Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Howdy all, from the great state of Texas. I've just recently become interested in Aquaponics due to an illness my wife has. Due to this illness she needs to eat organically and from what I've seen this is a great way to raise food for the family year around. We live on the Gulfcoast our climate ranges from upper 20's to 100 deg. F. I am wondering if I need to build a climate controlled greenhouse or will just a covering be enough to protect from frost? My second question is type of fish, we like tilapia but I'm not sure they are the best selection for our climate. I am in the planning stages and any advice would be nice. I am somewhat limited in funds so I want to make my system as affordable as possible.

Hi Mike! Welcome here!
20 to 100 Farenheit is -6 to 100 Celsius, right? I think Tilapia won't live that low temperature, you will need to heat your water and it may be costly. I have same climate here in Switzerland and I plan to grow my fish indoor. Maybe it could be an option for you too...

A greenhouse may be neccessary for you. Sinking a pond in ground helps but with frost you'll need to look into what your local greenhouse guys do about that.

Welcome aboard!

Oh - check the insulation on inground spas locally as well.

Hi Mike...I am in California and I can help you with the Tilapia and system setup. Your location is ideal for Tilapia because you are in a sub tropical climate, not quite is tropical as Florida, but you are better off than I am...and I grow Tilapia no problem.

There are lots of things to consider at startup, but cost is not much of an issue if you are resourceful and can locate a sizeable tank for nothing. Tilapia live in just about anything, so discarded farm troughs, ic containers, old water tanks...just make sure your tank doesn't leak and came from a potable water situation.

You can house the tank in a small, cheaply built pvc hoop style greenhouse during the winter and wrap the tank in discarded bubble wrap for those brief periods of frost if kept outdoors. If you have a garage or outbuilding for your tank, even better. Lots of folks bury thier tanks on this forum. I don't find it necessary if you apply sound passive solar heating techniques (cheap to do) and keep the system in greenhouse. Tilapia are legal in TX. If you are not experienced at fishkeeping, they are forgiving moreso than other species. You have Tilapia fisheries in your area... I'll get a link for you when you are ready.

Start hunting for a tank;)

Cheers

Hey thanks for your help, I am so excited!

You'll be hooked for life...

High 20's to 100 degF + - you're about the same as here in South Australia, occasional frosts in winter, a few days over 100 during summer, right ??
You're probably in the zone where you can use AP to grow edible vegies and inedible fish like Goldies and possibly some varieties of Carp without worrying about tank heaters.
I like the idea of low power systems - my little system consumes as much power as a reading lamp - but if I go bigger and add a 300W heater the cost of the product rises steeply. I'm looking at free heat, like running my pond water through my compost heap, and free cooling like packing straw bales around my pond, covering with a reflective shield like a windscreen protector during summer -- gotta keep those costs down.
This AP stuff is the most interesting diversion I've had in a long time, lotsa good people and good advice and support. Have fun !!

Mike, this is a link to the Blue Tilapia. It is more cold tolerant then Nile Tilapia, however both have been found in the waters in and around Galveston Bay, and teh Gulf Region. There is alos an aquaponic farm growing Tilapia 130 miles out of Dallas...might be worth a research trip

http://nis.gsmfc.org/nis_factsheet.php?toc_id=194 link to Blue Tilapia

http://www.hydroponics.com.au/back_issues/issue50.html Young's Greenhouses

Thanks, keep all the good info coming. I have located a place on the west side of Houston which is about 70 mi. from me can't remember their names right off hand. Not sure if they raise blues or not.

Can you guys post some more pics of blues? some other general details? The link was excellent!

Just interested.

I am also interested in Reds ..

Cannot get blues or reds in Aus to my knowledge ... and WA is the only state in Aus where mossabmiques are legal.


Any info would be most welcome regards blues or reds...

apparently some crosses are useful for aquaculture..

I ordered my tilapia today and the guy at the hatchery suggested blues for cold tolerance. He also said that it was his experience that rapid temperature changes were more of a problem than the absolute temperature. This must be within reason I guess.

We're spoiled for choice here. He rattled off half a dozen names of types that were available of which I recognised blue and nile. Best of all they cost about 20 US cents apiece. He was really helpful and I laughed my head off when he thought I meant 100 000 not 100 as these are the numbers in which they generally sell them!

Fishies tomorrow yoohoo!!

Wow michael f, I just followed your link on blue tilapia. They sound like a big problem in the regions of the US where they thrive. Displacing a native population such that they comprise 90 odd percent of the biomass in a body of water is pretty scary.