[nalu86]

I just bought 35 Tilapia fry and 2 IBC totes ( 275 and 330 gals) and will set up an aquaponic system soon. I learn a lot from this page but would like to know if also planted tank people have aquaponic systems?

Show me your systems, or tell me what you know about it

Whats more fun than keeping fish, plants and get veggies, herbs, fruits and fresh fish from it!

I will post pictures later on while I make my system.

Thx

 

[fplata]

Subscribed, this is cool

 

[GraphicGr8s]

Will have my aquaponic system going as soon as I get time to set up all my tanks. But why are you playing music in water?

 

[nalu86]

Will have my aquaponic system going as soon as I get time to set up all my tanks. But why are you playing music in water?

oops typo

 

[GraphicGr8s]

oops typo

Shoot I wanted to hear your water music. Oh well.:icon_lol:

 

[pandacory]

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=149251

This is old, and I'm not sure if this is how you post links here. My entry into this hobby started with aquaponics and an lfs: "why do you want gold fish? You can keep tropicals, they're easier to take care of, better looking, and a heater is cheaper than a chiller."

Few weeks later: "so, you gonna plant that thing or what?"

Plants? In an aquarium??? Then Google led me here, tried to make what i already had work for a scape, totally blew it, then reading reading reading.

BTW. A new aquaponics system is cycling right now. I'm actually looking at it. No time for a journal, but soon I will post how I magically transformed the dining room of my 1 bedroom apartment into my science fair project.

Have fun! I wish I had the space for a full tilapia based food production unit. I could talk your ear off about this.

Buy Sylvia bernstein's book "aquaponic gardening"

This book came out after I had already piecemealed together info on my own, starting with no aquarium experience. I can tell you, after a steep and expensive learning curve that my experience confirms much of what she says. What I can't confirm is the stuff she talks about that is really only applicable to larger systems. All the basics are there, and I really wish this book would have been around when I started. I would have spent much less, and not collected so much basically useless equipment.

 

[pandacory]

Here is a notion that will get your noodle going: it is entirely possible to put together a community tank style aquaponics system where each member is suitable for your plate...you don't have to always be eating tilapia!

Then comes the subject of integrated pasture management, urban farming, vertical agriculture, the list goes on.

If only I could copy paste my imagination, then you would see how far down this rabbit hole I am.

 

[Da Plant Man]

I got a friend (more of a mutual friend) who is setting up a 3 acre system and going all out. Its pretty cool actually. I kinda want to get into this, but instead of raising fish for food, raising Oscars, Frontosa, African cichlids, or something like that and take all the veggies from the top.

 

[pandacory]

I have considered African chiclids also. The problem is their ph requirements are too high. You want to stay 5.5-7.4 with 7 being the best compromise, otherwise you get nutrient lock out on the hydroponics piece. Most leafy greens and kitchen herbs would probably still be ok, but you wouldn't produce very nice fruits.

I know for a fact that oscars work. Seen it done, and they arw food fish elsewhere in the world.

You want a hardy fish tolerant of dissolved minerals, since the grow bed and infeequent water changes will accumulate lots of trace.

Temp needs to be 68-82 with optimal around 72-75, though mine ran at 80-82 with only brocolli and bush beans as the casualties. Some say, the more mature your system is, the more lee way you have with parameters

Take these parameters in mind and rainbows are a good option, along with rasboras and many cories. I kept turqoise rainbows, panda cories, and harlequin rasboras in mine with good results.

 

[DogFish]

.... would like to know if also planted tank people have aquaponic systems? ....

Show me your systems, or tell me what you know about it
...

I just won my e>bay auction for my pump. I've been planning/researching this
for a few months now. I'm going to use a Goldfish powered ebb & flow system
with two 40 gl. tanks.

More of a learning exercise than a true substance providing system. If this goes well I may go to a larger system.

I hope to be up & running in two weeks. I have 2 days left on my 4x german reflector 4" T5 light. I still need to pumb the grow tank.

 

[GraphicGr8s]

I just won my e>bay auction for my pump. I've been planning/researching this
for a few months now. I'm going to use a Goldfish powered ebb & flow system
with two 40 gl. tanks.

More of a learning exercise than a true substance providing system. If this goes well I may go to a larger system.

I hope to be up & running in two weeks. I have 2 days left on my 4x german reflector 4" T5 light. I still need to pumb the grow tank.

Bell siphon or pump timer?

 

[Kelli]

I know for a fact that oscars work. Seen it done, and they arw food fish elsewhere in the world.

Used to catch 'em in the canals in Fla all the time.
VERY good eats, much tastier than tilapia.

~Kelli

 

[DogFish]

Here is a notion that will get your noodle going: it is entirely possible to put together a community tank style aquaponics system where each member is suitable for your plate...you don't have to always be eating tilapia!

Then comes the subject of integrated pasture management, urban farming, vertical agriculture, the list goes on.

....

I see that possible by using divided resevior tanks, crawfish, talapia, freshwater clams, bull frogs.

 

[pandacory]

I just won my e>bay auction for my pump. I've been planning/researching this
for a few months now. I'm going to use a Goldfish powered ebb & flow system
with two 40 gl. tanks.

More of a learning exercise than a true substance providing system. If this goes well I may go to a larger system.

I hope to be up & running in two weeks. I have 2 days left on my 4x german reflector 4" T5 light. I still need to pumb the grow tank.

You will be surprised how much it produces. It gets kind of out of hand if you plant too many fast growing herbs.

My next system will likely be a goldfish powered ebb and flow also. Right now I have a combined planted tank and ebb and flow.

Like any two birds one stone arrangement, the compromises make it sub optimal for both. The best way I see that working is a low light natural tank, and not much demand for crops.

Don't forget to scape that goldfish tank! Check out adg's arrangement for fancy goldfish. Hardscape only goldfish tank + aquaponics filtration = awesome.

 

[DogFish]

You will be surprised how much it produces. ....Right now I have a combined planted tank and ebb and flow.
.....Don't forget to scape that goldfish tank! Check out adg's arrangement for fancy goldfish. Hardscape only goldfish tank + aquaponics filtration = awesome.

We use a juicer daily so just having fresh parsley daily out outdoor growing season will be worth the effort.

What is you cycle on the ebb& flow?

I'l planning on planting in Clay pots for the Goldfish tank. I used to keep Orandas and I'm very much aware of their sanitary habits. I'm planning bare bottom tank or maybe a few river stones on the bottom.

Don you have a link for adg's tank?

 

[pandacory]

We use a juicer daily so just having fresh parsley daily out outdoor growing season will be worth the effort.

What is you cycle on the ebb& flow?

I'l planning on planting in Clay pots for the Goldfish tank. I used to keep Orandas and I'm very much aware of their sanitary habits. I'm planning bare bottom tank or maybe a few river stones on the bottom.

Don you have a link for adg's tank?

I've never kept goldies, and I hope this link works: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9zi-Wn5nKi8

I would like to do a similar hardscape only goldie tank with maybe a driftwood branch with anubias designed moreso to be viewed from above, say like a 40 breeder on a 18-24" stand...I would throw in some Japanese trap door snails too, maybe a highfin banded shark since an lfs keeps them with goldies.

My cycle is 15 min on, 45 min off, or 1x tank volume per hour, but I am starting to experiment with a siphon for continuous on. The lights are set opposite the tank lights so there is a more consistent sources of nitrate management. In my next set up I will plant the sump with weeds and floaters (aka goldies food) so that between the 3 cycles I have 24 hour management.

As far as the community notion goes, you could a) have a very large pond and run it like a community aquarium => was thinking giant gourami, tilapia, large mouth bass, fresh water lobster, trap door snail, and one of the giant minows (called sharks by aquarium standards) but amphibians and reptiles are a no go for me due to risk of salmonella or b) Google integrated multi trophic aquaculture => similar to your idea of divided res.

Welcome to the rabbit hole!

 

[Gooberfish]

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=176999&highlight=aquaponic+filtration

I did aquaponics as filtration over the summer for my planted 10g. I did marginal bog plants instead of edibles because of the excel and dosing. It was fun.

 

[pandacory]

Aquaponics has basically the same biological function as any tank with emergent growth, the difference is that terrestrials need root aeration or they will die.

It is interesting that emergent growth "pond" tanks are becoming more popular for their low maintenance requirements.

 

[xenxes]

Is a bubbler/aerator sufficient, or should I go with ebb and flow via a bell siphon? Aerogardens pods are just constantly in water with an aerator in the bottom, tomatoes, lettuce, a variety of other things grow just fine.

 

[DogFish]

I've never kept goldies, and I hope this link works: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9zi-Wn5nKi8

I would like to do a similar hardscape only goldie tank with maybe a driftwood branch with anubias designed moreso to be viewed from above, say like a 40 breeder on a 18-24" stand...I would throw in some Japanese trap door snails too, maybe a highfin banded shark since an lfs keeps them with goldies.

My cycle is 15 min on, 45 min off, or 1x tank volume per hour, but I am starting to experiment with a siphon for continuous on. .....

That tank would be good from a sanitation aspect. It's way to over-crowded from a health stand point, rule of thumb is 20gl 1st fancy gold fish the
+10gl for additional. So maybe 3 baseball sized fancys in a 40-55 gl tank.

I don't care for the "Train Station" look of too many fish in a tanks (especially bigger fish) pacing back & forth.

I like your thoughts on a few simple plants. I thought about a weather loach but they really like to burring themselves in fine sand And I don't want to have any substrate in mine. All planting will be in clay pots. Weather loaches really should be in man pairs or trios tone happy. The also get to 9-10". I do like that they are cool water fish like fancy goldfish.

I would advise to take one's time and find the nicest specimens. You can find info on several fancy gold fish sites. Since they can live well over 10 years it worth the effort to pick a young fish that will have resale/rehome value. Look for thing like uniform fins, correct lenght to body, body shape, clean colors and markings etc.

Here's a good page on what a proper Oranda should look like:
http://www.bristol-aquarists.org.uk/goldfish/oranda/oranda.htm

I've occasionally seen very nice Orandas in PetSmart. It's rare but they do show up. They bodes are usual fine it's the fins that you need to examine.

I was thing the same as you on my cycles 15 on - 45 off during the Photo Period.