Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I went away for a week long conference with my wife taking care of the tilapia while I was gone. During the week they stopped eating and I am unsure why.

The tank is in a garage so somewhat insulated from the change in weather (I live north of Chicago). I tried a water change (roughly half of the 250 gallon tank). The fish seem fairly active but are hanging out in the deeper water as opposed to the top where I would normally find them,

My thoughts are that there is either an oxygen problem (the air-stones are toward the bottom of the tank) or the water temperature. It is probably down at least 10 degrees since the summer and will likely continue to drop. I have one tilapia in a heated 75 gallon tank that eats fine (temperature hovering around 75.

I have a heater for the main tank comin in on Tuesday and see what that does.

Thoughts?

John

Follow up, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are all low. Possibly the water change and lack of eating. But the low levels would not affect the fish. Correct?

Your first thought was probably the right one - the water temperature, you haven't mentioned what that is for the tank with the problem or what type of Tilapia you are growing Look for any dead fish on the bottom or anything that might spook them when you go to feed them.

I have Hybrid Bluegill in my tank. When the tank water got to 60 degrees F, they ate twice as much as when it was 55 degrees.