Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

yep, epsom salts will increase GH.

Don't play too much with it, i went down that track

use feed reduction in the first instance and water changes second to control ammonia if need be

But I'm a fixer upper; sorta outer! it's so hard not to tinker, I have to keep my hands behind my back

Well you can come up to Qld and fixer me upper with a greenhouse

Hmmm, depends on the land prices. I'm getting sick of hearing about the wonderful warm weather in Qld

But unfortunately my bikes broken and I can't afford the airfare because I've spent all my money on aquaponics

I've decided to take the sage advice of the forum. Added another 2000L of water and reduced feed...now I wait....wait.....wait....

how long does this damm cycling take again?

Is that your push bike

Hope not... apparantly it's all uphill to QLD

Yep it's my push bike; that's why I'm waiting for cycling

Arrgghh

I think you may be pulling our leg - sounds a bit fishy.

arrgghh I can't take any more I'm going to pike out and go to bed LOL

At least that will stop you peddling your wares.

Cycling will take 2-3 weeks at optimal (warm) temperatures. If it's cold, it takes longer.

Sigghhh, may have left it a little late, althought the PH is still high and the water definitely not warmer that 20 degrees, and I've reduced feed way down....

mass fish deaths Lost around twenty over the last couple of days. very strange most of the fish I can see look fine and are swimming around (even trying to feed at the surface now I've reduced feed); but in the evening I find little corpses on the bottom of the tank. The only symptoms I've seen are a few flashing fish and one or two not swimming quite right


The only other possible causes:

(1) When I added my first 500 litres of water , I used a small bottle of water conditioner that I picked up in a hurry (unlikely that it didn't work)

(2) I've stripped my clay ball beds down because I just couldn't fix the leaks (bought $80 worth of proper tank fittins which work a treat) and when I did I found the silicone I used was still soft inside and stunk!

So at this stage I'm somewhat disheartened to say the least

Question: should I cut feed altogether for a few days, or is this too drastic?

Any other ideas?

Not feeding the fish is the best thing to do for a few days - don't like the silicone stuff tho...is it aquarium safe - also did you allow time for it to cure properly (you may have stated this previously).

E2....patience, patience, patience.....

I know... as one impatient person to another... it's hard....

But I think you're trying to adjust just too many variables too quickly in too short a time.....

And your system just isn't cycled yet by the sound of it.....

What are your latest test readings... last I could see was Ammonia 0.5 on Fri 24.... nitrites and nitrates still zero....

Reading your thread it would seem that for your 10,000ltr of tank that you have about 500ltrs of hydroton growbeds, a bioball style filter and some rows of pvc channels....

It's hard to work out the total bio-filter capacity of your system without knowing the number and length of the channels (apologies if I missed it somewhere... have a feeling I might have)....... but I don't recall or see photos of anything planted as yet.....

So essentially you appear to have about 150 fingerlings in a total tank capacity of 10,000ltrs with about maybe 1500ltrs (????) of growbed capacity and no or few plants planted out or established....

A pH of about 7.5, ammonia about 0.5, nitrites 0, nitrates 0....

And many fish flashing and/or dieing..... and some siliconed fittings that are/were soft and "stinky"

Is this about the state of things???

To me it sounds as though you may have a case of "Ich" in your fingerlings.... and I note that you purchased them from QLD.... it is known that at least one QLD supplier has delivered fingerlings to more than one member here on the forum which have subsequently developed "Ich".

To treat "Ich" you need to salt them at the concentration Janet suggested of at least 3 parts per thousand..... in 10000ltrs thats a LOT of salt....

Can you remove the fingerlings to a smaller "hospital" tank and treat them with salt???

Secondly, as Les said check that the silicone you used was aquarium safe silicone....

If it wasn't, then I'd be suggested again that you remove your fish to a seperate tank.... clean out your beds and start again, with aquarium safe silicon and allow time to cure...

As to pH down/up, magnesium sulphate, calcium buffers etc.... as above mate.... tooo much.... tooo quickly

might seem like swings and roundabouts mate..... but at the moment the carnival hasn't even arrived at the showground.....

Think you need to just let the system settle and cycle... and find it's own initial balance point....

In the mean time I think you need to treat your fish.... lots of info in the forum on treating Ich