cyberfysh starting out

[cyberfysh]

Just got my balcony kit system fully functional, with silver perch fingerlings added last Thursday.

I'm really new to this, and have made a few mistakes already - e.g. clay pebble level a bit low, I think, so plants like capsicums & tomatoes have died (too wet?); but on the positive side, cos lettuce, pak choy & spring onions seem to be quite happy.

I've enjoyed browsing the forum, and seeing a very helpful & supportive community here.

[Dufflight]

Welcome.:)

[Shane]

Just got my balcony kit system fully functional, with silver perch fingerlings added last Thursday.

I'm really new to this, and have made a few mistakes already - e.g. clay pebble level a bit low, I think, so plants like capsicums & tomatoes have died (too wet?); but on the positive side, cos lettuce, pak choy & spring onions seem to be quite happy.

I've enjoyed browsing the forum, and seeing a very helpful & supportive community here.

Hi cyberfysh,
I'd love to see some photo's of your system....suppose I'd better start recording some of my own too!

[aussieap]

Howdy. Good luck with it and yeah, pics are good.

[cyberfysh]

Thanks for the encouragement; I hesitated to post pix because my system is very humble - just "straight out of the box" as bought from Murray & installed by me (without any particularly creative or inventive DIY skills) - but I suppose it might be encouraging for others who are hesitating, to see that it can be done quite simply...

Anyway, here goes for uploading a couple of snaps.

[Castaway]

Come spring I can already see you adding more grow beds as your plants will really take off and you'll be wishing you had more beds once those fish grow to size!

[anniefish]

Hi Castaway,

How true, we've just spent the last three weeks renovating and expanding our system. Also setting up a heated tank for fingerlings. Just can't get enough of it!:D

We had three frosts in a row last week and FT temp didn't get under 15degrees C. Have set up a solar water heater, on a timer to heat FT water through the day. Also, added a hot house over part of the grow beds, enough for a tomato or two, capsicum and I'll try a cucumber. I'll be extremely happy if I can get them through winter.

Cheers,

Annie

[Castaway]

Have set up a solar water heater, on a timer to heat FT water through the day.

Hi Annie, Can you explain a little more how you've set that solar water heater up? Is that a swimming pool heater or something else?

[LPMurphy]

Welcome - in other words from what Cyberfysh said - this is addictive so be prepared. Welcome to the group. Have no fear posting pics - this is a great group who will encourage and give you the straight scoop to help you.

[Bubba]

Welcome CF :)

[cyberfysh]

:) I think you're right, LPMurphy - it's quite likely to become addictive!

I've just topped up the pebbles in my grow bed, and put in a couple of chilli & tomato plants ... just can't wait for things to grow up - plants, fish (me??)!

Just one more beginner's question: Is it a problem that my 4 airstones have settled into one corner of the fish tank? If that's undesirable, how can I spread them out more? If I move them, they just seem to work their way back into the same corner... :confused:

[Shane]

Looks great!

[fishfood]

Air is air no mater where it is

[cyberfysh]

Air is air no mater where it is

Thanks, FF - reassurance is always good for beginners! :)

[cyberfysh]

Thanks to everyone who responded to my question on the information thread, about leaving my "babies" for a couple of days.

The good news is that I fed them early on Saturday, and came back this afternoon to find 100 happy little SP, eager to devour some more food! :D

[cyberfysh]

The good news is that I fed them early on Saturday, and came back this afternoon to find 100 happy little SP, eager to devour some more food! :D

:( Alas, I spoke too soon! Looking more carefully this morning, I discovered a significant number of dead fish (10-15) stuck to the intake of the pump.

I've removed the deceased, and tested the water: pH is 7.2, Nitrite is 0 ppm, Nitrate is 20 ppm, and Ammonia is 0 ppm.

We had 82 mm of rain overnight.

[Castaway]

Sorry to hear about your fish loss. What caused them to die? You didn't overfeed them I hope? Plenty of air in the system? Is there a lot of uneaten food in the bottom of the tank? What about sudden drop in water temperature due to rain? Its puzzling to know what the cause was...

[cyberfysh]

Sorry to hear about your fish loss. What caused them to die? You didn't overfeed them I hope? Plenty of air in the system? Is there a lot of uneaten food in the bottom of the tank? What about sudden drop in water temperature due to rain? Its puzzling to know what the cause was...

Thanks, Castaway; the only possible cause you've offered that I can definitely discount is lack of air. It has been quite cool, and I'm still learning to judge the right feeding level. I also tucked a couple of seedling pots into the grow bed before I went away, since I hadn't had time to plant them out, and I'm wondering whether there might have been something in the potting mix that didn't agree with the fish?

[Castaway]

Thanks, Castaway; the only possible cause you've offered that I can definitely discount is lack of air.

By air I meant dissolved oxygen going into the system either through air stones or water/splashing recirculation.


I'm wondering whether there might have been something in the potting mix
I wouldn't get into the habit of planting seedling punnets with soil directly into the grow beds. Pull the seedling out of their punnets, rinse off all dirt in a bucket of water exposing only the roots and plant the seedlings into the gravel media without any dirt attached. Then you know you are not introducing foreign chemicals into the AP system and have no risk of upsetting the fish.

[cyberfysh]

By air I meant dissolved oxygen going into the system either through air stones or water/splashing recirculation.

Yes; I have 4 airstones running constantly, and a fairly robust stream of water from the bypass in the pipe going up to the grow bed, as well as the return from the syphon. That's why I thought air would be unlikely to be the problem.


I wouldn't get into the habit of planting seedling punnets with soil directly into the grow beds. Pull the seedling out of their punnets, rinse off all dirt in a bucket of water exposing only the roots and plant the seedlings into the gravel media without any dirt attached. Then you know you are not introducing foreign chemicals into the AP system and have no risk of upsetting the fish.

That was just a "quick fix" since I was going away and didn't want to lose my seedlings. I won't take that risk again!

[Shane]

:( Alas, I spoke too soon! Looking more carefully this morning, I discovered a significant number of dead fish (10-15) stuck to the intake of the pump.
Hi cyberfysh,
Sorry to hear of your fish deaths. How are the survivors today? all OK I hope.


We had 82 mm of rain overnight.

Is that a normal amount of rain for your area? (I'm unsure where Logan City is).

[cyberfysh]

Hi cyberfysh,
Sorry to hear of your fish deaths. How are the survivors today? all OK I hope.

2 more dead this morning. :(



Is that a normal amount of rain for your area? (I'm unsure where Logan City is).

Yes, that's not unusual for this time of year. Logan City is just South of Brisbane. Murray's area would be getting the same weather, though I understand that his systems are under cover.

[Shane]

Yes, that's not unusual for this time of year. Logan City is just South of Brisbane. Murray's area would be getting the same weather, though I understand that his systems are under cover.
I thought you must have been a lot further north (up in FNQ) to cop a barrage like that (didn't realise its normal for Brisbane).
Wish I could help with some advice on the fish death front, but I'm more inexperienced than you are!
Good luck.

[Castaway]

Well I'm up north from you on the Sunshine Coast and we've had a lot of rain too. I took down the shade cloth on the weekend because it was very sunny weather to made a few repairs. (Murphys Law - Take down the Cover -Its going to Rain) The shade cloth normally cuts down a lot of rain from penetrating but I havent put it back up. So the last few days the AP system is not under cover and has coped a lot of heavy rain. Fish are all swimming around without a problem. Lettuce looks a bit battered but they'll spring up once the sun shines. Not sure we can blame the rain for fish deaths but I understand your fish a quite small so mortalities may occur for whatever strange reason. I would clean up any excess food debris from the bottom of the tank and monitor the water temperature and pH levels carefully until things get back to normal.

[cyberfysh]

Thanks for your sympathetic replies, Shane & Castaway.

I'm wondering whether a number of fish deaths is "normal" in a new system? I say this because a friend had a similar experience - he bought a balcony kit at the end of last year (having been excited by my report after I saw Murray at GreenFest), and everything went swimmingly for a few weeks, then there were fish dying day after day, and then the Angel of Death moved on, and those that remain have been fine ever since.

It could be something to do with the 3-month establishment period Castaway mentioned in another thread; or maybe it just takes a while for newbies to learn about feeding, etc.

I found 6 more ex-fish this morning :( . I haven't fed them today; hoping for the best...