Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi, I'm new at this so here goes...

I'm doing an Investigatory Project on the Comparison between hydroponic and aquaponic setups in terms of plant growth specifically petchay. I have a few questions like:

1 Stated above, does fish food affect plant growth i.e. does it improve it ?
2 can I feed the tilapia sera pond flakes which are made for goldfish and koi or is this inadequate? (I don't really need to have high fish yield, the tilapia is just there for their poop)

Thank you

Fish food makes a big difference in both plant growth and fish growth....

I've seen fish feed that has caused lots of deficiencies in plants, swap the feed, deficiency problems go away.

I began feeding my SP goldfish flakes and was not seeing anything spectacular in the GB's but switched to Lauke Mills Barra pellets and it really made a difference.
I am soon to get some of that "Spectra FF"(??) that has the betta caratene in it for a nicer looking trout flesh, it will be interesting to experiment the difference in the 2 feed types.

You can use lights over the fish tanks(or ponds) to attract insects to help supplement there diet.

Thanks for the advice and replies.

Some of the stuff flew over my head, however, mostly cause I'm new at this. I'd also like to change the main question a bit to this: Could fish food act as a fertilizer to the plants thus eliminating the need for fish? if so then does anyone know how to "control" the fish feed so that it doesnt become the source of nutrients for the plants but is there only to feed the fish. Because this variable could ruin or seriously give me headaches in my study.

Poor quality aquarium feed has very little nutrients, this stops the aquarium from getting dirty water. It is just enough to keep the fish alive, thats it.

Well keep it alive just long enough to sell it....

Yeah, control your feeding rates, using floating feed so you can monitor what is being eaten... Sinking feed can be missed by both you and the fish sometimes..

is it possible that aquaponics would work if you just circulate the fish food to the plants and eliminate the fish? in the sense that the fish food acts like fertilizer? is that even possible? (but then it wouldnt be aquaponics anymore...)
or is it just futile?

It will work, but you are correct; it would not be called aquaponics anymore. Look up Vermiponics.

Very possible. We ran a filtered aquaculture system through a 9 meter bed, then bypassed the bed for 8 weeks and the growth of the plants did not change. I suspect that may be from the finer solids build up in the gravel mineralizing and provide nutrient for the plants.

Systems that use the bed as the filter may be deriving majority of nutrient from the breakdown of wasted feed and the nitrogen left in the fish poop which will be about 70%. So throwing fish feed into the bed might just do the same job but it is very expensive fertiliser...

Yeah, urea and seasol does a better cheaper job than using fish food.