Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi,

I just posted a thread in which Joc kindly sent me to this Section. I am considering starting an Aquaponic system commercially after several years of keeping fish and having several vegetable patches however I am now 18 and about to leave school and I am wondering whether anyone could tell me whether a profitable system that produces enough to live off has been done before and how much land? I am guessing the most expensive part of this project would be the start up cost and Land being at £10,000 an acre in my area, the quantity of land needed is something I am trying to work out. Any information on all of this and doing this commercially would be greatly appreciated!Furthermore, whether there are any systems in the UK that allow visitors as it would be great to see it in action!

Thank you
Mike

Hi Mike
Good question. No easy answers.
In my experience knowledge equals money. So my best advice would be go to University and get a relevant Aquaculture degree.
I read an EU paper on European Perch production in a RAS system (just fish) and they were talking €500,000 excluding land.
At the other end of the scale a ‘blonde’ TV presenter got a £200,000 grant from the Welsh development agency for her farm. You can do a course on AP staying at the farm and meeting said Blonde. In other words the AP is not commercial BUT they have commercialized the ‘experience’
Bioaquafarm in Somerset is somewhere in between. However the owner is a great chef and has maximized his return. Designer Trout Pate etc
That said however a European Perch RAS system in The Republic Of Ireland reports they could sell a weeks production in one day. So there are opportunities.
Ryan’s thread on this site is one of the most inspiring.
I think there is money to be made from small niche markets with high value high quality products. I am experimenting with watercress and samphire. Wether it is enough to live on is a different matter. Asian vegetables are another thing I think worth researching.
Read the IBC of Aquaponics and set up a small system. Experience is also valuable.
On land; it doesn't have to be prime agricultural land. Cheaper brown field sites can be used.
Good Luck

Thank you for your advice, I thought it may of not been cheap! I guess its time to sit and write a business plan to see if the figures will add up! Fortunately our family are farmers which will help on the crops side and a Cousin who is doing farm management currently in Wales so that's a benefit!

Is Tilapia a common fish to have in a system like this?

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Plus one to education.. only problem is that such a specialist education will not be all that useful in normal employment, so it is more a hobby field IMHO until you turn the corner..

I think I would consider the suggestion of other fish.. ie. Fish that are attractive for more than eating value..
But.. having said that, eating fish could fall under the ORGANIC banner and thus attract better prices..
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Check out the fish section in the board index for suitable fish species for your climate. In a commercial situation you would want to minimise any heating or cooling costs unless you could co-locate and use another industry's waste heat.

Get a real job......

Trying to run a commercial AP enterprise you need to be an experienced hydroponics grower, an experienced aquaculture person, a savvy business operator, and a marketing guru. Plus have lots of $ to back you up.

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And just adding to that..

I have a VERY knowlegable friend, seriously keen on just such a venture , and now hesitant, seriously hesitant he is, because of the MASSIVE financial and family commitment to such a project, where 365/24/7 contact would be needed, or a massively expensive automated process setup that removes some of the chance.. and a mistake or accident or unseen contamination could wipe you out..

Get a proper job and start AP part time and learn from your mistakes, and ours, and build it into a paying hobby --- IF YOU CAN..

The exception could be where you had a restaurant , where you can monitor the facility at work and use any product in the cooking ...
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I think saying get a real job is a bit unfair Earthbound, but I respect your view!

I personally think that this is a way forward, to sell products purely Organic can surely be a benefit for our growing population? Brand and Market Organic produce is becoming more and more crucial! As a part time job alongside education i work at a popular supermarket starting in M and ending in Sons and their key and top priority is to get Fresh and organic produce! I also, up till recently worked in a Butchers and with the increase in situations such as the Horse Meat scam, people are swiftly turning to produce that they can trust and know is good for them! Our family background consists of farming, scientists and business men for generations and we always thrive to see if we can find new ways of producing! and if someone can turn this to commercial, this can surely be a good thing? However i understand you are an Admin and will know better than myself!

Joc, Thank you, I will go across to there and take a good read

Thanks BuiDoi, Organic banner is the aim I believe! Organic produce seems to be marketed higher!

Thank you Buidoi, I understand that the risk would be great, this is why i think Research now is crucial! In every business adventure really! The constant commitment would not be an issue, we have to do this already on our farm, however I am intrigued to know why commercialising this is such an issue? By the sounds of it, it is much more risky than farming in the land?

A bit off topic but I like your style.
You're alright mate, tell your folks I reckon they did an outstanding job.

Yeah, nothing personal J.. Over the years I've seen plenty of people come and go with attempts of commercial enterprises , and as someone who gave the commercial side a bit of a whack while running a hobby supply AP business... viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5209

Well, it's not easy... but, not impossible..

Going to take a read, I guess with every business adventure there is the risk that everything will go wrong! I will read through and post a reply later

Very interesting read!

Would you think that if the system was run in poly-tunnels or a greenhouse, that it would be still in production?

The cycling process was very interesting! i know this is aquariums, but i believe the same concept may apply? I cycle all my tanks without fish or plants, just using house hold ammonia and loads of it to bring the ammonia up high, then I leave it all running, still with no fish or underwater plants, just the substrate and filter ( bio-balls and ceramic tubes) for 6 weeks whilst the ammonia and nitrates/trites come down to nil?

Thanks

Does anyone know roughly how much produce you get to land? so in an acre how much should you expect? Thanks

Have you read the other threads in the 'commercial systems' section?
They'll give you quite a bit of feedback and opinions.
It's not an easy path to commercially viable AP.