Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello im matija .i live in small country in southern europe called montenegro.my problem is that i want to make aquaponics system whit edible fish that eats everything and breeds easy.i would use tilapia or jade perch but i cant get them so i can only do with our native fish.can somebody tell good european species for aquaponics

Mate, we have the same problem here. Very limited options, next to none that will breed in tanks without a lot of assistance. I'm sure you can get some tilapia here as some people would still keep a few, but they are not street legal. Perhaps you can find a supplier there? Just depends what your authorities are like with things like that. Dont imagine your environmentalists are as heavy handed as they are down here.

What water temps do you think you'll have there? I'm sure someone on here can suggest a fish that would work for you.

-K98

I haven't done any research but my first thought was that Montenegro might be a bit cool in winter for tilapia.

European carp are noxious pests Australia, because they thrive in our river systems... hard to kill and can withstand low oxygen and poor water conditions. And they breed prolifically. I think that quite a few of us would try them out if they weren't illegal here. They're not popular with many Australians but prized eating by some of our immigrant communities.

But they're endemic in much of Europe and I understand that they're a traditional Christmas dinner in Poland. Again, I haven't done the research, but I'm pretty sure that I heard that they're bred in ponds in Poland. Not sure how they'd go in a smaller tank when it comes to reproducing.

Our temperatures of water is from 30 degrees celsius to 10 degrees.i would like common carp but my family wont eat it

I would like to grow perch but problem is that i can feed predators only earthworms

Hey Matija have a look at raising gammarids, eg gammarus pulex, they small a freshwater crustaceans, and a part of the perch's natural diet. I would also like to raise perch one day in the future, a great fish and surely big potential for AP systems. Other feeding options could be raising minnows, have a few resident roach or rudd or similar prolific breeding herbivorous/omnivorous fish in the system so their fry provide life food for the perch. You could breed minnows in a separate tank. You could try raising crickets or bsf larvae or some other insect that feeds on organic waste, though it could be a gamble whether the perch would eat them or not.

Maybe mosquito fish and cherry shrimp

I would do that but it is just too much time too raise and i dont know how to size it maybe silver carp(we call them amur) they are herbivores but i dont know how to breed them if someone knows please write me about this

Does some body knows someone in europe who raises tilapia or bluegills

What you think about feeding fish dog food

If you're running a backyard scale AP system, go for the perch that you want to do. They'd probably eat hard boiled eggs chopped up and I'm pretty sure they'd eat snails and slugs in addition to worms and any insects you find. It's easier to feed them in the Summer when there are lots of insects around but Winter isn't a big deal either because the fish eat less. Having the separate tank with feeder fish like minnows of mosquito fish is a good idea also - I would avoid repeat introductions of feeder fish from a pet store since these can introduce diseases to your system.

Have a look around for what people grow in aquaculture locally. This will mean fingerling supplies are easy to get. We'd all like the perfect fish, breeds readily, eats everything, grows quickly, tastes good. But the reality is that for most you're best using a locally supplied and grown fish.

search on the forum - there were a couple of posters 12 months or so ago from Croatia and I think one from Slovenia. They dug up some information about various fish species - these would be same/similar for you.

European Carp is an easy one and is widely grown in Eastern European areas.