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Aquaponics Stocking Densities

Last Updated 19 November 2020

Aquaponics stocking densities refers to the number of fish kept in the Aquaponics fish tanks. The more fish, the more the profit, however stocking too many fish will lead to ill health of both fish and plants.

The fish will not grow as well and will start dying, and there will be a buildup of wastes which will be toxic to both fish and plants. Therefore, you need to find the perfect balance of stocking as many fish as possible before this starts having an adverse effect on their growth.

What Is the Aquaponics Stocking Densities To Use?

If you are looking for a short answer on the Aquaponics stocking densities to use, then go for 1 fish per 10 liters of water.

Now for the longer answer. It is more accurate to talk about stocking densities in terms of kilograms of fish per cubic meter or liters of waters.

For most Aquaponics set-ups, you should go for 30 to 40 kg of fish per 1000 liters. Use this rule of thumb as a maximum number, and opt for a lower number if you are new to Aquaponics.

Keep in mind that apart from the stocking density, the amount of food you put into the tanks will also dictate how well the system runs – if you feed too much, there will be an accumulation of waste that the bacteria may not be able to handle.

An Example Of How To Compute Stocking Densities

Perhaps the most common fish used in Aquaponics farming is tilapia. So let’s work out stocking densities in terms of tilapia. When you buy 100 tilapia fingerlings, these may weigh a kilo combined. If we have a 1000 liter fish tank, then our current stocking density is 1kg/1000L. Tilapia grow quickly and soon enough they’ll weigh a combined total of say 40kg, giving us a stocking density of 40kg/1000L.

By using the rule of thumb of one fish per ten liters of water, then you’ll have to harvest the fish as soon as they’re big enough, or else you’ll end up with a stocking density which is straining the system.

Individual fish grow at different rates, and you should start taking out the large ones as soon as they’re big enough to eat. Do not wait until all of them are big enough. This is actually a good thing, as you will have to harvest at a rate at which you can eat/sell them and not have to freeze a large quantity of fish.

You can actually harvest a single lot of fish over several months, as the rates of growth of individual fish are so different. This applies even to fish species with particularly fast growing rates, such as trout.

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Aquaponics – The New Way of Growing Plants Fast

Last Updated 17 November 2020

This is one of the most common questions around people who first learn about aquaponics. If you do not change the water, nor clean it in any way, what happens with the excrements fish leave behind? Well in order to answer to this question we must go back to the very basic principle on which aquaponics relay.

What Is Aquaponics?

Aquaponics is a way of taking advantage of the interdependence which can be created between fish and plants. Fish are placed in a tank and left there for a while. The goal is to keep them alive so that they eat and poop in a normal way, as the fish poop will be used as food for the plants.

This may sound quite strange at first as the fish excrements contain ammonia, which is toxic for the fish and may endanger their lives.

This problem is solved naturally, as the ammonia is decomposed, in the presence of oxygen, into nitrites and afterwards nitrates, which are benefic for the plants. When the amount of nitrites reached the appropriate level, seeds are propagated in netting pots. From them plants grow and assimilate the nitrates, thus leaving the water fresh and clean for the fish.

And The Cycle Continues…

A full cycle takes up to 3 months, this is why it is recommended that the seeds will be propagated after 3 months from the acquisition of the fish. Because this is a continuous cycle, there will not be periods in which the plant will not have enough supplies to grow, unless the fish are not in good condition.

Thus, apart from the fact that you grow fish for your meals, you will also need the fish poop to set the aquaponic system as this is the starting point of the entire business.

Great things start indeed from simple things, as you can see! Thus if you hated cleaning your fish tank, this aquaponic system will solve your problem and will give you fresh, healthy and organic veggies for you and your family. With so many advantages, you should really give it a try! It will be easier than keeping only a fish tank in your home and will certainly be more convenient!

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Backyard Aquaponics How-To-Basics

Last Updated 12 November 2020

Backyard Aquaponics is an excellent way of growing food in your own home. A small, simple backyard aquaponics set-up can produce enough food to feed your family and have extra to give away to friends!

What You Need In Backyard Aquaponics System

All you need for a backyard aquaponics system in a tank for the fish, a hydroponic grow bed for the vegetables, a pump, tubing, and a submersible heater if you live in colder areas (depending on the fish you choose).

An excellent growing medium for a backyard aquaponics grow bed is gravel, as it provides support for the plants, acts as a filter, has good water flow characteristics and yields good plant growth. Choosing gravel as the growing bed medium will save you from having to buy filtering elements.

The best gravel to use is one with a size of about 1/3 to 3/4 of an inch in diameter. If the gravel is much smaller it can clog and obstruct the water flow. You don’t want it too large either, as it will not filter the water and will not provide support for the plant’s roots.

The gravel will also provide an excellent habitat for the bacteria, which are a crucial component of an aquaponics system. Get smooth, round gravel that is gentle on the hand and on the roots.

If you set-up the system properly, you will need just one pump for the whole set-up to run efficiently. Such a system involves placing the grow beds on top of the fish tank, so that you only have to pump water from the tank to the grow beds. The water will then flow back to the tank via gravity.

Is Heating Of Water Required?

Heating of the water is not required if you choose your fish wisely, however, maintaining a uniform water temperature will speed up growth of both fish and plants. Thus though you may be spending more on electricity, you will have higher yields, and actually it will be more profitable.

The reason why plants benefit as well is because the bacteria in the water will be more efficient at converting wastes to nutrients, and the plants will therefore have more nitrogen available to them. Note that water heating is a requirement if you are growing fish that have optimal temperature ranges that are different from the temperature in the area of your setup.

Water heating is also required if the temperature of the aquaponics system’s location fluctuates a lot, as this will stunt or kill the fish.

Why Do You Need pH Testing Kit

It is a good idea to have a good pH testing kit at hand, as it is tantamount that the pH of the water stays around 6.7 to 7.0. Fish can tolerate pHs up to 8.0, but plant growth will suffer at high pH. On the other hand, plants can tolerate pHs as low as 4.5, but fish will start to die at pHs under 6.5. Therefore, a pH range of 6.7 to 7.0 is optimal to both fish and plants.

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Basic Must-Know About Aquaponics

Last Updated 10 November 2020

If you are thinking of setting up your own aquaponics system but are still not very aware of what this presupposes, then here are some things which will help you understand better its requirements.

Basic Must-Know About Aquaponics

The first thing you will need to know about this system is that it combines the principles of aquaculture with those of hydroponic gardening, thus resulting a new and highly effective way of growing plants and fish at the same time.

With a tank of no more than 20 square feet and some netted pots you will be able to grow enough plants to supply your entire family and sometimes even gift some to your neighbors.

Because this system heavily relies on fishes (they are the ones providing the food for the plants), you will need to take good care of them in order for the system to give proper results. This means that you will need to make sure that the water has the appropriate temperature, PH level, light as well as the necessary amount of oxygen to accommodate the fish in god conditions.

Basically, monitoring the water and feeding the fish is all that you will have to do in order to grow plants in the aquaponic garden. It is quite simple and the results are spectacular.

What Are The Great Things About This?

The great thing about this type of gardening is that you will not need to bend to take care of the plants. Placing the fish tank and the netting pots at the waist level will make all activities you need to do in order to take care of the plants and fish easy as a children’s game.

You can say goodbye to digging, bending and stretching to reach as larger surface, and crawling on your knees to take the weeds out of the ground. You will have everything you need at your arms’ reach.

The aquaponics system is suitable for any age as well as for people with any type of activity. It requires little time and it gives great results. As long as you take good care of your fish, your plants will grow bigger and bigger, will develop normally and at the end you will harvest the best veggies you have ever tasted!

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Building An Aquaponics System

Last Updated 27 October 2020

Building an aquaponics system involves combining aquaculture with hydroponics – in essence you are setting up these two methods of farming and joining them together. Although this may seem like a feat, in reality setting up a successful aquaponics system is fairly simple if you have good instructions and an understanding of the basics of such as system.

What Is First Thing To Consider For Your Aquaponics System?

To keep life simple, you should first do some planning before starting the construction of this system.

The most important things you need to consider are location, method of aeration, choosing the fish, choosing the plants, and pot placement.

With regards to location, this will obviously depend on the space you have available – whether it’s in the house, in the garage or in the garden.

Temperature, Lighting And Aeration Are Key

You can set up an aquaponics system practically everywhere, but then you will need to adjust it accordingly.

Mainly, you will need to ensure that the temperature of the location is suitable (if you’re placing it outside and you live in a cold area you will need to think about insulation) and that there is sufficient light (if it is inside you will need to have large windows or else set up artificial lighting).

In addition, if you are placing the system outside, make sure that you will not get harmful substances getting into the water – you may need to cover and protect appropriately.

Next, think about aeration systems. Your fish will need oxygen to live and thrive, and generally you will need to have a sort of pumping mechanism – although there are ways to achieve good aeration without any pumps or equipment. However, this will depend on the species of fish you’ll grow.

What Species Of Fish To Choose?

This leads us to the next point to consider: which species of fish to choose. Different fish will have different requirements (some are easier to culture than others); in addition, there are regulations on which fish you can keep, so make sure you check the laws of the state you live in.

Some common fish in aquaponics systems include carp, trout, catfish, tilapia, and Murray cod.

What Plants Are Suitable For Aquaponics System?

Choosing what plants to grow is generally simpler, as plants tend to be more tolerant of different environmental factors. Hence, the main thing to consider when choosing plants is personal preference – in other words, what would you like to have freshly growing in your own home?

And The Final Point To Note

The final, and equally important aspect to consider before starting construction of the aquaponics system is pot placement. Ideally, the pots should be at waist level, so you won’t have to bend over to harvest and check the plants. In addition, you’ll be able to place the fish tank directly underneath the pots, saving you space.

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