Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey folks,

I'm a long time lurker here and finally registered an account. I am originally from Texas (Austin) but I am working to start a small aquaponics system out here in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. I am working with a local friend who is very interested in setting up an aquaponic system but he needs my experience with it.

I have some experience in hydroponics but it is not my primary background. To put it simply I am trained as a Geochemist whose focus is in minerals exploration, dealing with fluids in the rock that produce metal deposits basically. Back when I got started in school I struggled to choose between geology and botany. I chose geology and then continued with hobby horticultures on the side. That was about 7 years ago. I have run both small hydro and aquaponics systems. I am interested in sharing these technologies overseas where imported goods dominate due to a lack of local production (the Soviets were good at growing wheat and cotton but that's about it). I would like to help change that mindset. I come from a family with a good deal of ag background. All my aunts and uncles were raised on the homestead that my great grandparents had when they immigrated to the United States. In addition, my uncle is a microbiologist and I have numerous friends in ag and engineering back home. We all have pretty good green thumbs!

There is a lot of interest in the subject of aquaponics out here with the potential to grow fish and prawns. Most of the construction materials are readily available, labor is cheap and the products have a high market price since most things are imported. The only issue I am having is securing certain sources for tilapia (preferably Blue's), prawns, and possibly Azolla and some gammarus species if I can not find it one locally. Just about all the rest I have taken care of.

My first instinct is to source them from the states, but that may not be the most economical. If we could get some sources lined up to start we would be ready to rock and roll on primary construction of our greenhouse in June. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

Look forward to finally talking to you guys instead of just lurking around reading, haha!

Orogenyrocks - lol - had to look that one up.

Welcome to the forum

@orogenyrocks - Hi and welcome

Haha thanks for the welcome guys! Most people have to look up Kyrgyzstan.

Welcome rocks. if I were you I'd google tilopia sourses in Africa or maybe Egypt where they come from in the first place. Its got to be cheeper to ship from there than from the states.

hey ive been to bishkek as i grew up in kazakhstan

good luck with this system- any reason why you want talapia?

asuming this is gonna be commercial it might be easier to break into the market with a known liked and trusted product than smth new- i know the growth rates are great on talapia but that is also gonna cost a lot keeping the water temps high enough in winter

i would consider baluga or even trout-basically the fish most in demand there

what types of crops will you grow? in a greenhouse? all year round?

id love to see more pics of the system

good luck

Hi orogenyrocks. Please consider the environmental consequences of sourcing fish and aquatic plants from outside your region. Escapees can wreak havoc on local ecosystems and introduce diseases that can decimate local agriculture, whether or not there are laws in place to prevent this. Go local if you can. Sounds like an exciting project.

Tilapia was just my first instinct at first. I should note that my system is at least for now a primarily veg focused system. As a result of the cost and difficulty associated with importing fish I will probably be sticking with something local. I will likely try and catch some Som (a local catfish). Or really whatever kind of local fish I can get till I get the system cycled and producing some income.

In terms of production I basically go to the bazaar and the groceries stores and look to see what is almost entirely imported or what has a very restricted growing season locally and try and grow that. Varieties of lettuce, asian greens, non-local tomato and small fruit varieties. This is just to start with. We will slowly adapt it and then introduce prawn and other higher dollar items. The system needs to be established first. That will be the hard part.




Thank you Joc, and i agree with your concerns. However the local climate would not allow tilapia or azolla to survive through the winter. Additionally, there is no surface water in the area of the greenhouse for about a mile. Not even the little drainage troughs you see in this part of the world. I also do not plan to sell any of the fish live for those exact concerns (plus keeping everything but the filets will help my compost piles and keep more nutrients in the cycle).

Regardless at this point in time I will be doing as you have suggested and starting local to get my system up and cycled. If we decide to add any non-native species to the systems you can be sure it will only be done after long consideration for the local biosphere. I considered that my duty as a earth scientist (even if it isn't the part of the earth system that I study).


Due to initial funding considerations I will be starting smaller than anticipated (difficulty in getting donations to start up http://www.gofundme.com/qw86fw). The greenhouse size has been halved and Ill be taking the outdoor space the old section occupied for summer cropping and possibly some high tunnels if funds allow.

Either way I am very excited to get started (though I will have to fund it mostly out of my own pocket).