Aquaponics

[knjinnm]

The water is 2' deep and if I had to guess I'd say mid-high 70's in temperature. I can get you an accurate temp when I get home. So the fish won't eat the darn things? Dangit.... I was hoping for free forage.

RichnSteph

Temperature may be what is killing your fish. Plecos will tolerate up to 85 degrees but I doubt perch will. You may have to stock Talipia after all. 70 degrees is probably the max for perch without cooler depths to seek refuge.

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks! I think the ones we bought were just plain old plecos.



Update on the system: I'm still losing fish. The most recent was a perch laying at the bottom of the tank. When I pulled it out it was still breathing and if put back in would swim a few feet and then sink. Had one a few days ago do the exact same thing. In both cases the stomachs looked empty as if they died of starvation. Oh a hunch I threw some immature BSF grubs in there and watched as a few of the perch (and the bass I think) ate them. They are getting fed 3 times a day with the largest feeding right before dark.. Last night around 9:30 I went out to take a look at them and in the beam of the flashlight I could see them swimming around and foraging. There isn't much in the way of cover in the pond, anyone think I should add some of the large oak or walnut branches that I have to the pond for shade and places to hide? Oh and there are hundreds and hundreds of tadpoles in there from our recent "mating of the toads" swim-a-thon a week ago. Hope the fish will eat some of them.

Thanks in advance.
RichnSteph

I'd definitely NOT put walnut branches or leaves in that water. Walnut has a chemical that is toxic to most plant life. I'm guessing it wouldn't be too fish friendly, either!

 

[RichnSteph]

Checked the temps yesterday the tank was 80 degrees after 5 pm so I'm guessing it's warmer during the day. I'm on the hunt for a nice shade cloth that with still allow enough sun in for the plants. We are for sure going to have to go with tilapia.

Thanks for the heads up LG. I'll avoid putting any walnut in there.

 

[3goodeggs]

If you can set up a little sprinkler system to rain onto your duck pond, the evaporative cooling should help lower the water temperature.
They do that to swimming pools over here to keep them tolerable to swim in.

 

[politicalcenter]

Temperature may be what is killing your fish. Plecos will tolerate up to 85 degrees but I doubt perch will. You may have to stock Talipia after all. 70 degrees is probably the max for perch without cooler depths to seek refuge.

Checked the temps yesterday the tank was 80 degrees after 5 pm so I'm guessing it's warmer during the day. I'm on the hunt for a nice shade cloth that with still allow enough sun in for the plants. We are for sure going to have to go with tilapia.

Thanks for the heads up LG. I'll avoid putting any walnut in there.

The biggest problem with high temps. is the fact that warm water carries less O2 than cool water so your fish may be suffocating. If they are at the top of the water and look like they are sucking air that would be my prognosis. And fish do not need to be fed three times a day.
They can go for two weeks without feed so once a day is plenty. Too much food in the water that is not eaten will just rot on the bottom and take O2 from the water in the process. Instead of spending money on a shade cloth why not get some free water meal or duckweed to cover the top of the pond. Duckweed would be best if you can find it but water meal works well. Fish will eat water meal and duckweed and it can be seen as small green plants on the top of the water. Ya can't miss it if you look for it.

Tadpoles are fine for your pond they will also eat some of the "junk" off the bottom of your pond.

Don't put any wood, copper, aluminum, and to be safe any metals in your pond.

And don't worry your pond to death.

Remember...if you sneak up on your pond in the morning and the fish are at the top and then go deeper when they see you low O2 would be the problem. If that happens you need to get more air in the water....like a fountain or waterfall.

 

[politicalcenter]

If you can set up a little sprinkler system to rain onto your duck pond, the evaporative cooling should help lower the water temperature.
They do that to swimming pools over here to keep them tolerable to swim in.

I have thought about setting up a mister system for mine but never did it. But I have unhooked the pump and shot the water straight up in the air. Like a fountain.

 

[RichnSteph]

Thanks for the advice politicalcenter! We've got a couple of bubblers going there and I've found a pond full of duckweed near work that I'm going to go collect some out of. I'll keep any wood/metal out of the system as well. So far we haven't lost any more fish, to be honest I think there are only 3 or 4 left in there. I tossed in 70 small feeder fish there a while back to give the bass something to chase and between it and the large perch every last minnow has been eaten. I tossed in 25 more yesterday.

The newest thing with our AP system is me learning to hand pollinate our vining plants. We don't have any honey bees out where we live (that will change once our beehive has been purchased and occupied) so nothing is getting pollinated.


I'll keep you all informed on how it's going.

Richnsteph

 

[knjinnm]

Thanks for the advice politicalcenter! We've got a couple of bubblers going there and I've found a pond full of duckweed near work that I'm going to go collect some out of. I'll keep any wood/metal out of the system as well. So far we haven't lost any more fish, to be honest I think there are only 3 or 4 left in there. I tossed in 70 small feeder fish there a while back to give the bass something to chase and between it and the large perch every last minnow has been eaten. I tossed in 25 more yesterday.




I'll keep you all informed on how it's going.

Richnsteph

Richnsteph
I suggest quarantining any plants or fish you add to your system. Seventeen gallon muck buckets with a bubbler and wire cover to keep racoon's out will work for a short duration.
Treat the fish for ick and the plants for ick/velvet as well as treat the plants for hitchhikes such as snails.
jac

 

[RichnSteph]

Richnsteph
I suggest quarantining any plants or fish you add to your system. Seventeen gallon muck buckets with a bubbler and wire cover to keep racoon's out will work for a short duration.
Treat the fish for ick and the plants for ick/velvet as well as treat the plants for hitchhikes such as snails.
jac

Thanks!

 

[politicalcenter]

Richnsteph
I suggest quarantining any plants or fish you add to your system. Seventeen gallon muck buckets with a bubbler and wire cover to keep racoon's out will work for a short duration.
Treat the fish for ick and the plants for ick/velvet as well as treat the plants for hitchhikes such as snails.
jac

I like snails as long as they don't get out of hand and if you can get a few shell crackers in your pond (red ear sunfish) the snails will serve as free food for the sunfish. I do have a separate pond for plants because I am thinking about selling aquatic plants next year. As for fish diseases you can probably use a quick salt dip if you wish... but I figure you don't quarantine people for two weeks before they get on an airplane so I don't worry too much about wild caught fish.

I have found that adding chemicals to my system or fishy environment causes more harm than good.

When the weather gets hot like here in Alabama the more water you have for your fish the better. Of course that also goes for fish anywhere under all conditions.