Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Here we go VB's Battery Backup ....

In Backup Power Supplies thread....

talking about backups... I wonder if this would work..
Connect a 12V bilge pump to the bottom of a section of 100mm dwc, in the dwc you have activated carbon... this should help both add air to the water AND remove toxins - for a while anyways...
perhaps a pic will help

LOL, yeh i think i was part of the discussion!

If you're not scared of 240V then just get a 240 relay, wire it to a 3 pin plug, then connect the 12V bilge pump through the NC contacts, job done.

thats along the lines I was thinking steve but when you factor in cost of pump, 12 power/charger etc its getting close to the cost of one of the battery backup bubblers if not more. At the moment im leaning towards a UPS from dick smiths.

10 went into my mini continuous flow kitchen herb setup.?
Worms can you send some pics of this i am fascinated!

Hi ramblin, heres the mini system, unforunately my 0.5ltr/annum pump finally gave up the ghost so i pulled most of the plants and fish and put them in the big system. It still function quite well as a cat hammock though......very tempting to snip the wires holding up This system consists of a concrete laundry tub with plug smashed out (brass) sitting on a bathtub, not that pretty but pumped in its prime with sage, chives, rosemary, onions, strawberrys, basil etc etc etc all booming. In the process of getting it going again

Sorry Worms... but ya just gunna have to go the snip .... LOL

Back to the big system, Had a bit of a drama couple of days ago and Im not quite sure what went wrong. We had about 100mm of rain over night an the following morning i noticed sick fish (swimming on the surface or mid water, very slow) checked nitrite and ammonia...both abotu .25ppm. paniced and did a 1/3 water change. with water now clearer 4 dead on the bottom with another 4 soon to join them . At this stage i think i felt worse than those fish with the flu ....slept rest of the day.

fish flashing...even the goldies

yesterday bought:
85ltr/m air pump, water now boils
salt
ph tester
ceramic air stones 60$ea

ph tested 7.5
put 6kg salt in
got the air pump crankn

Im still not sure what the problem is/was but it was most certainly stress related

today
fish seem alot happier, one or two still flashing and a couple still look abit sick but no more fatalities

question
was the rain a factor
was a water change needed with .25ppm level
had to use town water for water change, have no storage to treat water before putting in tank.
is ph alright
does continuous water changes to keep nitrite and ammonia down inhibit completion of nitrogen cycle
can too much air be a problem
am i asking too many questions

I think all is well now but i just would get these fish through the cycle

Hi worms one thing i see if water flows in off your shade sale they are treated with antimould not good stuff On water changes in most cases amonia will go up and careful using town water it may contain chloramine

good thinking ff, i'll take it down to be sure to be sure

Aaaahhhhh!...the dreaded HSM virus, one of the initiation rules to becoming a true Aper (there is no antidote )

If still cycling then don't worry too much about PH as yet

Try to keep ammonia (then nitrites) under 1 as it cycles - 0.25 is ok

Too much air coupled with too little water would be a problem (like netting the fish and removing them from the fish tank ) - but having lots of air bubbling in the tank won't hurt.

Adding salt may retard the bacteria

F&F has brought up a good point because it does seem rain related. Now, take deep breath

phew!! all seems well today nitrite .25 ammonia .25 ph 7.5 no fatalities. trying to keep feed to minimum, lettuce and the odd live worm, the went nuts over the worm chasn the one with it around and around the tank

FF, is it safe to say that chloramine is minimal in my town water as i've already done a water change with no noticable adverse affects?

Worms, some town supplies are "chlorinated" with chlorine.... which will gas off fairly quickly (if boiled,aerated)... whereas others use chloromine... this can (as you seem to be aware) result in an ammonia spike.

If it hasn't happened then you're probably on a supply which uses chlorine not chloromine....

Worms to be safe ring the water supply on monday we all copted it in melbourne its mainly when there is a shortage of water and they have to pump it a long way

I think you only get the extra ammonia from chloramine if you treat the water with a water ager/chlorine remover....ammonia is a bi-product of the chemical action