Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi guys,

Thought I'd add myself to this thread as a budding UK Aquaponicist.

In Brisbane at the moment, but relocating to sunny Manchester, UK at the end of the year. Have been doing plenty of research, and seems to be a lot more challenging to do Aquaponics in the UK - harder to get equipment, fish etc. Will watch with interest, and post details of my system plans as they develop!

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

I have 2 years experiance in sourcing equipment, it's a struggle but can be done.

As for fish, I can certainly help you out there, can get you fish in a few days.

Keep in touch.

Hi Don,

Thanks for the offer of help - these guys are the best UK tank supplier I have been able to find so far: http://www.emsustains.co.uk/plastic_fish_ponds.htm. I've been half wondering If I buy some of Joel's fancy gear and ship it back with the rest of our stuff - what have you found it hardest to source?

What type of fish have you ended up with? Did you go with Tilapia?

I have tilapia at the moment, looking at maybe trying to get some yabbies later but might be impossible or too costly.....

It's all about cost with me, those tanks look very nice but I have tanks comparable to the 6' ones which I got totally free as could you.

I am a bit of an old ball, I spend a lot of time reusing stuff and making my own bits.

It all started when i was offered a complete setup for £100,000, when I looked at it I decided I could fabricate the parts for a fraction of that price which is what I am doing.

Once I get my methane generator running and convert a genny to run on it I am complete, I shall then put in place my plan to take over the entire World pinky.

How are you going with the Tilapia? Are you having to use much energy to keep the water temperature up for them? I'd been assuming I'd go for something like Rainbow Trout as I'm wary of the cost of heating the water/greenhouse.

I'd looked at Yabbies and Marron too but thought they were all banned species on the mainland - must be good being offshore!

Free tanks would be good! Where did you get yours from? The only "recycled" ones I've found are IBCs which still cost a fair bit and aren't the best size. Trying to keep the other half happy means striking a balance between cost/beauty of the system but I'm quite happy to do a bit of fabrication to keep the cost down.

Love the sound of the methane-based generator - let us know how it goes!

Thanks,

Andrew

I don't believe that Yabbies are banned in the UK, unlike the Red Signal Crayfish, which I could keep here subject to strict lecensing and inspection by DEFRA. But is banned from certain areas. A Yabby escaping from it's confines wouldn't live very long in our water systems.

I do nit believe that Yabbies are an endangered species so no bar there either.

Rainbow Trout are an easy to keep species but you won't get the best from them without live food.

Whilst I am here for aquaponics in the back yard my intentions are further afield and slightly different.

As for my Tilapia in actual fact mine are located in the conservatory and my main difficulty at the moment is keeping them cool.

Remember in Sunny Manchester you will be 210 miles North of me.

Hi Don
Redclaw (Cherax quadricarinatus) is the only one thats legal in the uk.

I'll have to dissagree with bigdon about the rainbow trout - they do very well on pellets.

Maybe not the best, dont know - but still very well

I guess any insect from a nutritional point of view is only as good as its diet.
Crickets love fish pellets so you could feed them the pellets
They are easy to breed too but make a lot of racket chirping.

Thanks Hex, I wouldn't have progressed without talking to DEFRA but I tend to put that off as long as possibe, I have more than enough trouble talking to them about Chickens which are relatively easy to understand.

Sorry didn't make myself clear, Rainbow do well on pellets yes, and grow OK, but OK is available anywhere these days.

I get a tadge fed up with people who tell me they are 'sustainable'

Of all the fish that are farmed commercially in this Country, few are, in my opinion sustainable.

There is a chap in the West who uses the water runoff from Watercress beds to farm Trout, they feed on the organisms natually present in the water and are acknowledged as amongst the finest to be had.

Trout, Cod, Bass and Salmon are predators, they feed on organisms lower in the food chain, unless you farm that food source, and feed it to your fish, you do no benefit to the ecosystem.

'Sustainable' stocks of these fish are kept in cages and fed on pellets made from fish caught by trawlers.

Another idea fed into my mind, thanks Hex, have thought about farming snails for my Chickens but that is good.

They make a lot of racket you say, I have a wife and a 21 year old daughter, I have to tolerate a lot of chirping.

A small tub of crickets costs £2.50 from the local petshop. When you keep gecko`s it definitely pays to adopt the "breed your own" strategy.
I wouldn`t keep them in the house as you will inevitably get the odd escapee.. the chirping will drive you mad

Would Black Soldier Fly Larvae or worms count as live food in this?

Am trying to "close the loop" as much as possible- so avoiding fish pellets would be good anyway.

Just had a look at the Red Claw - they look delicious - would love to give them a go in "tropical" Manchester.

Just found this on the DEFRA website though:

"The keeping of crayfish as ornamental animals is effectively prohibited. However, an exception has been made for the keeping of certain named tropical species of crayfish, in heated indoor aquaria. A general licence has been issued under the Crayfish Order, in respect of the redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus), a native of Northern Australia. This is the only crayfish currently recognised as a tropical species and therefore incapable of reproducing in the wild in Britain. "

The key here seems to be "heated indoor aquaria" - not sure whether tanks in my greenhouse would qualify!

Has anyone tried growing Red Claw in a cool climate?