Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have a 2 tank setup that flows to a central sump. The first tank is in a shed and then feeds an 8' x 4' growbed with scoria as the media. A main pump in the sump runs water back to the tanks as well as to 5 more 2' diameter tubs that act as growbeds and to a strawberry tower.

Fish 20 lbs of tilapia, approximately 100
19 goldfish
4 koi
10 redear sunfish

tank in the shed is a 600 gallon behlen stock tank, the other tank is a 250 gallon IBC. The sump is a 2 1/2 feet deep and 5' square pit lined with pond liner. I used a carport as a greenhouse frame and covered it with construction plastic. water temps fluctuates about 10-15 degrees during extreme temperature swings. 5-6 degrees if the air temp only fluctuats 30 degrees oF or less. The system was cycled with approximately 1lb of goldfish ,but is having to grow to catch up to the increased load since adding 30 lbs of fish.

Ammonia reads 0 but nitrites still steady at 0.5 ppm according to an API nitrite test kit.

the black hose strung along the pvc pipe back to the ttank is my makeshift solar water heater. I get a few degrees just from that.

Hopefully, there will be some pics if I uploaded right.

Big web of pipe Rav and all seems to be working, does it get that cold in Texas?
Good Luck

The infamous strawberry towers return

Have you got some salt in the water for the Nitrites? Mind you it will kill the strawbs quickly.

it can be below freezing at night and short and tanktop temperature in the afternoon. I have seen it go from 20 oF to 70 oF on the same day.



I have a 1lb of marine salt. Not much to 1200 gallons water, but no fish deaths. Tilapia are supposed to withstand nitrites of up to 16 mg/L and sunfish can handle even higher. THe wimpy ones are the minnow and goldfish with a limit of 9 mg/L. The strawberrys were the main reason I did not add more salt. I had to remove the spinach I had planted as it sucks salt out of the system. May replant after it finishes cycling.