Fish generally raised with good results: tilapia, bluegill/brim, sunfish, crappie, koi, fancy goldfish, pacu, angelfish, guppies, tetras

 

Tank Requirements:

• Fish tank can be glass, plexiglass, plastic tub/bucket/barrel, recommended to be anywhere between 3 and 20 gallons, although larger sizes can be used if the space is available

• The larger the tank, the larger grow bed area you can support; as a general rule of thumb, 10 gallons of fish tank water can support 1-2 square feet of growing area

• Planting aquatic plants in a fish tank provide a more natural habitat for the fish and aid in water purification

 

Fish Cycle:

• Fish excrete ammonia through both their waste and gills, a substance that can be toxic to fish and plants in large enough quantities

• Nitrifying bacteria, which live and survive naturally in soils, water and air, convert this ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate

• In aquaponics systems, these bacteria will thrive in both the fish tank gravel and in the grow bed medium

• Plants readily uptake nitrate from the water and consume it, keeping ammonia levels safe for fish and plants to live

 

Fish Care:

• The only daily input in aquaponics systems is fish food

• Most fish (including tropical fish) do well on dry flake fish food, being fed in small but frequent quantities

• The water level in the tank will decrease as water is absorbed by the plants throughout the system, requiring that the tank be refilled every few days

  • Once a month, 10-15% of the water should be siphoned out and replaced with fresh water

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Resources:

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