Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

They are, just not as awesome as the rest. But thats just me.

Been awhile so a bit of an update, not much happening at the moment just replanted 3 of the 4 beds for winter. Still need to get the big jades and silvers out of the main tank and do some maintenance ready for the next crop of silvers. Will not be putting jades in with the silvers this time due to the difference in growth rate.

Not much happened with the RAS after I lost the jades after Christmas. Put a couple of jades in from the main tank just to keep it ticking over. Last month I took those couple out and gave the system a good going over, emptied the RFF and the main shadecloth/matala filter and gave them both a good clean using the water from one IBC. Drained the moving bed BIO and checked the bottom for any crap but the three filters are doing their job and there appeared to be no solids in the MBBF. Restarted the system and added 4 jades and 1 silver from the main tank to keep it going.

Purchased 50 jade fingerlings @ 70 mm a week ago and added them to the other IBC in the RAS. These will be split between the 2 tanks once spring is here and they have doubled in size.

Will be going with Blind freddie tomorrow to pick up 100 silver Pearch fingerlings to go in the second RAS tank and these will go in the main tank come spring.

So started to take the remaining couple of jades out and this was the first

Not quite 2kg @ 1.829 kj

A fair bit of fat and guts even with very little food over the last month @ 1.289 kg

Will be busy moving around over the next six month as we have a wedding Melbourne early September, a 60 th birthday in Adelaide in December and staying for Christmas again. Back at the end of January for the birth of our first grandchild then a christening after that. Then I would like to stay home for a while. Cheers

nice update Bear, that Jade looks mouthwateringly plump. Lots of incoming fish must be exciting. I am thinking of going the RAS route as the AP possibilities where I am staying now are not very good. Not sure yet, still mulling things over.

Wow nice fish cc. Been in a good paddock


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Who's looking after everything why your touring Bear?

Great sized Jades mate, their massive.

Thanks fellows, Hoping Steve will check every now and then Charlie. Christmas will be the longest period others will be just a few days. This time I will ensure all filters are cleaned proberly and do a large water change on the RAS systems.

Hi Martin, as long as you have a good filtration system set up and can change water at regular intervals then the RAS is no problems. Cheers

Thanks Bear.

Not much happening here with winter settling in, the outside temperature have been falling to 5c but the day time is in the low 20c range. Main tank and RAS water has been down to 13c but mainly sitting between 15/16c.

Do not feed much during winter with the remaining Jades and silver perches in the main tank getting about three quarters of a cup of feed every three days. Do not know how many are still in the tank but they are now going three years old. In the RAS are the fifty jades about 75 mm long and the second tank has the new silver perch fingerlings about 30/40 mm long. Ended up with 150 of them and 100 will go in the main tank when it is emptied and maintenance done. This will be about October as I went into the main tank last winter and will not do that again if I do not have to. That about covers the two outside systems so take care, cheers

Nice Bear.

Our winter here has been a bit frustrating, ground temperature down to 1 / 2 c and tank temperature slipping to 8/9 c. Found my first casualty in the main system. Not sure how long he was on the bottom for but eyes were good, no heavy slim and just the pink soft gills which would I think indicate he has been dead a while. PH 6 ( normal) Amm .25 Nitrite 0 Nitrate over 100 but this is normal for the system and has been for years. Changed 1500 litres out which I can ill afford at the moment due to lack of rain but I know the system is ok.

Temperature in tanks went from the lows to around 15 c for a week then dropped back down to below 10 c. Suspect it was just the cold that got him as the other jades and the silvers look good. Love raising my fish and eating them as well but due to bad elbows I can not hold a fish to clean or fillet with out sever pain. I have to rely on the generous help from Blind Freddie to do the culling for me. Hoping he has time in the next couple of months as I need to do a days maintenance on the tank before introducing the new silvers from the RAS.



Will take couple of photos of the system today and post the updates later. Now I have to go and get a couple bags of salt as I used the last lot on the weekend. Cheers

PS he was about 1.5 kg.

I know it didn't make it but what a beauty in terms of size and shape though. Seriously envious of your fish species from the limited Kiwi Land across the ditch.
I am going to start investigating bass over here, not sure how they grow in AP. My only other real choice is grass carp in terms of decent size fish for growing out.

Hi Martin hope every thing is well for you and the mamily. Good luck with the fish hunting look forward to your new system thread. Cheers

Nice fish Bear!

Its unfortunate your plate bashing days are catching up on you mate. Any jobs you want done (although a short visit) Im more than eager to assist on wednesday.

The positive of your limbs degrading is I see some system components going at bargain prices in the future haha

Oh man that was so wrong of me...

Couple of photos of the four beds, we have leaks, lettuce, Flowering Bok Choy, Broccoli. White pansies, Spring onions, egg plant and rainbow Chard and Silver beet.

Took about 30 leaves of the chard on the weekend as well as two head of broccoli and trimmed the egg plant back. Every thing is rocketing along and will have to start planting more soon.

Sorry charlie definitely will not be a bargain mate, can you bring your camera with you please mate, would like some in tank shots again.