Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello,
I have a plug for my bath and am now filling it with rainwater from my tank. I am going to put some goldfish into it.
This is my first go at Aquaponics and I am starting out small.
My bath is a big one, probably 250litre.
Not sure how many fish I should buy?

Any advice would be most welcome.
Here is a picture of my set up.

thanks
Dale Morgan

I'd start with a dozen small ones and feed lightly for a couple of weeks. If they survive and are happy for 2 or 3 weeks, add another dozen.

You will need a good complete food if you want good plant growth, gildfish flakes wont do it.

cheers

I wouldn't put too many in to begin with, based on my experience. While your system is cycling your levels will be high which means troubled times for fish. I started with 8 goldies and by the time my system had cycled I had 2...

Lot's of people do fishless cycling, which saves fish. Something to think about.

If you decide to go with fish I would think that less than 10 fish can get your system off of the ground. Also make sure you salt your fish tank water to ~3ppt to help the fish deal with high Nitrite levels. Also lots of air.

Good luck and let us know how it's goin'!

I would start with 5 or 6 maximum and test for a few weeks. Once you have seen the Ammonia and Nitrite spikes go by then add some more as you bacteria colony grows.

Your eventual fish load depends on your filtration more than the fish tank however it looks like you have around 150/200 litres of filtration in that blue tub so you should eventually be able to have heaps of goldfish

don't put any in until you have a grow bed hooked up, filled with media and flooding/draining.

Then tell us how many liters that grow bed is.

Then I might say 3 small goldfish per 100 liters of grow bed max to start out. Or you could go the stress free way and look up fishless cycling.

Thankyou for your input, it is invaluable.
I shall get the 290litre grow bed sorted and started before I purchase any fish.
Was quoted $3.95 each or 10 for $35 for goldfish yesterday at the local pet shop. How does that campare with your knowledge on the subject please?
cheers
Dale

I paid 25 cents per goldfish. They are just feeder fish, but I wasn't willing to spend any more when cycling my system... $3.50 per fish? They must be fancy goldies!

Sounds a bit pricey for the gold fish if they are in the 40-50mm range
I have about 30 goldfish in a large bath with about 6 yabbies and have a standard size bath tub as a grow bed
This small system has been running for approx 5 weeks with no problems but was started with lots of mature water from my larger system I wouldn't recommend that amount of goldfish in a new system especially without a growbed that has not been cycled. I have more goldfish than I would like in the system but wanted to remove them from the larger system as the were competing with the silver perch for feed. If I was to stock at safer levels I would recommend approx 15 gold fish.
You can see a pic of this small system here
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=6424&start=60
I have had a few tours of my system and use the smaller one to explain the basic principles of AP

I got a load of comets for my water garden at 20¢ each... These were 2" fish, too!!

Would recommend fishless cycling, then add fish later...

CB

Dale my missus has a B/T with 7 big (100-120cm) gold fish we have a 50lt sink as g/b and a huge blackberry is raging, feed them about 3 tea spoons of 1 mm pellets a day, water is always clear, have 20 Pygmy Perch in tub.

I wonder how many lives have been been changed as a result of typing "How many goldfish should I put in my bath?" during a routine google search.

I thought that we were getting kinky with that subject line, but.......

good advice on the half dozen, of course depends on the size, as you will probably just be going with a few I'd suggest some of the fancy ones you like and grow out some nice breeders.

Enjoy, thats what life is all about, and lending a hand along the way.

woops just read my post should have been mm not cm

I hadn't noticed Nocky,
but interpreted in mm subconsciously.
I haven't any fish in the system yet but it is going well with 50 litres of grow bed. I have tipped in some fish water on occasion from another pond I have with 1x 15cm gold fish in it plus the occassional jug of worm juice, the stuff that comes out of the tap on a worm farm.
The plants are growing, not fast but it is very cold here of late.
I was going to expand the grow beds to double the size very soon.

I have a lead for some cheap feeder fish and will buy 5 to 10. I would like to put in some yabbies too.
Have read a lot of stuff about yabbies and I think they would work in the bath.

cheers
DAle

I cycled my 500L tank with 400L of growbeds with two medium sized gold fish and 8 small ones. Took about 7 weeks
Didnt lose any fish. So I reckon half a dozen in your bathtub would be a good start

Just had a vision of a naked man in a bathtub with a large goldfish, "OOOH a worm", nooooooooo