Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

we set this system up to work through the problems before we started on the big one, so we will put this down to pure learning, expensive and painful as it may be. I hope that we will be able to isolate the problem so we know what not to do. I guess if it is cold then a heater should stop the deaths, but chances are they are so stressed that the deaths may continue for a while.
We were so focused on trying to avoid losses with our hot weather that we didn't consider the cold. Shit happens and we learn I hope.

Thats the main thing. nothings a waste if you've learned

Your larger system should be more stable when you get it set up though Chrissy, so temperature fluctuations won't be such an issue..

my monster tank has dropped down to 15o, but has not fluctuated during the day (neither has the air temp for that matter . But over the last day and a half the air temps have improved and the tank is up to 17o today.

The drop to 15o was a steady decrease so the fish had time to acclimatise, with no jumps back up during the days.

Fact of the matter is that 200 fish was TOO many for that small tank. DO would have been quickly depleted. Ammonia would have most definitely spiked (keep in mind ammonia is excreted from the gills as well). Temperature is constantly fluctuating which is not good for stress levels. The tank is exposed and god knows what might have been in it before hand.

1. Get more aeration if needed. Run the incoming water over a dish or object to spread the water out and create more slashing.
2. Get the temp up. Insulate more if necessary and heat it internally.
3. Daily water changes until they improve... 1/4 will do.
4. Get a second opinion/test of the water chemistry if possible.
5. Stop feeding! Even if they are eating, their metabolism at
low temperatures will be very low. They won't be able to digest food properly.
6. Stress is huge factor, have they got plenty of places to hide. Cover the tank.

You can't go bull at a gate with aquaponics, just because others have lots of fish doesn't mean it can be done easily. Move your way up. Make mistakes on a smaller scale. I started with an established pond, then move to a few goldies and white clouds and now trout and marron... I have only lost 6 fish to AP, I may lose a few more on the way up, but I learn along the way.

did you have supplemental air in there chrissy? or just the water return?

Been a bit busy, here are some updates. These photos are taken just before we added the SP, the yellow belly are now in a dam dodging pelicans and the yabbies are in a cold spot in the shed in go slow mode. We will use them to start the new system (not far away now)
The plants are much more developed now, although the sweet potato has been browned off by the frost, even through the shade cloth.
The SP are going well now, the deaths stopped once we stopped the temp fluctuations by tucking them in each afternoon. We cover the tank with a sheet of fibro, then an electric blanket on 3, then heaps of woollen blankets. We're only running the pump from 8 am til 4 pm. The weather has warmed now, our winters although cold are usually quite short.

The big tank is in the ground and holding a fairly constant temp of around 9 degrees. Hopefully have that working before the weather gets too hot!!!

Our climate is a problem with everything else we do, so it comes as no surprise that it creates some problems with aquaponics.

Getting the fish is also a huge problem due to our location, we just had to run with these SP while it all came together, obviously we'd have done better to wait for spring.

some more pics

Hey Chrissie... saw the new system in the members system thread...

How about posting the pics of the new "big" system here, so that we can discuss and answer your questions.

(Don't forget to put a link back to here into your entry in the Systems Gallery thread )

Here's our "dream system" coming together.
Still got a bit to do but so far so good

another pic

are you going to fence or cover the tank?

looks good by the way