Comment

Comment by Andrei Shindyapin on June 8, 2012 at 1:09pm

Phil, can you put up a link or a diagram of the venturi aerators? Sounds really interesting. Also, do you drive them with a pump, or are they gravity-fed?

Comment by Phil Slaton on June 8, 2012 at 10:33am

There are many paths to success in Aquaponics.  In my 16-250 gallon tanks, I never see excess food.  I am either feeding them the right amount; or I am under feeding them; or my water pumping system is doing its job well.

I move a 1000 gallons an hour through the grow beds, or 4 total water exchanges an hour.  My water return lines from the veggie grown boxes each have a venturi aerator, so with a 1000 gph pump driving it, I get pretty vigorous aeration.  I believe that vigorous aeration numerous water exchanges aids in fish health.

Conversely, my breeding pond catfish get no attention except food.  They have a diet that also includes a lot of pond life.

I also feed my cats a treat of chopped spinach and about every 3-weeks ''feeder goldfish''  yum, yum they love their spinach and goldfish.  My koi also eat water melon.  Koi love water melon.  Never tried it with cats.

My opinion is that moving the water through the filtration medium 3 to 5 times an hour and lots of aeration promote healthy fish.

Comment by TCLynx on June 8, 2012 at 6:02am

And with channel catfish, you generally don't want to leave much floating feed if they don't eat it in their normal time window because they probably won't eat it and lots of uneaten feed about in the tank makes a prime place for bad bacteria to boom and can lead to outbreaks of illness.  Especially if the fish are stressed out and lots of uneaten feed is left repeatedly floating in the tank (this be the danger with automatic feeders if you are not watching closely to monitor the amount fed and the amount consumed and constantly adjusting it.)

Comment by TCLynx on June 8, 2012 at 5:59am

Sometimes it is as simple as the pressure changing because of the weather that will put the fish off their feed.  Or a water quality spike or a reduced amount of flow or dissolved oxygen.  Or anything that will startle or stress the fish too much.  If I harvest or net any fish one day, I usually don't even bother to feed them that evening.

Comment by John E Windsor on June 8, 2012 at 5:49am

Sheri, I checked the numbers in my water right away, or as Murray would say "straight away." Everything was normal. In fact, they went back to eating that evening. So, who knows! I had to fiy out to Minnesota yesterday, but my wife says all is well with our fishies.
Phil, everything I have read indicates removing any uneaten food. Depending on who posts their advice, the fish should be given what they will eat within 5-30 minutes and then take away what is uneaten. I also understand that uneaten food produces ammonia and therefore is not good for the fish. Now you say leave for them to dine at there own leasure. I'm puzzled, but thanks. I certainly don't claim to know what I am doing. :)]

Comment by Sheri Schmeckpeper on June 7, 2012 at 9:50pm

John, have you tested the water? If not, your answer might be in the test results.

Comment by Phil Slaton on June 6, 2012 at 10:14am

Why do you remove uneaten food?  They eat when they want to.

Comment by John E Windsor on June 6, 2012 at 9:26am

Should I be alarmed because my catfish ate very little this AM. I gave them the usual amount of pellets, which they normally eat within a few minutes. This AM most of what I gave them was left untouched. They seem to be happily cruising the bottom of the tank and look okay. I removed what they had not eaten. My channel cats have been in the tank for a little over 2 weeks now.

There was a small amount of foam floating in the corner next to the return from the sump and that is not normal.

Comment by TCLynx on June 1, 2012 at 7:54pm

Jerry, I'm not sure I understand what you are saying.

You are saying the vegetation grows but doesn't produce any vegetation?  Vegetative growth is usually the leaves.

Do you actually mean that your fruiting plants are only producing vegetative growth but no flowers or fruit?  If so, it could be due to excessive nitrates, lack of potassium, or not enough light.

Comment by Jerry Walsh on June 1, 2012 at 7:11pm

Why will vegetation grow, squash, tomato, peas, beans but,,,, not produce any vegetation. Lettuce and spinach do fine I guess because there's nothing to grow except the leaf. Hmmmmmmm, lighting ?

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