Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Greetings everyone,

Nice to have finally joined this forum that has provided me or should i say us with so much info thus far

So we are 2 friends and stumbled across aquaponics around 6 months ago.

We decided to build the standard IBC tank setup to see how it goes (started it about 3 months ago) and we are now currently building our next bigger system, and the plants in the IBC are taking off ^^

Without this forum, i dont think we would have made it so far so cheers to all the contributors

We have fallen for AP hook line and sinker

Welcome.

Due to your minimal fish species availability, what were you able to get hold of?

And yes, we like pictures!

Cheers

Hi,

We started with 6 gold fish from the pet store - which were pretty expensive.

However we then were able to get Mozambican Talapia, there are a few people breeding them in Johannesburg, luckily one guy about 5km's away - which for JHB standards is next door

We stocked the IBC then with 100 fingerlings around 1 cm each at the time, which have all grown, however we now have stock for the new system ...

Will be doing a member system post shortly and will link you to it - with photos ^^

Here we go, link to the system with pics

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=24504

Hi Guys,
Being a SAFFA originally from Durban and growing up in Zululand region I can tell you that in Natal we get Talapia in the local river systems and Dams. I remember as a kid we used to catch them all the time on a bit of line small hook and some bread.

They breed very easily in the dams there due to water temps staying fairly constant.

bl4ck-mag1k if you need Talapia for a top up and your down in KZN just ask around. In Hillcrest I can guide you to some big dams right next to the highway that have plenty in.

Good luck with the new build!

Hi RustyRapier,

Yes i believe we get them in the dams around here too, however not being much of a fisherman myself i dont really do much fishing, however saying that perhaps this should change as it sounds easy enough to catch them - wouldn't mind a couple bigger fish to put in one of the tanks

It really is as easy as that, they breed constantly so use smaller hooks use the eagle claw number 8's or 10's

Hartbeespoort dam use to be a good place to catch them (40 years ago!)

I remember when i was ~ 15 year old - use to cycle all the way from Pretoria to Hartbeesfontein dam - caught 20 kurpers (Tilapia) and cycled all the way back in the same day (fishing rods and earthworms on the way in - fishing rod and kurpers all the way back).

100km round trip on a 3 speed bicycle in a day. - How good was it to be young!