Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi Everyone! I've been reading the forums, watching vids and trying to figure this all out for the past couple weeks.

I decided to start small so I'm doing the constant flood IBC method that is in the BYAP step-by-step instructional video.

Today I cut everything up and placed it in my non heated enclosed greenhouse. I have a Rio 20HF pump on the way from Amazon and I'll probably be using a mixture of Growstones (bottom of GB) and Hydroton on top of that for the media.

The only dilemma I'm facing now is trying to find some trout fingerlings. I didn't realize it was so difficult to find stocking fish around here. From what I've read it's way too cold for Tilapia in Western Washington this time of year.

If anyone is near me (Oregon maybe?) and has some stocking solutions for edible tasty fish that'll survive in a 45F to 70F degree climate please feel free to let me know. Or anyone else not close for that matter. I'm a total noob and I'll take any advice I can get.
Looking forward to contributing some of my successes and (hopefully minor) failures along the way.

Cheers!

Welcome SSD.... look forward to seeing your pics... and sharing your aquaponics journey...

Hi SSD and welcome! Getting trout for the fish will probably be your best bet. Unless the water stays below 75 degrees you'll have to get pretty good sized trout to get them eating size in time (depends on what you consider eating size of course ).
There are some places around Portland that have trout. WDFW would know of any in Washington State and you'll probably have to talk to them for a permit anyway.

If Washington State allows Yellow Perch they are a bit more durable and good eating (just watch out for the spines).

Bluegill will also work but grow slower than YP and Trout.

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the welcome and for the info scotty. It seems we have one of the worst states for regulations. Looks like I will definitely need a permit from my local WDFW. Pay them $24 and they send out a fish biologist to evaluate my 275Gal IBC in a greenhouse. That's kinda funny. Oh well. I think it will only stay under 75F until around March. I might only be looking at trout appetizers in that short amount of time . I'll do some reading on the Yellow Perch. I'm thinking maybe a water heater and some Tilapia might be a better idea although I haven't read great things about heating the fish tanks successfully. What do you raise in the summer months if you don't mind me asking?

My system is a combination of inside (lightly heated greenhouse) and outside. The big fish tank (625 gallons) and half the growbeds are outside with the tank is partly burried so everything stays cool. Some smaller tanks (total around 300 gallons) and the rest of the growbeds are inside a small greenhouse. It only rose above 75 by July so I could raise Trout from September through to June or July (Doesn't leave much time for a Summer fish). The problem for me is that it stays very cool into late Spring so I have to start plants in soil and then transfer. Current water temp is 51 F in the system.

I'm trying out Channel Catfish and they do grow fast during the warmer weather. You won't get them to eating size in one Summer with our cool temps though. You might have better luck with your system being all inside the greenhouse.

What part of western Washington? I grew up in Kitsap county.

lol... I grew up in Orange County, Ca. I'm in Snohomish County now just watchin the rain come down as usual.

Greetings, SSD. Sounds like we're not really that far from each other. The temps here really make a challenge for how to get started, dont they?

We're starting with an indoor 100 gallon aquarium setup for our learning experiment, so we'll be able to better control the overall climate. I'll be really interested in watching your successes.

Hi A.W. and thanks for the greetings! Yeah, the temps in our neck of the woods certainly make it challenging. I'm right below the cascades so it might be a bit more extreme where I am. It's actually snowing this morning.

I do have a heated shop that I'm putting it all together in so that helps alot. After much consideration I'm going to try Tilapia to start. I'm looking at getting two 500W heaters with a controller to keep the 200gal tank at around 75-80F. I'll be building an insulation box to go around the IBC this weekend.
The instructional BYAP video I watched on how to build the IBC FT/GB didn't mention anything about a mechanical filter for the solids coming from the FT. After speaking with a guy that raises Tilapia for a living yesterday I was convinced I needed one to keep the roots of my plants from suffocating. I will now be building a simple swirl filter to catch the solids before the water is gravity fed into my grow beds.

I'm so consumed with getting this going it's all I think about lately. Good thing I have a very understanding and tolerant wife

Trust me, you do not need a swirl filter. Gravel or hydroton grow beds will be fine. A swirl filter will just add more maintenance.

Your guy does RAS, and for his purposes, he should absolutely have a swirl filter. The backyard aquaponicist learns how to stock in a way that does not rely on extra filters. The key is to stock to grow bed capacity. I can never remember the numbers, but I think TCLynx has them in one of her threads... Remember, it is not fish tank capacity, though that number gives a good do not exceed number, but grow bed capacity.

So as long as you keep the fish population and grow bed ratio precise your roots won't get suffocated by the fish poop?

Correct.

I did a little search for you and there are several trout hatcheries in Wa state. The one I noticed offering stock for ponds etc is at www.goldcreektroutfarm.com It is located in Woodinville WA. Hopefully thats not far from you

Hey thanks Buffalochips! That's my neighbor's buddies trout farm. I was going to go with them but I decided to buy some fish tank heaters to see how high I could get the temp in my IBC tote FT and it's now running at a steady 81F in my unheated greenhouse so I think I'll try my luck at Tilapia to start.

I'm still cycling my system and my ammonia levels are a bit over .5ppm so I thought I better wait until they zero out before I stock the fish.