Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

went to check on them this morning and noticed one was dead on the top. quicky put back the air stone and water pump. thought i got to them just in time. got home today after a hot day and found them all floating on the top. smelled really foul. there was white gunk all through the water. i wont be risking eating them but will use it for dog food. so its not a total waste. my dog is happy.

tt thats exactly what i was thinking. much like an airlift. should also help get more flow through the pipe. would almost be like a raceway system.

when the water pump is turned off however would the flow through the pipe created by the blower drain the end tank and over flow the first? or would the pressure of the water be to great to create an airlift?

its hard to know without trying.

thanks for the sympathy guys.

really sorry to hear that BF, hope things head up for you soon

ironically there will be a power outage for 1/5 of perth suburbs tomorrow. guess who's going to be prepared for the barra.

most of the barra are 30+ cm now and i would nearly die if i lost them.

what i did was setup 2 of my battery back up air pumps. i put one air stone from each into each tank. this way if one of them stuffs up on me i have another going in each tank.

i am tempted to harvest a few of the larger barra just in case, but at the same time don't want to stress them. so i'm caught between a rock and a hard place. after reading about net shock i'm not so sure i want to disturb them.

what you reckon? should i harvest some or leave them?

Depends on if the tank is over stocked IMHO if you are pushing the boundaries, then maybe taking a few out will save the rest of them... dunno, it's a hard call, maybe test your parameters and don't feed till after the trouble is over. Be ready with a bucket to aerate if all else fails....

light bulb just went on. seems obvious. UGF. i can easily install one into each tank. hopefully the suction action through the gravel will help process solids. it should also create a even better movement of water through the tank.

fingers crossed for ya man. Don't feed is all i can really suggest.
Re read ur thread last night and don't remember u saying you had a test kit. $40 bucks covers all the things we need to know and it really does give u a feel for where ur system is at. U may already be testing, I just couldn't see it. Best of luck today.

Sorry about your losses BF.

I just don't know what to say. I feel for you, and can only imagine what you must be going through. It is a lesson to us all to be more vigilant and you highlighted it big time. Will keep on my toes today with expected power cuts and 40 degree temps expecrted. List to self ; buy spare batteries for air pump.
ps Did you take photos, I know it seems cruel but a picture speaks 1000 words.

didn't take a pic of the tank but here is one of the fish.

they have a really foul smell to them which would probably support my thoughts.

i need to weigh up the pro's and cons of feeding heavy and feeding light. if i feed heavy i unstablize the system and if power goes out i'm in trouble. if i feed light i wont get as much growth out of the fish or the plants, but the system will be more stable.

so i guess its probably good advice to give to someone new to ap. feed very light for the first year and then slowly increase feeding rate. once you know the system well begin to push the boundaries.

like many things to much love is a bad thing.

on that note does any one know how long fish can go without feed before stressing them?

cheers

a couple of days with out food should be fine.

They look like fish in need of a breath

depends on the density of the tank, I am yet to have significant experience with AP fish densities, but in an aquarium they can go a week, after that bad things start happening.

i've been told that barra need to be purged for a minimum of 2 weeks to remove off flavors. now if they start to stress after 1 week then how can they purge for so long without problems?

i will ask the supplier tomorrow when i see him.

Purging could be done with lower densities...
enough bugs and natural food will feed if they're not packed in too tight.
You should be ok if purging. I mean, if they get stressed and a bit feisty they may get fungal problems but then who cares if they're due for the slaughterhouse. I didn't realise you meant purging.

i didn't mean purging was just using that as an example.

i guess you probably do stress fish purging, however the taste of the flesh makes up for it. may not have as good a texture as unpurged fish but will taste better.

i'm trying to find the balance between to little feed and to much. both will harm the fish.

i was feeding 2 times a day but perhaps once a day is better for system stability.

i'm not sure though.