Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Okay, sorry if this is long, but I will need some help. For a middle years project, (International baccularte program) I decided to try and build an aquaponics system. This system is 300 gallons. And I managed to calculate certain parts and that I am planning on building two 150 gallon grow beds, one with media for fruiting plants, and another for leafy plants. I also do plan to plant one or two roses. I am still am thinking of trying to breed tilapia or catfish so I don't really have to buy any. I want to try to see if I can produce enough food for one person.

A DIY greenhouse will surround the system because in Arizona, it gets pretty hot.

Now this will involve a media grow bed which the water than flows to a deep water culture which then flows to a deep water culture system. Now, within this system, I do plan to do a 10 gallon per fish system. I have taken care of and currently have a 20 gallon aquarium.

Now I do have a few questions:
Can kiwi plants be grown in the system? Any root plants? Are solar powered water pumps and air pumps possible? Is it possible to breed tilapia in the system, and then move the eggs to a net cube enclosure in the same pond as the adults (note that the fry can't escape due to the net being suspended in water with the few top inches of the net above water)? How about catfish?

I do also plan to build a 55 gallon barrel system that will house an oscar in the barrel. But the system will grow basic and easy plants. If you can, I would like answers as this is a project and I have several months to do it.

Welcome to the forum Kevin .

You probably could grow a kiwi in the system but some can get really big and it would probably take up most of the nutrients so I wouldn't. Some types of Kiwi plants require a pollinator and you might end up needing to have two plants in this case. You should look into wicking beds and maybe set one (or two) of these up for the kiwi. Keep it disconnected from the system or only one way flow so that you can fertilize the kiwi if needed, without affecting the fish or other plants. I'd probably do the same for the roses.



Yes but I'd suggest that a wicking bed is better for these and this is how I grow most of mine. If you do grow them in system, wash them well (just common sense).



Yes, take a look at gunagulla's thread.



Probably yes to both of these. Catfish and Tilapia would be hard in some parts of the country but I don't think your area is one of them. Both need warmer temps and channel catfish don't breed much when water temps don't get up to 80F or above (which it almost never does here where I am).

Hope this helps.

Hi Kevin.

Yes, a solar powered system is doable. (mine is a solar powered 12 V system). The easiest and quickest 12V system is to use the Shogun 20W solar pond pump, battery and controller/timer which you should be able to find on eBay for around $150. I can recommend this little unit. ( i have 1 cutdown ibc system operating with this set up and am very happy with it).
I think I would avoid growing kiwi fruit however. The vines are enormous and very spreading unless you have a 10' x 40' trellis to support the vines (you need a male and a female to get fruit) they will topple over and smother your whole system.
Good luck with your project.

Hi Kevin,

there is far more stuff available for 240 v than 12 v so using a small inverter could be a benefit in a solar system.

Pete.

Welcome Kevin.

A portion of my current tilapia population was spawned in my system. I did capture the fry and suspend them in a "breeding net." I ground some high-protein feed to powder and it worked well. They grew fast. I also raise catfish, though I have not spawned any yet. My largest are two years old so I'm going to try next summer. I am in So Cal so not as hot as Phoenix but similar.

Also, how would I build a breeding net? Any sources for the material? I tried searching for an aquaponics wicking bed but how would one be built? Any plants I should not put in my system? Any way to feed fish with all insects and sprinula algae? What are your setups like?

I am on a budget but I can use equipment that is used but still works like new.

I am looking for foods with nutrients like vitamin a, lutein, and some other nutrients. Now would it be possible to do vermiculite in the media or wicking bed?

Wicking beds like AP can be expensive so if you're on a tight budget keep in mind that plumbing, media and liners all add up.

Have a look at Food&Fish's thread for some wicking bed information http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=529864.

DecalsbyJT also did a nice job with his and built the beds using old pallets. http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=12933.

This is my wicking bed thread and it gives you the idea but it's better to use something like milk crates to create a water holding reservoir than the rocks I used. The two I mentioned earlier will give you that. In mine the rocks don't really wick it's the landscape fabric. The rotating overflow might be useful to you.

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=13622

and here's my regular AP system build -

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=9511

None of the wicking beds listed here are hooked to the AP, unless maybe Milne has done this and I haven't heard. If you wanted to do this all you'd need is a float valve within the wicking bed that's hooked to the AP for it's water. It's also possible to do a flow through wicking bed that's connected to the AP.

For some systems using IBCs see the IBC of Aquaponics (no wicking beds but it will give you some ideas on how others setup their systems) http://ibcofaquaponics.com/.

I haven't done the food from scratch so can't help you with that - For most people the easiest way is to use a good quality commercial feed and supplement with worms, insect larvae (black soldier fly larvae), flying insects (light in the tank) ... etc. Your plants will likely suffer less from nutrient deficiencies this way. There was a thread within the last year where someone showed how to make fish food from scratch but I don't have a link, maybe someone else does.

I wouldn't use the vermiculite in the AP portion. Look over the threads above and if you still want to do a wicking bed with vermiculite ask Food&Fish (Milne), he's used a variety of media over the years and does mostly wicking beds now so he'll likely know. This isn't a big deal but Vermiculite does have some hazards so in case you don't know - http://learn.eartheasy.com/2009/04/vermiculite-and-asbestos-how-to-minimize-the-risks/

I meant putting red wigglers in the AP portion. The planter portion to be specific. Now I was wondering if a pleco, an achara catfish or an oscar could be in the Aquaponics system. Now would I be able to grow a good amount of food with 300 gallons for tilapia or another fish and 300 gallons to 600 gallons in planter space?

Yes you can put red wrigglers in AP or wicking beds. I've also used worm towers in wicking beds where I do vermicomposting in the wicking bed. I don't think I'd do worm towers in the AP though but almost everyone here has red wrigglers in their AP grow beds to help break down the solids. If the worms don't like where you put them they will leave.

You can grow any of those fish if you can provide the right conditions for them. I'm not familiar with that particular catfish but the Oscar and the Pleco can be done if you can keep the water temp high enough for them and provide them the right kind of food.

The Oscar is supposedly pretty good eating and most people keep the Pleco for algae control (very few have Plecos that I know of because of the temp you need to maintain). You can probably keep the Oscar or the Pleco if you can keep the temp up high enough for Tilapia (low end temps for Blue Tilapia would probably be to low though). The Oscar will eat your Tilapia but I don't know if they'll take pellets or what other things they will.

To many variables - spend some time looking through the forums. Plenty of system with an IBC tank at around 300 gallons, some will match what you're trying to do.

Breeding nets are so cheap I wouldn't make one. I got a used 50 gal. aquarium off Craigslist for free and kept the fry in one of these nets until they were 1/4 to 1/2" - big enough to not get sucked into the filter. Then they could free swim and grow.

Watch to be sure one or two aren't getting big enough to eat the others. The trouble with fry is they eat different food - ground up or tiny pellets. And they will get eaten by bigger fish. So it's important to keep them separate from other fish and as they get bigger, size them to separate out smaller fish.

For the most part, they will be introduced as the next generation after harvesting larger fish, else they will not get enough food to grow quickly since the bigger fish will eat it all.

Typically I am also trying to find a balance between conserving space.

Update: Now the teacher told the class the thing is due on the 15th of december for presentations. So I have little less than a month to do it. Anything on a solids remover?

Anything on IBC tote aquaponics? Any method to prevent the plastic from deteriorating in the sun?

Refer back to my earlier post with the link and read!

Also is it fine to use media beds for leafy plants?