Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thanks Gordon,

So if I dose the FT tank at 1 ppt and the quarantine tank at 3 ppt do you think that sounds about right?

And how long should they be in the quarantine tank? Once done in there do I just pour them and the water into the FT?

How do I go about getting the Ph down to low 7's ? which is where the hatchery reckons their fingerlings live.

Pete.

Yes, that salinity sounds about right Pete, but make sure you match the pH and water temps before transfer.
Hard to say on the length of quarantine time- inspect them very closely and if there are any signs of disease- white spot etc, keep them in until it clears up, plus a bit more. At 3ppt salinity, it wouldn't do any harm to leave them in for a week anyway, even if they are looking healthy.


Have you got any clean rain water there you could add? Rainwater is often around pH6. Otherwise, it should come down naturally as nitrification gets going in a big way.

+1 to above for me. That is pretty much what I would do as well.

>> So if I dose the FT tank at 1 ppt and the quarantine tank at 3 ppt do you think that sounds about right?
yep

>> Once done in there do I just pour them and the water into the FT?
can do, else carefully net them out.

>> How do I go about getting the Ph down to low 7's ? which is where the hatchery reckons their fingerlings live.

isn't your scheme water around mid 7's anyway ? Get some put aside, in the tub you are going to use with air stones and gassing off ready. Grab a bit of rainwater as Guna suggests. A small amount of HCL will do it OK.
Low risk for fish as products are chlorides (CaCL etc).

Then you use small amounts of Fish Tank water to gradually bring the quarantine tank up to your system levels.

"Then you use small amounts of Fish Tank water to gradually bring the quarantine tank up to your system levels."

I've got a 60 lt plastic tub I can mount next to the FT so I can share the air line and easily transfer the water.

Should I be exchanging their water over the week while they're in quarantine then introduce the FT water after that (how slowly for how long)?

Pete.

I fitted the plastic float in the ST and ran the pipes underground to the second system at the same time. I've got to get a couple of meters of insulation to go over the above ground pipe and flex.

I didn't waste a drop, I inverted the stand pipes covered the with duct tape then flooded the GB's.

Pete.

I've got a 60 lt plastic tub I can mount next to the FT so I can share the air line and easily transfer the water.
Should I be exchanging their water over the week while they're in quarantine then introduce the FT water after that (how slowly for how long)?

60L sounds too small, might work this time if you get them into the system quickly but wont help you as a hospital or quarantine tank in the future. In proper quarantine situation fish may have to spend a week there.... you may also have issues with keeping water temps (a) cool and (b) similar to system (as important as WQ).

basically depends on how different the 2 water qualities are.
You can only bring the pH up a small amount each time, so basically small frequent water changes.
Trout are probably going to be much more sensitive than goldfish etc, also your water temps will be an issue.
You will have to judge by how the fish seem to be coping - probably once per hour or so would be fastest you could go. In a longer quarantine a few times a day would do the job.

If fish are to stay in a pre-prepared hospital/quarantine tank for a week or two shouldn't the water be isolated from the main system at an elevated salinity and cleaned with it's own bio filter? In effect another mini ap unit.
If so, would it need to be dosed with an ammonia to keep it ready for the next customer?

Pete.

I poured 1.6 KG of pool salt (=1 PPT) into the FT, although I can see the bottom of the IBC FT through the Powerfeed tea after I put the salt in it became about a third clearer again.
I also mixed 15 grm of Iron Challate into 5 lt of FT water and sprinkled over plants that appeared to have yellowing leaves.
I'm still considering how to best quarantine the 22 trout fingerlings in 3 PPT salt I hope to get on Friday.

Pete.

tagging along, looks like the system is ready to go! looking forward to seeing the trout!

Here's trout fingerling quarantine plan "C" part A, section 3......

I have a IBC with a leak in the bottom corner so I flipped it over and now have a quarantine/hospital tank with a window and roof. I filled it with 200 lt of town water, borrowed the SLO with attached air lines from FT 1 and dosed it with 600 gm of salt (3ppt).
I found some white shade cloth to drape over the entire tank. It looks kinda cosy in there now I'm sure the fishies will enjoy their short stay.

Pete.

nice idea to keep from scrapping the tank! is it full yet? Is it going to be OK with not having to add additional supports to the top to keep it from bowing out too much? Or do you still have the reinforcement bars that go across the top to put back in?

200 lt is just short of the first change in direction of the plastic so there's very little deformation of the old top.

Pete.

good use of a damaged IBC.
Like the lid and access hole all-in-one.. should do the job nicely.

you could brace top and sides with a couple of tech screws to a piece of marine ply or similar anyway...

Getting the 22 trout tomorrow morning, they'll be in an oxygenated bag so I'll take a plastic box to prevent them from rolling around. The guy said I can have a mixture of Rainbow and Brown if I want???

I've done a test on the QT water and fitted 2 longer air stones.

I've got what looks like burnt leaf edges a couple of days after the Iron Challate dose - what do you think?

Pete.

dont worry about guessing. Give them a gentle foliar feed with a multipurpose.

everything else looks OK, so either that part of tank or they are not getting something they want.
cucumbers in dirt are quite big feeders and like a bit of manure and compost.
so could be P. But on other hand like things a bit acidic-neutral so could be pH related.

also like warmth, has it been a bit cool ?


I have more luck with them in wicking beds. So that is the other option.