Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi all,

First up I have to say hello, howdy - this following question is quite Australia specific - so for all the people reading from around the world, this question might be more interesting from a theoretical perspective! What I'm curious about is if anyone has tried to transport an aquaponics system, with plants, beds and fish and how did that go for you?

We are currently living in New South Wales and we have 10 happy silver perch. about 10 cm long, in our small backyard aquaponics setup. We are thinking of moving to Adelaide, South Australia, so are there any issues we should know about that you have come across already with transporting fish? Are there any South Australians around who might offer some insight into whether we can even bring live animals like fish across the state line? (I know there are restrictions on fruit!)

LadyD

Welcome to the forum LadyD.....

There's been some discussion lately about this subject..... best to check with both SA and NSW DPI & Fisheries regarding the relevant regulations.

The major concern is not just the applicable regulations that might apply... but the sheer physical constraints of how you intend to transport the fish over that distance and the method and time involved.

Are the fish big enough to eat? It might be easier to eat them before you leave and then setup fresh.

Where you move to, and when, may affect you choice of fish in your new location anyway.... probably a bit too cold down SA way for silvers over winter

Rupe - 10cm

For such a big move - would definitely be easier to go without fish, regardless of the regulatory issues, especially since you only have 10.

I'm rather attached to the fish - you see I've named them all Steve - and I'd really like to take them with us. Has anyone done anything so daft as to put fish in a box in a bag of water, fly them somewhere and empty them into a new tank, with a filter and a water aerator? Supposing the regulators said we could do that, do you think it would work?

LD

Just rename them .... lunch, dinner, bbq etc..... problem solved.

Consider the other constraints rationally..... when are you moving?.

Is it worth the cost of relocating 10 fish???... for the same cost you could probably buy a hundred trout fingerlings

Will you/do you have time to arrive, setup a tank, filter etc and be ready for the fish???

Is it really worth the effort?

You could talk to an aquarium place see if they would put the fish in a bag with pure Oxygen and then freight them over in a foam box.

As for the plants, could be tricky...depends on the plants and how the guys at the border are feeling.

As the others have said though, it maybe more costly than it's worth..

BTW don't you think Steve is a silly name for a fish?

H.

Yep the growbeds and tanks I'd take... the plants and fish I'd eat...

If you're going to SA... it might be the last good feed you get

steady up rupert, she is the smart one heading over here. Must say, if you leave the fish behind, I will name 10 of ours steve for you, and give them to you as a housewarming present

you could have picked a better name , then again Steve has one named Muzz

Problems related to transportation of fish are:

ammonia buildup
oxygen
parcel being dropped
time taken
regulations

IMHO, take up Monya's offer for replacements

Replacement Steves!

LadyD,
All the smart/wise people move to SA eventually.
We did it 20 years ago with no regrets....
Besides, Adelaide has some of the best BYAP'ers in the land...Monya & Dan, Steem, King Eric, Himzol, and the Hopefuls to name a few.
Finally, how can you go past 10 Steves as a housewarming pressie?

Wow. I had no idea there was such a strong SA contingent here - I would LOVE to meet up for a beer once we're in Adelaide and talk aquaponics! Is anyone interested in that idea?

Monya, that's a brilliant offer - I might take you up on that. But you don't need to call them all Steve - I think we can call them all something really original, like Steve2.

They are all called Steve, after my my brother, who campaigned hard and creatively to get my baby named after him. Alas, it was not meant to be, for I named my baby something really weird, so to mollify him I named all our fish after him. Like the Borg, they are Steve. But individually they may indeed be called Estephan, Sebastian, Stephen, Stevo, ElShteeve, etc. Fish can be insubordinate like that.

About transport, I've given up the idea of taking the plants. I figure we can grow new ones easily. About the fish... Would it work in theory if we put them into a foam box with oxygen, stored them in a planes cargo hold, and then once we touched down put them into a prepared tank? Or I guess we could drive them in a truck in biggish aerated containers, but it would take 16 hours or so...

Mostly when people ship fishies to each other they ship fingerlings right? These fish are just under the size of my hand...

Thoughts?

D

Nice one Lady, maybe you could donate the steves to your brother? Force him into AP so to speak...
My SP's aren't called anything, and don't need to be called at all at feeding time

I'm up for a beer, I missed the last SA meet.

Yeah but there wasn't any beer there so you didn't miss anything.

Nah, beer is a metaphor for a good time. Quite unnecessary in reality.