Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey guys,

I'm an agricultural education teacher in Newton County, Georgia. We just built a rather large aquaponics system through the help of a local company. Now I'd like some help trying to run it. We've got it in a greenhouse. It's an 800 gallon tank with a grow bed and float bed. Float bed is about 500 gallons. Grow bed has hydroton. We're growing tilapia but have experienced pretty high mortality. Currently battling algae. System is about a month old. Anyone local that wants to lend a hand? Any suggestions on here?

Hi PollardAg, you will need to provide some diagrams, photos and numbers (pump flowrate, GB size, fish numbers, water test results etc) for your system so that people can respond. There is heaps of basic info and FAQs in the forum that you should have a read through first. The 'oft repeated rules of thumb' thread has good info on stocking rates based on the amount of biofiltration (eg. wet media in growbeds) you have. Did you cycle your system to establish the bacterial colonies which provide the biofiltration before adding fish? Are you monitoring pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels to ensure cycling is complete and you are not getting ammonia or nitrite spikes? Is your pH okay for your bacterial colonies and fish? Too many fish and not enough biofiltration (ie. Growbeds) = dead fish. Too many fish and not enough water turnover &/or aeration = dead fish. Perhaps you could seek further advice from the designer of the system?

The company who helped build it aren't helping?

Really need to see some pictures to be able to offer decent advice, can you post some?