Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

hi guys

i have the whitish things now.

what are these ?

thanks

The white on the hydroton is salt and is pretty normal but you may want to lower the water level in the grow beds just a bit if you're seeing a lot of this. It could also be from spray applying nutrients Evaporation of moisture at the surface leaves the salt.

I'm not sure about what's going on with the plants, sometimes coloration like that is normal, sometimes it can be early signs of a spider mite infestation and there are other causes. I'd look on the underside of the leaves for spider mites, they are very tiny and barely visible to the naked eye (some people can't see them). Sometimes it helps to knock some off by gently shaking the plant over a piece of white paper - the spider mites are more visible against the white background. More oriented toward crops in the field but just for a bit of background this is about one common type (the two-spotted spider mite) -

http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/fieldcropsipm/insects/soybean-spidermite.php

The plant markings done by spider mites are usually described as stippling.

i have 20 tubs.only 3 to 4 shows the white spots on the hydroton... not all..

and about the spider mites,how am i to control them ?

thanks !!

Then just adjust the water depth in the ones showing salt buildup if they are individually controlled. You can also leave them and it probably won't make much difference unless salts continue to build up and get to levels where they affect plant growth.

Are you asking for future reference or did you actually find some mites?

not sure if they're mites yet.

will try to take some pics later.

ok...tis my latest pics.

looks bad...

I still can't tell from the pics, look on the underside of the leaves, that's where most of them hang out. Sometimes you'll see some webbing as well.

As far as treatment I'm not sure what to tell you. They like hot and dry conditions so repeated spraying with water over several days sometimes helps. Predatory mites work but take some time (https://greenmethods.com/persimilis/). I'd do a search for some other ideas as well. Plenty of people have had to deal with these - some of the methods you need to be careful with, like treatments that contain oils or soaps. They do work but they can get into the water and possibly cause problems for the fish.

tis the pics today

hopefully it'll be clearer..

Yeah, good pics. I'd say this is a spider mite problem, the size and numbers aren't quite what I'd expect but the damage is consistent with spider mite damage. I think I'm just used to seeing two spot mites and this is a different type.

umm.. ok

now gotta find the solution !! lol...

tmaker,try and find wood vinegar, it as an excellent product for bug control and has many other beneficial uses as well,there has been a lot of research done in Thailand on its use and there are some good papers available on line,i can honestly say since i have used it i now longer have a bug problem.

thks mate.

wood vinegar ? all the packing here are in thai so I think it's outta question. lol

unless i asks friends to look out for me back home.

tmaker i can help you with that as well,the Hydro Shop in Chaing Rai stocks it,this is the label from the bottle,i bought a 1litre bottle for about 120 Baht,mixing is between 200 to 1 up to 1000 to 1 with water so it will last a while,if you cant find any i will be happy to post to you if you want to try it. I wouldnt be without the stuff now to me it is as important as fish food, it has been a revelation in my situation in controlling Aphids,spider mites and leaf miners.
In Thai it would be Mai Nam Som or Mai Nam Som Sai Chu.

oh !!!

thks mate.

i will find it here.. if not, i must send you some beer !! lol...

My pleasure tmaker,i have been doing this for a couple of years now and without doubt the hardest part of the project was finding the correct stuff for the job,then when you find it the shop sells out and doesnt bother to stock anymore...