Friends for dinner!

Having some friends over fo dinner so planning on harvesting 7 trout - should weigh in at about 200-250g each. Lemon, thyme, butter and well seasoned with salt, wrap in foil and then chuck in oven at 190deg c for 20-25mins. Will post pics as I go!

Silver Perch Fingerlings

The silver fingelings are still feeding. They don't smash the feed like in the summer but they are still chasing it down and getting in a couple of pellets each a day. This is a good sign as the wate temp is down to 9 deg celcius these days and doesn't get much higher through the day. The bass still feed like the silvers and the catfish, well don't see them too often but they are still there. The cod have slowed right down but I do see them occassionally pick up a few pellets every three or four days. Hopefully they all make it through the winter!

pH Stabilised

pH has now stabilised at 6.5. I am happy with this. Put in 20 red gauntlets and 20 lowans as well as 10 hokowase strawberries in a different bed to last time. Hopefully the aphids keep off this time!

I have changed back to Lauke barra feed as I think the low pH was caused by the growbest feed I was giving the trout. Now there seems to be more noticable growth on the fish (more than before - which was pretty quick anyway) and nitrate readings gone from 10 to 40 plus in a week.

Winter

Everything grows so slow in winter!

pH steady

A steady pH now of 6.4. Will have a look again tomorow and maybe give it another dose to get to 6.8. Damn cold weather means there is a lot of very slow growing in the AP system. Brocoli is the only exception, with the peas wanting to grow fast but not quite there. Days are getting longer now, and even smelt a hint of warmth in the air yesterday. I think I may need to look at building pvc pipe green houses for next winter to see if that improves growth.

pH

Just did a test, pH at 6.4. I will leave it for a day and re-test. I am aiming for 6.8. Lets see what happens.

pH too low.

My pH has been sitting at 6 or lower (could be lower because that is as low as my test solution goes) for awhile. Plants and fish seem fine but I thought I might try to raise it a little. Did a 1/4 water change - no movement, so must be a fair bit below 6. Thought my test solution might be dodgey, so did a neutral test with tap water, and it was reading 7. So got some hydrated lime today as per Milne's advise and will put in 1/4 cup into the sump and re-test. Will post results this evening after the solution has had time to mix and react.