Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

All,
I'm very new, so I thought I'd write down some things I wish I'd know when I started AP. I really appreciate all the things I have learned by reading through the forum over the last few months. Since there are many new people, I thought this might help them as well.

Feel free to chime in! (no particular order, here)
1. Cycling takes time. For me almost 6 weeks. Though there are ways to shorten it by introducing the beneficial bacteria.
2. Trace minerals are important. You'll need to buy some.
3. Don't flood your plants. If you are transplanting plants started in dirt, The majority of the roots should be above the "flood" water level. They'll rot if they are deeper.
4. Sick fish are no fun. Related to that, if you buy fish from a big box store, chances are the fish are stressed and sick. Look at the tank before you buy the fish. Sick fish with well fish = all sick fish.
5. You'll also need a pH buffer, shell grit, egg shells, something.
6. Fish will die. Be very careful about everything that you introduce into your system.
7. You need to really know how to read your plants. Nutrient deficiencies like potassium may occur.
8. Larger systems actually have the benefit of having more water, so they are less sensitive to temperature swings (day/night) and chemical swings (high ammonia, etc). I guess the same could be said for stock densities.
9. AP is quite addicting!

K

All good points Kwieland.
Solids is a big lesson I have learnt recently.
Make sure all solids are ending up in your GB solids in the FT = dead fish quick and seemingly randomly.

bacteria in a bottle do not shorten cycling time. Its a sham.

Buy a bigger tank to start with.

Hmmm... I disagree with most of that..
I continuous flood ,
I don't add minerals or anything but water and fish food .
I plant direct & have no trouble with rot
Fish death is a result of failure of some kind not just out of the blue.
I don't use a buffer.
Your plants will suffer if the system is not mature (cycled)
Though I do agree that larger systems are more stable
C1

1- If I'd known how far my system would keep growing, I might have designed/placed it differently.
2- Some types of fish get stressed out easily and stressed fish get sick easily, avoid stressing high strung fish (like catfish)
3- Us good quality feed as the really cheap stuff can cause poor water quality and poor health for fish and plants.
4- Don't let solids build up in fish tanks
5- CHIFT PIST is worth the extra effort/tank if you don't have a pump that is really good at solids removal.

When in doubt add more aeration and circulation, it can help other problems from turning into fish killers.

What I had wish to have known when I first started AP.......was how to keep fish Oh well a crash course a few deaths and its getting easier...that is for sure

use bigger plumbing

. . . that the wife would be so disinterested until I showed her how it could be used to grow her flowers quicker and stronger than in earth beds; so she can win all the prizes at her Garden Club with specimens that no-one else could produce at the time!!!
Would have released purse strings much earlier!!

Cheers IanK

Venturi drain to bottom of pond helps a lot; if lifts water from bottom to top to get air.

Siphons WILL at some point have troubles.

Sea90 salt provides everything a plant needs.

To get good growth and single season grow out of tilapia you need the correct sized for their age so they can eat it fast and not gum at it. Feed should be 42% protein for the first 4 inches of growth. Faster initial growth makes you 100% satisfied. Small fish at then end of a season is a waste of time.

Pacu out grow anything else.

Clean water and high DO greatly improves fish health and growth

Solids removal BEFORE pump GREATLY increased water quality.

Continuous planting of fast maturing crops can yeild a LOT more food than normal growing methods.

Nursery beds required.

If you think a pump is too small/under powered, first try hooking it to bigger plumbing to see if that improves things enough to avoid going and getting an over powered pump.

Add air. It can keep a fish tank much cleaner by improving circulation and keep fish healthier.