The 'Sound of Silence'?

This morning, as I unlocked the main security door there was a dreaded sound of silence? No pumps!
A small pump on the Foam Fractionator had melted causing the circuit breakers to trip and all power to the ARC was out. No re-circulation, no aeration! Only 2 Bass had died. All efforts to restore power failed and our electrician was called in to restart the system.
Not sure of the cause of the burn-out of Pump 1 on the Foam Fractionator? The pump takes water from the sump into the skimmer? We will check warranty conditions.

Worms fed well! Plenty of scraps from Christmas lunch/dinner.

Clean, Feed and Check

Tanks 3-5
Cleaned Risers, Backwashed and Rinsed Filter, Cleaned Filter Basket added 200l of tank water to system.

All Bass well, fed on both Silver Perch and Australian Native Fish feeds.

* Foam Fractionator working well- the water is very clear/clean.
** Re-plugged in fridge.
*** Fire Extinguisher to be relocated

Clean & Feed

Tank 3 (1000l) filled from Rain Water Tank to enable re-grading of Australian Bass. Tank 4 (mixed) contains mainly small Bass while Tank 5 (mixed) contains mainly medium to large Bass.
Cleaned Risers, extended Backwash and Rinsed Filter, Cleaned Filter Basket added 300l of tank rain/water to system. Dirt/food in risers indicated over feeding?

All Bass well, fed on both Silver Perch and Australian Native Fish feeds.

* Emptied Fridge- cleaned fridge/freezer and disinfected fridge, bench spaces and LAB floor.

Smok'n

The 79 Trout smoked, sealed and ready for distribution! We are investigatiing HCCAP and commercial disposal of our Trout through the school Canteen in 2006/2007?

79 Trout Harvested Today

GREAT work Corey and Scott! 79 Trout harvested, cleaned and iced (brine) ready for smoking. A HUGE day with temps over 43 degrees. Processing was very quick and observed by our visiting Yr6 (Yr7 2006) students.

Preparing the ARC for the Summer Break!

Extremely high temperatures have hit the Central Coast (and most of NSW).

Tank 1 was drained today and Tanks 1-3 cleaned. Risers in Tanks 4-5 were cleaned, filter basket emptied/cleaned, filter backwashed (BIG backwash) and rinsed. Foam Fractionator rinsed (dirty foam in collector first sign that it is working effectively). ARC and Lab hosed out. Fridge cleaned and under bench storage organised. Tank 7 syphoned and ready for final clean-up.
Recirculation System now supporting only Tanks 4-5... containing Australian Bass.

Pest species on the menu for Australian Bass

Pest species on the menu for Australian Bass
Around 2000 Australian Bass will be released into Green Point Creek in the Gosford area in the hope that they will eradicate a large group of Asian White Cloud Mountain Minnows. NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Acting Aquatic Pests Senior Manager, Mike Holloway, said the minnows are an introduced pest species from Asia. ‘The white cloud minnow is an exotic fish that probably got into the Central Coast after someone dumped them from their aquarium or fish pond. ‘This is one of several species that could contribute to declining populations of native fish and frogs in the area,’ Mr Holloway said. Named after White Cloud Mountain in China where it was first discovered, the minnow grows to about 4cm and the females can produce up to 300 eggs at a time that hatch within two days. ‘The Bass fingerlings, which have been bred at the DPI Port Stephens Fish Hatchery, are around 40mm in length and should readily prey on the juvenile minnows. ‘We will survey the area in the coming months to determine if the Bass have done their job. ‘Keeping fish is fun but what this highlights is the threat that they pose to native fish and fragile ecosystems if they are released into our oceans and waterways. ‘The fish, plants, snails and other aquarium inhabitants should be disposed of thoughtfully and under no circumstance should they be dumped into our waterways,’ Mr Holloway said. If you notice new species in local waterways report them to DPI by calling the 24 hour hotline 02 4916 3877.