Pchmb

I've got 3 big black calvus and 4 med sized ones that I'm willing to sell, though the big ones cost me $100 each from Rob's a good 6 months back if you are interested

Nice work with the daphnia mate. Can you explain a little more what you're doing to maintain the population of them?

I already had those containers outside and these contained the algae and muck from when I emptied the kiddies pool (6473L) in June. For some reason I kept refilling them and was keeping a population of all sorts of invertebrates and algae. No daphnia though.

So when I got the daphnia at the last auction, which came in a sandwich bag, I placed into just one of the tubs. After a month there was a huge population, so I kept scooping and moving daphnia into each of the other tubs. Now each of the tubs have big populations. I run water from the kiddies pool into the tubs to refill.

I also drop sera flora flakes every few days, occasionally algae wafers. Not sure if this feeds them. I'm guessing micro phytoplankton and algae growing in the tubs are feeding them, but flakes can only help the daphnia's growth.

At the moment the tubs are in direct sunlight. I'm thinking these may get too hot over summer, so will move into a little shade come the heat.

...run to waiste hydro set up with coco peat growing media,, this media has no fertiliser in it at all.
Remember it run to waiste, so no water that leaves tank should re-enter, it goes straight through grow media then discarded, as the coco media retains water excellent.

Thanks for the advice Buccal. I have not thought about plants, but understand a little about the different minerals required for say lettuce compared to tomatoes. I am just trailing poison ivy, and over a good year it has grown easy a few metres and is what I would say healthy. I am positive i could have the cichlids water with pH 8.2, gH 200ppm, kH 160ppm flowing through the clay balls. My Frontosa tank will not be in this cycle so gH is not excessive. I still have yet to visit an aquaponics shop and have a chat to hear their thoughts.
Buccal I do like your suggestion, but then the use of the plants to reduce nitrates will not be affecting the water cycling back through (okay except the aquatic plants) the system. Currently the waste water from water changes flows onto my fruit trees. This I'd continue to do. So I could have it bypass through the system you've suggested and then onto fruit trees without any dramas.

I just thought I'd insert a few pictures of the shelf. Currently I have a polystyrene box there, but want to have a long 8 foot by 2 foot shallow depth planter pot. If this exists and does not cost me the earth, that'd be great... but most likely I'll hook up a heap of the polystyrene boxes, cut them half way and plumb them together. Water will flow through and back to the sump below.
This may be a whacked out, crazy idea. But I'd like to have my fish room covered in plants, and have the feeling of a tropic oasis.
Shit may change real quickly though if our Perth summer causes this room to get too hot, and I need to abandon the fish room!

I also hope you wore the correct personal protective equipment when drilling into the asbestos walls. Can never be too safe when dealing with friable ACM.

Yes wore all the correct PPE, and covered drill bit with water. That asbestos is tough stuff, I went through two diamond but hole saws in the process.

Rock that fruity piney hoppy Little Dove.. yeah boi!

What an incredible beer of hoppy goodness! It has taken the place of Hop Hog in the fridge lately.

Understand your point completely Poncho, and I agree with everything you have said. This is no business for me, not even a side business, but how do you even cover your electricity bill? I have been more calculated in the cichlids I keep that's all, and I'd assume many others are too. You mentioned Hongi, funny that. I took my breeding colony of 7 to Rob's Aquarium 3 weeks back, and that didn't get me a single cent, which was no issue at all, I needed tank space. Yellow tail acei's at 5-6cm got me $4... yet for a guppy at 3 months old he gives me $5, and I breed the bloody things in a kiddies swimming pool out back. I think that is crazy. I love cichlids and I just don't get it, that is why I posted the question on importing etc.

Check out this colony of Tropheus, for the life of me I can't get them to spawn, they are 4+ years old, over 13cm in length, I'm guessing will never recover their expense and just I do not care. They, like my Frontosa keep me entertained for hours.