Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

After being a bit of a lurker on backyard aquaponics for a few months I decided to sign up and be part of something great. Thanks for having me!

I am a Principal at a small school in rural QLD Australia and I've grown increasingly interested in aquaponics over the last year or two. The isolation of my whereabouts means that I have time and space to study, exercise, make friends with farmers and try new things. I would love some thoughts and ideas on getting into aquaponics. Your experience would be much appreciated. Due to the nature of the science and benefits of the sustainability outcomes involved in aquaponics I am thinking of purchasing a system for the school as well, providing my own personal venture into aquaponics doesn't end in disaster!

My personal AP plan so far:
I want to start out with my own system and it looks like a flood and drain IBC tank build would be the most economical way to get started. Water pump (AquaOne variety) and pipes shouldn't be a problem. I usually return to the big cities in my school holidays so I will be able to buy a bell siphon and the clay medium from an aquaponics store. The climate where I live is fairly cold for about 3-4 months of the year and stinking hot for the rest! So I figure Tilapia is the best way to get started, maybe I can get a heating element for the water during winter. Plan is to grow lettuce varieties after cycling the system for a few weeks and then experiment with other plants, fish and incorporate NFT. Long term I'd love to set up a greenhouse, solar panels, water tank, chickens, pigs, black soldier flies and purchase a better system to decrease inputs into the system and increase outputs.
A few questions if I may:
1) Does this look like a good enough starting plan? What changes/ additions would you encourage?
2) Do I need a filter and an air pump as part of the plumbing?
3) Could I add fresh water prawns to the pond? (maybe in a separate cage)
4) What food can the Tilapia eat?
5) Best way to transport Tilapia fingerlings for a 5 hour drive?

Thanks for your time!

Tilapia are a declared noxious fish in Australia, and possessing them in Queensland can sock you with a fine of up to $200,000 : http://www.fishingworld.com.au/news/fis ... the-spread

...so apart from that your plans seem good! Your best bet for fish would probably be something like jade perch, they're native, good eating, do very well in aquaponics, and like Queensland temperatures. Welcome to the forum!

Welcome Kam22. I'm wondering who it is selling Tilapia in Qld? I'm pretty sure they are illegal in Oz. You might have to go with Silver Perch.
If you buy small fingerlings then transport in plastic bags filled with Oxygen should be ok as long as the water doesn't get too warm. If they are over about 10-12cm, you may need a live transport tank with aeration system.

Right! Well I'm glad I checked that out before getting hold of them. I'm sure I would've discovered that at the first pet shop I walked into. Ok Silver perch it is then!

The IBCof Aquaponics is a good starter system...link at top right of page.
nothing complicated and very simple to plumb.

PDF to download from this page http://ibcofaquaponics.com/
plus some background info.

youtube video here (same as PDF) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYFM7J_TpTU

these tell & show you everything you need for a mark-I system.

They are feral in some parts of Australia, so you might have been planning to go out and get your own - figured it was better to head you off at the pass. I'm going to be running silver perch myself once I get fully set up; they've got a really good wide range of temperatures they're happy in, eat pellet foods with no problems, and also do well in aquaponics. They do take longer to grow than jade perch.

Back to your original questions...

You don't need a filter with a small system, unless you overstock. If you've got media beds, with at least 20-25 liters of wet media per fish, they will act as all the filter you need; if you get bitten by the expansion bug, which is a virulent creature always looking for new victims, then you can start looking at filters and there are a bunch of people on the forum already running all sorts of them who can give you excellent advice.

An air pump, on the other hand, is a very good thing to have. It will keep the oxygen levels up in your water, which will keep your fish and plants much happier, especially in hot weather; and if you set up a backup power system to keep the air running even in a power cut, it will keep your fish alive for several hours after your pump stops.

You could definitely add prawns; give them lots of hiding places and a few should do OK. They'll keep the bottom of the tank cleaner than it would be otherwise. If you want to raise more than a few I'd give them their own tank as the perch will eat the little ones.