Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

i plan on starting a system soon and could use some tips on what types of fish do well in a desert environment, and also during the 120f/40c summer how is the best way/is it nessecary to protect the plants if the roots are always wet?
i know these may seem like really newbie questions, but lets face it i am. i looked through the forum already and not seemiong to find the answers i am looking for. thanks in advance to anyone willing to take the time to "learns me sum'in"

It gets over 100F here, but not as hot as your desert.
I set up a 2-foot deep growbed and threw it into operation unshaded to see what would happen.
Ground shade from companion crops (like basil) seemed to help my sun-blasted plants the most. Also the plants toward the inner part of the growbed did better than the ones right at the edge. It is a black Rubbermaid stock tank; it got hot on the outside since I did not put any shade ANYWHERE this first summer.
I will definitely be wrapping some sort of barrier around the container before next summer. Reflective paint, or a hula skirt, or something. And shade cloth is in the plans for my tomatoes (but probably not for the okra).
Eggplant whether in the ground or AP, need a good amount of shade for almost 2 weeks - until they get their roots going. After that they really enjoy the combination of blasting solar radiation above and unlimited drinks below.

Hope this helps. I can't say what other hot-season crops (squash/melon, corn) like yet. Shoulda thrown some seeds in, but I started late...

Rick

I am in Northwwest Arizona at 3500 ft. elevation. So it is colder here year round than you discribe. My main two AP systems are in a greenhouse. This permits shading in the summer and tomato production in winter. I do some outside AP with some success. The fish I use are cold weather stock, catfish bluegill and goldfish. PM me if you want to see my operation.

I'm definitely not in a desert but it can get hot here and during the wet season, it doesn't cool off much at night either. Catfish have done really well for me with the past two cool winters and they still seem to thrive with the heat. (Catfish and blue gill are both what some would call warm water fish but they survive cold winters just fine too, it is only that most of their growing happens while the water temps are above 55-60 F, they can survive freezing water as long as it isn't solid and they are not too small.)

I recommend shade cloth for summer though my big system no longer has a structure over it and I did ok there this past summer. I get some morning shade from near by trees and late afternoon shade from the house for that system. A cover to block sun from the fish tank is a must in my book, it can also double to keep the fish in and debris, land pets and small children out.

ok thanks for the tips, so my basic understanding is as follows,

cover the plants for at least the first couple of weeks until the can get settled.
provide some sort of heat reducing 'thing' for the sides of the grow box.
and cover the fish area to keep bad things out and good things in.

thanks again looking forward to enjoying this