the fish tank today. The grow tanks are ready to go with washed gravel, I have seeds and seedlings ready to go.

The fish are doing ok. I hate having to stress them with constant moving but it's the only thing we can do at the moment. They are munching away on a floating lettuce leaf.

I hope to have more news and photos later today.

We overfilled the grow beds. We thought they had to be full but them realised we'de put too much in. Erm, when I say 'we', I mean H. I don't do shovelling. Anyhow, when the gravel was all washed, some of it was removed.