Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Ladies and Germs; I am checking out the forum to see if I can get enough information to start a system.
I'm more interested in raising fish but am gaining interest in the plants as I see what is possible.
I have a 3400 gal. steel tank setting 90 m from the house w/out power to it. I would like to grow fish and be able to do it from solar. Recirculation, and aeration if possible. The tank has a man hole in the top, so not much light.
I have seen from early reading that fish/planted area ratio is something to think about.
Will I need to insulate the Tank for the fish? May/June highs around 100-105 deg. Dec.-Feb. highs about 55-60 deg. and lows 15-20 deg. What fish can survive that temp swing?
I don't know what flow rate is needed to keep Tilapia or Catfish growing. Or is it just aeration/PH control?
So sizing the solar, batteries and pump capacity is a question. In fact everything is right now.
Where do I start?
Amount of Water in the tank? Arrange planted area and drain some water? Plant and feed fish and just filter the water? If the solar problem is too expensive I could get power there, but I am in Arizona w/a surplus of Sun energy.
Thanks all, appreciate any ideas. Callsdogs

I hope your plans ae going well. In AZ with a steel / metal tank I think your temps will vary quite a bit, though with 3400 gallons perhaps not. Will the tank be full a all times? Is it in the sun? Is it galvanized / zinc coated? Zinc is toxic to fish.

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800 gal sys 2016
IBC sand-ponics system 2021, 3 IBC GBs

9 kW Solar Electric 2011 - Upgraded to 12 kW 2019

"Aquaponics...solar-powered nanotechnology that produces fresh vegetables and meat, while purifying water..." - Rick Op, Houston Texas.

Wow, what a tank, that's definitely got potential! I think the first stage for you must be to research and design a strategy to keep the water temps in the tank as stable as possible year round. You'd want to insulate the tank I think, maybe bury/semi-bury it by piling earth up round it. Then in winter you could take advantage of the sun with passive solar design : either erect a greenhouse around the tank, or pump water through a solar water heating device in the sun, the most basic way is just black tubing in the sun. I would try and find out what temperature the ground keeps year round in your area, also what temp local ponds/lakes etc keep year round. Once you establish what temp range you can expect to achieve year round then you will know which fish species you will be able to raise, and you can work from there. Am I right in thinking that in winter the nights can be very cold, but it still gets hot in the daytime in the sun? If so passive solar design and good insulation could help you keep a pretty decent temperature.