My Latest System Barramundi - Help Please

[Malcolm Johnson]

Re: Salt treating to cure fungal diseases

Hi so glad to have found you guys, Could you please help, Ive just introduced 100 Barramundi fingerling's into my system, (+-1500L System) The system has been cycling for four weeks prior fish been introduced, with daily supplement of Sea-sol (Organic seaweed extract) with advanced plants in grow-beds and NTF System along side it. Twice daily water readings (PH & Conduct meter with ATI test kit used) measuring Ammonia (0.0ppm) Nitrite (+-5ppm) Nitrates (+-5ppm) PH (8.4) Conductivity (4.0ppm) Temp (25.7 Deg). Grow Media (pea Gravel) All readings for the last week since the fish have been added have remained constant, I have been feeding four time daily to prevent cannibalism.

(Day 6 - new fish), Whilst siphoning the leftover food from the bottom of tank i managed to suck up one of the fingerling's, noticing a white mark on its lower tail, closer observation it looked like a large white cotton wool like wispy growth protruding out +-3mm from the fish body, on reading this forum i believe its Saprolegnia.

Could someone please suggest to what LV should i raise the salt level too (pool salt), and for how long please ?

And by using a conductivity meter, i believe its not an accurate way to determine the salt level in ones tank due to outer heavy irons trace elements etc, could you suggest some other method please.

[Malcolm Johnson]

Hi guys, again today Ive had another fry lost to the same growth, I will be getting in contact with the suppler. Todays readings are as follows;
Tank 1/ PH : 8.4/ NH3 : 0.00 / NO2 :5.0 / NO3 : 10.00 / Cond : 4.00 / Temp : 20.5

[chainsaw]

Malcolm, do you have a hospital tank, if not large container. If it holds 50 Litre put 1/2 Kg (500 grams) of pool salt into it along with water from your system. This will give you a consentration of 10 parts per thousand. the rule is 1Kg of salt per thousand Litres will give 1ppt, now most systems run at 3ppt so that would be 3Kg.

Get rid of the worst fish, they wont (IMO) recover, Give the others a shock treatment for 30 mins to 1 Hr...watch them and if any problems (starting to float etc) put them back into your main tank. Make sure the main tank is salted to at least 3ppt.

Try to raise your water temps. if its 20 deg now whats it getting down to overnight? Barra will not survive with temps under 20 deg and I would put plenty of air into the main tank.

Your Nitrites are through the roof, water changes and aereate (BIG). Nitrites will kill just as easy as Ammonia.

Get onto the BYAP site (located in Perth) and there are plenty of people there able to help, and locals. http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/

[bigdaddy]

Hi Malcom,

I have 20 300mm barra and now 40 100 mm barra for a 1000 litres of fish tank with 1000 litres of media grow bed a swirl filter at the moment. I'll be taking my 300mm plus barra out around Christmas time and running my system with the little blokes in but only 40 not 100 like you have.My system seems to be working fine

In addition to what chainsaw was saying I would not worry with the seasol any more until you get your water quality under control.And increase your filtration capacity ASAP.

Others may have some different ideas.

Cheers.

[chainsaw]

Hi BD.

[Malcolm Johnson]

Great thanks, my filtration system is 800L grow bed with pea gravel and 4 x NTF pipe system atm. As for the water change what would you recommend ? 50% change ?

[bigdaddy]

Hi Chainsaw, Hi Malcom,

Cool, I would say to at least double your grow bed capacty and just wait for a moment re the nitrites.

So you have

Water temp 20.5 C
pH 8.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 5
Nitrates 10

As of 3 hours ago, right?

How long have you had your nitritrites over say 1? Has it only been a day or two?

Just hold off on your water changes for the moment.

And could you please take another ammonia test and post?

I'm not sure about the cotton wool stuff off your fish but I may be able to help with your water until more experienced people jump in.

If you have been feeding 4 times a day at 25 degrees fish tank temp I would be expecting an ammonia reading by now,if your nitrites have been high for only a day or so you need to monitor them and I would just hold off and do nothing to the water just yet.

I would not be keeping the feed up too high to stop them eating each other because that can increase your ammonia levels.

About how long are yor fish?

I have only purchased 100 mm barra fingerlings no smaller and have had no trouble with that issue.but if you do get smaller yeah they can show an un healthy interest in their brothers and sisters,particulary the smaller weaker ones.

Let's see what your water test results are again.

Cheers.

[Malcolm Johnson]

for the last week, was at 0.00 then slowly spiked to 5 and has remained constant.

I have another 1000L system flood an drain which has been running for 12 months i was thinking of moving around 50 Barra into that tank to lessen the load.
I was thinking of doing a 15% Water change right now, and to cut on the feed for the moment.

[bigdaddy]

Hi Malcom,

I would not do anything yet

I would just wait and monitor and post all the temps and results daily for now.

What's your new ammonia reading?

Cheers.

[Malcolm Johnson]

HI DigD,

ok Taken the day off work to sort this out, self emp so no biggy, ok readings as follows;
Time Taken:11:36 Perth WA
PH:8.4
NH3:0.25
NO2:5.0
NO3:7.0
Con:3.9
Temp:23.2

Fish are +-25mm