Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I am looking to start planning an outdoor IBC AP system in central Georgia USA. I haven't been able to find an information on keeping fish year round in southeast USA. Obviously there would need to be temperature control, but would trout be a fish that could be kept easily year round?

Welcome to the forum thimself

There might be special circumstances that would allow you to grow trout but they don't survive over about 75 F so I wouldn't expect them to do well in an Aquaponics system in Georgia. Controlling the temperature works but gets expensive. If you can do that then they work pretty well. One of the people here has a chiller hooked to a solar system and that might be one way to avoid paying a lot for the cooling (Check out Gunagulla's thread). There are lots of growers in the Southeast US, I think they mostly grow tilapia, bluegill or catfish. Tilapia are marginal because they die if the temp goes under 55F and don't thrive below about 70 F (there are some that can do well in slightly colder temps). There may be some other fish that work as well. Check with your state on permits for transport and stocking and also what's legal.

Cheers

Hi thimself,

I think there are a lot of nice aquaponics systems in Georgia and thereabouts... Checking with neighbors doing aquaponics to see what they've had success with would be a good idea. The Georgia Center for Aquaculture Development Cooperative Extension Program, at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, GA, should be a wealth of knowlege.

Fort Valley State University - College of Agriculture

I've seen Pat Duncan at duncanp@fvsu.edu or (478) 825-6335 referenced in several presentations and articles as the local aquaponics evangelist. She could surely point you seriously in the right direction.

For example: Farmers Growing Fish to Feed a Hungry Market.

There's also supposed to be a big operation in Washington, GA that is open to the public (I've never been there) called Hidden Lake Aquaponics and they grow Tilapia:


Sumner’s aquaculture farm is producing organic Thai basil, tilapia

There is a Hydroponics store in Atlanta that has Aquaponics stuff and they too should be able to point you in the right direction (and sell you lots of goodies!) They've got many locations scattered around Atlanta, TN and FL.

Atlantis Hydroponics



If I were in that area, I think I'd seriously consider that Intro to Aquaponics workshop that the aforementioned Pat Duncan puts on. That sounds like a GREAT! workshop, and only $5 (in 2013). Here's the flyer from a few years ago:



Good luck!

--
Sam

I am outside Greenville SC and my system was outdoor a good part of the year. I had Bluegill, Tilapia and one catfish.
The Bluegill and the catfish have done really well. The Tilapia did great over the summer but I did not get my greenhouse up in time to save all my Tilapia. I do have a few Tilapia left and they should survive now that my greenhouse is up.
I would say you should look at Bluegill or catfish.

Wow thanks for the responses everyone. Sadly my small urban backyard will only be able to support maybe 3 IBC sized GBs (aka GF won't allow more) and a greenhouse is out of the picture.

Would a greenhouse be required to keep tilapia year round? Just looked at water chillers for trout and they are kinda cost prohibitive.

I think you'd need a heater for the Tilapia. I think catfish or bluegill would be your best choices. Catfish grows a lot faster.