Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yep thats right. I've seen pictures of mudeys wish fish in their jaws 1.5 times their length (ie fish bigger than mudeye).

Tried to find a good pick but this is the best I could find quickly. Its eating a tad pole.

see even mudeye's have to use the P word

Yep Stu, that's it. Interestingly, found mine under a redgum garden bed sleeper. It looked very well fed. It was a spot full of slaters, earwigs etc and probably paradise for a mudeye. The environment was a bit drier than i thought they would tolerate, but the available food must have offset that. Moot point now, he is inside a fish tummy.

Week 2 with fish and plants:

Ammo 1.5
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 40
pH 6.0
GH 100approx
KH 30mg/lt approx

These readings are far from ideal. I have no science background at all but will try and interpret from what i see here. Bc my pHreading low, the fish are able to tolerate the ammo and nitite levels. GH is fine and KH is typical of a low pH enviro, so fine. Fish are feeding, plants are
growing. There is always some duckweed in the tank to help strip nitrate and feed the fish. Were my pH at higher levels i dare say i would have dead fish. I am tempted to throw some salt in but the fish seem pretty happy. Don't want to overthink it bc i don't reckon the system is quite cycled yet.

What do people think?

more "P" tragic, getting there

Patience and light feeding. Hang in there.

Sounds good, let us know when you have some work for me

A few fast facts, pics to come on the wknd:

i)- noticed some flashing so added 2kg salt.
ii)- next day, oldest cauli leaves shrivelled
iii)- day after those leaves had "snail trail" type appearance.
iv)- growth is terrific but seems to be a bit leggy due to the high nutes i dare say
v)- i add duckweed twice/wk but never see the fish eat it. I reckon it gets sucked up thru the sump pump.
vi)- lotta agro from male fish. Prolly not stocking them at a high enough density to offset this, but don't have the extra GB's
vii)- Silvers love slugs, slaters and mossie larvae.
viii)- since adding fish i have no algae in the fish tank
ix)- 13600lt w/tank full, 1000lt w/tank full, 2 wheelie bins full. Help!

Pics on the wknd, promise.

Generally if plants are getting leggy it is a lack of light.. I never see my silvers eat duckweed or azola but I know they do because that azola floats so well, it won;t sink and go into my pump..

Possible lack of light EB. Progress photos on wknd.

With the turbulence in my flood cycle, i reckon some of the duckweed gets sucked under and then into the sump pump. Seen the odd bit of duckweed in GB's but only a very few pieces. Reckon i read somewhere silvers are more inclined to eat plant food as they get older. My completely unscientific background postulates that during river floods, when spawning, they are washed onto plains where plants are the ONLY food source. Watchyathink?

re: leggy yep just ask my leb. watercress on the indoor tank!

RE: silvers and duckweed /azolla, they like it alright, they just dont seem to take it when you're watching!

TT, when you said males did you mean silver perch males?! from what i've heard they are Indistinguishable unless you're proficient with a scalpel

Perhaps TT is operating on the principal that if the fish is aggressive, it must be a male.

I just took a cue from a tilapia photo in someone's thread that showed submissive females and males with the fin display thing going on. It seems quite noticeable with the silvers i have that this occurs too.

Have great day people!

Week 3 with fish and plants.
A very happy tragic today.
Ammo1.5
Nitrite.3
Nitrate 0
GH 260
KH 40
pH 6.0

Two months after the first rock was washed, our system appears to have cycled. Yaaay. I was a little worried bc i have been feeding quite heavily but things seem ok. The high GH is to be expected with the 2kg salt that was dumped in earlier in the week. My fish load of 21 seems compatible with 400 lts of GBs, more by mistake than design! Pics to follow.

pics