Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello there.

I am a 25 year old male. Father and just recently engaged. I am sick of paying so much for my vegetables at the store and have been interested in AP for a long time. So today after about 4-5 years, I finally went out and bought my self a 75 G bare tank to start doing some Aquaponics. The begin I want to use a polystyrene float on the top of my new 75 Gallon tank. I am planning to grow peppers, chives, cherry tomatoes, Peas, and some swiss chard.

At the end of the day I will need fish to run the system. I am having a very hard time finding an edible breed of fish i can purchase easily in Ontario. Although im beginning to feel like my only choice is going to be KOI or Goldfish, etc. I would ideally prefer not needing a heater etc. for my tank either.

The idea of using the polystyrene to start is that it is more cost effective. Then I plan to grow into a media bed shelf system. Will be using a PLANO shelf like the shelfponics tutorials all around, except since i have a 75 Gal. tank and the shelf ponic tutorial calls 10 Gal for 3 shelfs, i want to leave my polystyrene in place and add on 4 plano 4 tier shelfs. Whice the idea will be to use a pump to pump water to the top of each shelf, then run the water from the top down to each shelf under until the bottom, then collect it all and return it back to the tank.

Have not completely developed the plans for this, just want to see how the initial system works, and then use my grocery savings to expand the system.

Please give me any suggestions. ESPICALLY FOR EDIBLE FISH (Before this drives me NUTS!)

I also live in SWO and started my full system last year with issues, so far this year things are looking up.

There is a place in (Burlington) I think that sell Tilapia for about $2-$2.50 / each http://www.torontotilapia.com/

Interesting Guy but sells good stock and will delivery anywhere in ON.

As for the system, I have it outside now but started the fish in the garage in Mar. I have about 16 sqft of growing space and have bean, peas, beats, peppers, zucchini, radishes and cucumbers. No tomatoes since they got to top heavy last year, so I just have 3 plants in an out door planter and I dump my fish waste mix in there once a week.

It is supported with 100 gal tank and 30 gal sub tank I am short on the ratio so that will hurt me in the long run but if this works out the wife has agreed to let me double the grow beds next year *grin*

I only got cherry tomatoes as they are smaller. I was going to do a shelf panic system but have already blown the heck out of my budget so thinking im just going to do some polystyrene on top of my tank for now. With the price of produce here if I can harvest 10 peppers that will pay for an expansion lol.

I just picked up 2 blue guaormi mates 2 gold gourami mates and a small school of rainbow fish.

All my seeds are still growing in the jiffy self watering greenhouse in peat moss. And I'm trying to get my PH levels down a little bit. They are up around 7.4

Hydroton I've now noticed costs a small fortune. So looking at other types of media to use that are cheaper and just as effective.

First of I know what you mean about budgets lol.

Where did you find Trout, I looked and could not find them but with our summers they might die.

I used crushed clay bricks as my medium since it was so much cheaper and still PH neutral. There are a few garden centres in the area that sell it by the cubic foot in bags for about $2-$4.


I will have to try the cherry tomato's if they do not topple over that would be good option.

I didn't find trout it was just part of my brain storming lol. Clay bricks sound easy enough to get my hands on

I am now seeing some progress

Although my cat attacked the system and knocked all my peat soiled plants in a small clear container into my tank what a disaster!

But needless to say I saved most of my plants!

So I have
Cherry tomato seedlings
Swiss chard seedlings
Sweet pepper seedlings
And
Snow pea plants that are now in the grow bed

I have a PH level of about 7.4
Ammonia of 2 ppm
Nitrite and nitrate are still at 0

I have 2 blue gourami (1 Male and 1 Female)
I have 2 gold gourami (1 Male and 1 Female)
And a school of 3 rainbow fish

And I'm pretty sure there are some fry swimming in the tank as well. Will have to see in a week or so

I am having a lot of problems uploading photos from my iPhone

So will see how this all goes

Links to pictures:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxged ... zFVV1FycjA

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxged ... WNkMjJNVDQ

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxged ... m5iaVRDWUk

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxged ... nFYTTJpSU0

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxged ... DlzdHY1ZTA

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxged ... mdHMGVRWXM

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxged ... EJDdVZ3NmM

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxged ... mpLTVFjbTA

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxged ... 1VFblRadUE

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxged ... HU3X0Y2dnM

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxged ... jlGcW9WdE0

Well the gourami's were a bad idea. They are like freaking betta's!!!

The pet store I purchased the fish at specifically recommended these fish as friendly to one another etc. etc. they are all killing each other.

Looks like I will be converting to Tilapia ALOT sooner than planned. At least fish store made a close to $100 sale off myself being naive about these species. Little did they account for that I will now no longer return, and that I probably would have become a loyal and frequent customer.

Ouch. Gourami are moderately territorial, and are worse if they don't have plants etc to hide in. They back down if they're in a tank with fish that are bigger and more aggressive than them, but it's generally not recommended to have more than one male in together. They are supposed to usually get along with rainbowfish, though. Did you tell the pet store they were going into a bare tank?

Bluegill are native to southern ON. Tolerant of a large range of temperatures. Good to eat. Grow a bit slower than tilapia. I'm growing bluegill now.

I've heard good things about yellow perch too but I chose not to grow them because our summer can get pretty hot.

Bluegill.... Like sunfish? And I only grow indoors with central air, so the heat etc of my tank is well controlled although I am avoiding a fish that would require a chiller. I did find tilapia at backyard tilapia.com

Tilapia will grow to a harvestable 1 lb with in 6 months which is also great because I want to make sure I get a good harvest from the fish as well. That is the biggest mental hurdle with aquaponics. Your brain will want the fish to grow as fast as the plants but that won't happen. And if you want more fish you will get more plants lol.

Anyhow tilapia look promising. I've been thinking about getting a 20 gal and holding a breeding colony in it then as they have fry put the fry in my system until marurity for harvest. Have not worked out the details yet lol.

I am also at a cross road for grow media... I don't feel like spending a ton ($75 on Hydroton or like product) I didn't even spend that on my tank. And it seems it's very iffy to use any sort of rocks. I'm currently using some river Rock from my yard, but not positive how it is working will have to wait and see.

So far my peas seem to be thriving though. Tomatoes are Funky idk if they are alive or dying and Swiss chard I think that the cat episode took them out. No growth from my peppers or green onions yet.

Had 1 dead rainbow fish this am. (Actually quite pissed about that since the store that sold them to me was absolutely gunshot that the species and variety I bought would more than get along)

Yes, bluegill, like sunfish.

since you're inside, their capability to withstand a broad temperature range is less of an advantage and tilapia may be a good choice.