Followup on land plants and loach tank- aquaponics
Moderator: LoachForumModerators
Can anyone figure out the third update? More updates:
First, the progress of the tomato vines
Second, a macro shot of one of the flower.
Third, I found snails, my "maintanence crew", two weeks ago in the upper PVC tube. One day I saw one snail and a week later I saw a bucch of babies and quite a few egg sacks all up in there. I have always wanted snails but for obvious reasons was never able to keep them for more than a few days with those voracious loaches. Now I have snails breeding and keeping the upper tube with the roots keeping the pipes clean. Ocassionally I would throw a few down in the tank only to never be seen again. Complete cycle. Anyhow, can someone tell me how on earth they could possibly get there and what kind of snails? I have not added plants or fish since July/August 09. My plants are from seeds in packets. Or, could it be from a piece of water crest that I took from the dinner table about a week before I saw the first snail. I would hate to think its the latter, those were washed thoroughly and I was eating them things??!!
First, the progress of the tomato vines
Second, a macro shot of one of the flower.
Third, I found snails, my "maintanence crew", two weeks ago in the upper PVC tube. One day I saw one snail and a week later I saw a bucch of babies and quite a few egg sacks all up in there. I have always wanted snails but for obvious reasons was never able to keep them for more than a few days with those voracious loaches. Now I have snails breeding and keeping the upper tube with the roots keeping the pipes clean. Ocassionally I would throw a few down in the tank only to never be seen again. Complete cycle. Anyhow, can someone tell me how on earth they could possibly get there and what kind of snails? I have not added plants or fish since July/August 09. My plants are from seeds in packets. Or, could it be from a piece of water crest that I took from the dinner table about a week before I saw the first snail. I would hate to think its the latter, those were washed thoroughly and I was eating them things??!!
120 gallon planted aquaponic tank with 10 clown loachs, first one since 1994, 1 modesta and 3 striadas.
Even when it seems the Loaches are eating 100% of the snails, they are not. There will be a few survivors. Whenever the survivors get too numerous the Loaches have easy pickings for a while, then the snail population is knocked down to the point that they can all hide again. Typical predator-prey dynamics.
The snails survived in your tank, and when a safe place (PVC tubing) and food source (Food trapped by the roots) became available they started multiplying.
The snails survived in your tank, and when a safe place (PVC tubing) and food source (Food trapped by the roots) became available they started multiplying.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.
Happy fish keeping!
Happy fish keeping!
Here is an update as of today Jan 28 2010. Hopefully next update I will have lots of little red vine ripe tomotoes in the pic.
The first pic is a comparison of the system from July 2009 to January 2010. I planted the tomato seeds about a month after (august 09). The tomato plants only started growing fast after I added the t5 plant light. Now, although the initial peace lillys are much more and much bigger, they are totallu covered by the tomato plants. For scale, the fish tank is 6ftX20"X19" so 120 Gallons or 450 litres roughly.
FUELED BY LOACH
Night Shot with long exposure. The tank is not as bright as it looks and all my loaches are asleep. For comparison, the orange light to the right is the little light from the heater.
The first pic is a comparison of the system from July 2009 to January 2010. I planted the tomato seeds about a month after (august 09). The tomato plants only started growing fast after I added the t5 plant light. Now, although the initial peace lillys are much more and much bigger, they are totallu covered by the tomato plants. For scale, the fish tank is 6ftX20"X19" so 120 Gallons or 450 litres roughly.
FUELED BY LOACH
Night Shot with long exposure. The tank is not as bright as it looks and all my loaches are asleep. For comparison, the orange light to the right is the little light from the heater.
120 gallon planted aquaponic tank with 10 clown loachs, first one since 1994, 1 modesta and 3 striadas.
- Keith Wolcott
- Posts: 720
- Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2007 1:49 pm
- Location: Charleston, Illinois USA
Re: Followup on land plants and loach tank- aquaponics
Update:
Its been over a year, since late summer (August?) 2009 that I started this project. Here are some updates: My plants have been fruiting since may 2010 and all through winter till last week. Yes, I have been eating lots of organic tomatoes, through the winter as well, that was supported 100% from my loaches! I think the loaches are happier too because, they now eat directly out of my hand and a couple of the 1.5yr old baby loaches are almost the size of my oldest loach. Now the cycle renews.
Few weeks ago, one of my tree died and in the process of removing the decaying entangled root, I killed the healthy tree. I have already started some more seeds. I think however that the death of one plant and removal of the other has affected a couple of my loaches because they have stopped eating. It could be because I left the dead plant to rot for a couple weeks. As for the peace lilly plant, they are blooming and growing more than ever. i had to remove and trash quite a few of these plants.
Here are a few pictures of the tomatoes
Its been over a year, since late summer (August?) 2009 that I started this project. Here are some updates: My plants have been fruiting since may 2010 and all through winter till last week. Yes, I have been eating lots of organic tomatoes, through the winter as well, that was supported 100% from my loaches! I think the loaches are happier too because, they now eat directly out of my hand and a couple of the 1.5yr old baby loaches are almost the size of my oldest loach. Now the cycle renews.
Few weeks ago, one of my tree died and in the process of removing the decaying entangled root, I killed the healthy tree. I have already started some more seeds. I think however that the death of one plant and removal of the other has affected a couple of my loaches because they have stopped eating. It could be because I left the dead plant to rot for a couple weeks. As for the peace lilly plant, they are blooming and growing more than ever. i had to remove and trash quite a few of these plants.
Here are a few pictures of the tomatoes
120 gallon planted aquaponic tank with 10 clown loachs, first one since 1994, 1 modesta and 3 striadas.
-
- Posts: 5054
- Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:04 pm
- Location: Tampa, Florida
Re: Followup on land plants and loach tank- aquaponics
Amazing. The plants are incredible. Are things getting better for the loaches?
Re: Followup on land plants and loach tank- aquaponics
Well, except for these two, the others are fine. Infact, one of the young one started eating properly a little over a week ago. He went through a month period of eating little and now he gouges himself. It may be a coincidence as well that they stopped eating when the plants were removed. Also, I want to believe that all clown loaches go through a cycle of fasting, atleast from my experience.starsplitter7 wrote:Amazing. The plants are incredible. Are things getting better for the loaches?
120 gallon planted aquaponic tank with 10 clown loachs, first one since 1994, 1 modesta and 3 striadas.
Re: Followup on land plants and loach tank- aquaponics
Within a couple weeks of the tomato plants not being here, the lillys have really started growing. Here are some pictures I took with my phone a few minutes ago. They are about 30 inches tall.
120 gallon planted aquaponic tank with 10 clown loachs, first one since 1994, 1 modesta and 3 striadas.
- Graeme Robson
- Posts: 9096
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:34 am
- Location: Peterborough, UK
- Contact:
Re: Followup on land plants and loach tank- aquaponics
Excellent work!
-
- Posts: 995
- Joined: Tue Aug 29, 2006 9:29 am
- Location: Munich
Re: Followup on land plants and loach tank- aquaponics
I love this most effective "bio-filter" and of course the idea of the obtained organic tomatoes I have been missing your updates.Vancmann wrote:... Yes, I have been eating lots of organic tomatoes, through the winter as well, that was supported 100% from my loaches! ...
Wolfram
Re: Followup on land plants and loach tank- aquaponics
Thanks!!
I plan on overhauling the whole system in 2011. Since i didnt expect that much growth, the design was flawed because the system got clogged and water backed up. Last july or so, the system got clogged up by the roots and my overflow was not enough for the flood pumps so I had a little flood on my on my carpet. Not exciting to wake up to the sound of water dripping water one level. Actually, too much excitement for me. I will keep posting.
I plan on overhauling the whole system in 2011. Since i didnt expect that much growth, the design was flawed because the system got clogged and water backed up. Last july or so, the system got clogged up by the roots and my overflow was not enough for the flood pumps so I had a little flood on my on my carpet. Not exciting to wake up to the sound of water dripping water one level. Actually, too much excitement for me. I will keep posting.
120 gallon planted aquaponic tank with 10 clown loachs, first one since 1994, 1 modesta and 3 striadas.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 55 guests