Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Neglect

  1. #1
    Members Aloha Don's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Honolulu, HI
    Posts
    310

    Neglect

    Just a reminder - more for myself than anyone else -
    continually check, monitor and adjust your system as it matures.
    My system has been running for about a year with no problems …until yesterday.
    I had one tilapia belly up….
    I removed the dead and started looking for reason why it died.
    I have not checked the water in my system since I built and cycled it a year ago.
    I thought everything was ok because I had successful crops of tomato, strawberry, eggplant and basil.
    Testing showed high ammonia and extremely low PH.
    I changed about 40% of the water in my system and added tap water (ph about 6.8-7)
    I did not have any shell grit or egg shells so I added about 1 Tbl of Baking soda to a bucket of fish water, dissolved and placed in my system. PH eventually rose to about 6.2.
    Guess what we had for breakfast….I boiled the eggshells, rinsed and placed them under the return from plants to fish tank…performed another water exchange (25%)
    Just checked and ammonia is still high but the PH has stabilized around 6.4 for now.
    Lost 2 medium size tilapia because I failed to properly maintain my system…
    Continue to always stay vigilant in AP to keep the balance …then we can always enjoying the harvest without troubleshooting the problems we create….
    Put all excuses aside and remember this: YOU are capable - Zig Ziglar

  2. #2
    Moderator JCO's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Orange Park, Florida
    Posts
    1,830

    Re: Neglect

    As Badflash says "The best fertilizer is the farmer's shadow"
    JCO
    Irish eyes are always smiling but
    • "In the eyes of the world, you are only as good as your last success"
    so never forget
    • "MAN IS ONLY LIMITED BY HIS IMAGINATION"

  3. #3
    Members topz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Omaha, Nebraska
    Posts
    138

    Re: Neglect

    Man sorry to hear that. But every loss is lesson learned. Thank you or sharing the reminder.

  4. #4
    Members
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Paradise
    Posts
    25

    Re: Neglect

    I check my system twice per day. When feeding the fish. A quick look in the morning before work and an hour or so after work. But then again my system I can see from here at my desk. I can see the water levels I can hear the syphons.

    Sorry about your loss. Aloha Don.

    But I check my levels every week. Its part of the fun for me. it’s the relaxation of listening to the water flow. The thought of having to go to the fish and tackle shop to get a big enough net to catch my fish. Come harvest time.

  5. #5
    Members
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Nor Cal
    Posts
    31

    Re: Neglect

    We are all here to learn by trial or error, weather it be ours or someone else's. Thanks for sharing Aloha Don. Aquaally

  6. #6
    Members Apollo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Phoenix, AZ
    Posts
    365

    Re: Neglect

    How low can the pH levels get before it damages or destroys the Bio Filter? Once the Bio Filter is damaged your ammonia stops being covered to nitrites then to nitrates.

    Check and control all levels...it's much easier to correct it, if your catch something in the early stages but it does major damage to your AP system.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •