Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have had these plants in for a few weeks and they don't seem to be growing any bigger and are looking a little yellow.

Any ideas?

Cheers

Richard

Hi Richard, welcome to the forum

This looks like a nitrogen deficiency since the whole plant is turning yellow. This probably has to do with the number of fish and amount of feed or the quality of the feed. I think you'll need to tell us a bit more about your system. I think nitrogen isn't the only missing nutrient in this situation, it's just what shows up first.

One temporary solution is to use something like blood and bone or vermicompost to keep things rolling until your fish start providing more of the nutrients. At this point though I do think you should troubleshoot first to see if there is an obvious solution.

Add some Seasol for now. I believe that is a product available in your area.

Hi! New member here. My question is about guidelines on the makeup of "good" fish food. I am just starting out. AP is fascinating and tests all my skills - mechanical, electrical and control electronics. I find myself planning my next system in my head already while commuting! To get my system going I am using goldfish with temperature monitoring and water testing. My AP room is starting to smell like the fish area of a pet store already in less than a week! No seedlings yet, just letting the nutrients come up and getting used to the cycle. I do have some seeds in starter pots. So is there a recommendation for ingredients and percentages to look for in common fish food?

Hi and welcome to the forum. You posted in a thread about yellowing plants, so you may want to start a new thread for your topic, or add it to a fishfood thread (maybe an admin will find a good spot for your post).

I agree with the broad skills education. I find I'm involved in structural engineering, construction, plumbing, electrical, hydrodynamics, biology and chemistry in addition to gardening and raising fish.

As far as the fishfood question, you want a good balanced feed that provides all the nutrients your fish need as well as supporting the needs of your plants. Usually a good commercial feed will do depending on what type of fish you will raise. If you intend to eat them, be sure your feed is intended for food fish. In my case I raise tilapia and channel catfish, but many people raise koi, goldfish, etc.

I use Purina Aquamax, Star Mills, and Premium Fish Food brands. The protein / fat / fiber content depends on the type and size of fish. Younger growing fish generally need about 50% protein, while juvenile or older fish maybe 35% protein. I find the most economical feed is in 50# bags from my local feed store for about $35 a bag. Where smaller quantities can be much more expensive and usually include shipping costs too.

You'll need to make a choice based on the size system you have (100 gallons, 1000 gallons?) the type of fish, etc.

Have a look at these links:

https://www.purinamills.com/fish-and-aquatics-feed
http://premiumfishfood.com/
https://www.starmilling.com/fish-index.php

I've also seen "Organic" feed at my local hydroponics store for about $30 for 10#, but I have not looked into that yet - seems pricey.

Good luck, and tell us more about yourself and your plans - location, size, fish type, space, ...

+1, you can only get out what you put in,the best quality food your budget will allow,you will get less problems and heartaches by going for quality,if you use good food you can forget about it and get on with something,if cheap food starts giving you problems it might be a while until you figure it out and this just wastes time and money.