dandm's barra pool/swimming pool

dandm

After much debate, Deb and Mack (dandm...as in d and m) finally have converted their c 10,000 litre swimming pool to a barramundi pool! (Hopefully Barra in summer and trout in winter....maybe silver perch to join throughout...still researching!) We decided to go the aquaculture way to start, and add grow beds as we get a grip on one thing at a time.
We let all the chlorine go, bought a 130 Watt submersible Ecopump and had some great advice on aeration, biofiltration and circulation!! Have a big biofilter and also added a UV Clarifier so that we can swim at the same time.. so far so good, though some losses early on with the survivors thriving but not going for the fish food pellets just yet... our fish supplier says this is normal until the water temp gets up above c. 22-4°C....hopefully this is normal...any advice welcome!
The walls of the pool are now quite green as expected and the water itself is clearing, and ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels all acceptable...phew! Our nitrate level is naturally high at 10mg/l (ppm) so it looks like growing veggies will be a good thing to do once we have finalised plans on where to put them. We are growing some floating plants at the moment to offer shelter and to use up some nitrates.

Tried to send a picture but had no luck for now!

Outbackozzie

You wont get much of a barra season dandm - you'd really need to have over 25 deg c water by now.

I'd concentrate on trout for winter, silvers / maybe bream for summer + year round - would be excellent if you can divide the pool.

faye

I beg to differ with you OBO. We Raised barra successfully last summer starting around this time and growing them until May/ June from memory. Wasn't hard at all, though they certainly do not have the personality of our rainbow trout. I wish you well D and M.

dandm

At the moment we are just learning...so really appreciate all the comments. We are still waiting for them to take the pellets but think they are eating live bait (goldies and insects).

is there a way to stimulate the feeding??? Burley????

Managed the photo, thanks for the advice. Barras just visible.

RupertofOZ

That's the trouble with AP... it becomes an obsession....

Every time I visit someone with a pool... I try to convince them to let me grow fish in it...

Think I'll have to take photos around... like this one and show them... :twisted:

Mean to say ... having a pool when you're no further than a kilometre from the beach... really is just a nonsense anyway..... :lol:

RupertofOZ

Welcome, by the way D&M.... good luck with the Barra...

Jaymie

hi Deb and Mack,
that looks to be more than 10,000L, what are the dimensions of the pool please?

Outbackozzie

Righto

dandm

[quote="Jaymie"]hi Deb and Mack,
that looks to be more than 10,000L, what are the dimensions of the pool please?[/quote]

Jaymie, the more circular part (in the foreground) is 3.5m diameter and 1 m deep. The part at the back near the biofilter is 2mx1.5m and only 45cm deep.....

It is a small pool!!! Just right for us to dip in and cool off though...we have no need or desire to swim laps, we live on 10 acres and are pretty active most of the time!

Hopefully once this weird Perth weather starts to warm up consistently the fish will start to feed- it did get to 24 degrees but cooled down again. We have been told they won't starve to death though!!!Fingers crossed!

dandm

Outbackozzie

Barra will have deaths at water temps around 20 deg c.

Water temp in Kal is below 17 deg c now lol...could have kept the Trout longer :roll:

Nice looking pool

dandm

So....the weather is funny in Kal too...nice warm day in perth today but cooler and rain for the rest of the week...it is hard to keep up!!! Thanks for the comment on the pool...we decided we would still like the 'aesthetics' even though we want it all to be functional. We sit out their in the evening and feed the fish (even though they aren't eating yet!!!) and have a glass and ponder the imponderables...nice way to finish off the day.

OBO...there is another thread where you and some others have bought some silver perch from Gidgie....would you know if some are still available or can you pass on the contact as we would like to get some of those going too.
Thanks
dandm

creative1

+plus 1 for the fish

Food&Fish

Outbackozzie wrote:

Barra will have deaths at water temps around 20 deg c.

Water temp in Kal is below 17 deg c now lol...could have kept the Trout longer :roll:

Nice looking pool

my temps down to 15.4

Outbackozzie

Amazing weather, wish we had not of had that week of hot weather.

Gidgie / Jurien wont have any fish until December now

I need more too. They will be around 5cm long and around $1 each.

faye

I remember back in winter I was a little concerned about my barra in the middle of the night (as you do). I got out of bed at 3am to check on the babies and found the water had gone down to 13 degrees, not opitmal by any means but they still survived.

Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics