Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi I am new to aquaponics and would like to start small, very small. If I have sucess with this I might take over the backyard. I have experience in saltwater and freshwater aquarium keeping, as well as various reptiles.
I havent started building... yet.... but want to plan everything out well before hand. I am thinking about doing something like this for my trial system... (Bottom of page) http://www.aquaponics.net.au/education2.html

Quick question: Which fish should I use? I am not doing this for raising fish (dont eat them personally) but just growing plants. I was thinking of goldfish knowing they generate alot of waste and can have some tolerance to parameter build up. I was hoping to keep it more "pet store fish" does anyone have any recomendations?

cheap goldfish from a market stall is all you'll need.
i paid $2AUD each for mine.

can it be any type of goldfish, like since it will be in my room could it be various goldfish types (as long as they all get along) or just feeder goldfish?

Anything you like.
Just treat the hydroponics side of your system as your canister filter, excepting that it means no water changes cos it filters the nitrates and phosphates as well.

You could heat the tank and have tropical pretty fish to look at if you wanted, complete with bristlenose and plecostimus to keep it clean. You don't need goldfish, but they are great as cold water unkillables.

White clouds breed like guppies and withstand cold water too, (much prettier than goldfish imho)

But in short, it doesn't matter what fish you keep if you are adept at keeping aquarium fish.

As long as they get along you can have what ever you want to put in there KT.....

Welcome to the forum.... we all love to help.... so just post up your plans and/or pictures ... and ask whatever questions you may have...

Someone here will have the answer(s)

Thanks!
I hope to draw up some plans, over the holiday. Is there any fish that is esp. good for aquaponics? I thought that goldfish would be good because of their "messy-ness" lol....

If it's edible fish you're thinking.... most people over the US try and stock Talapia..... fast growing, self breeding (like rabbits).... check your local State laws... not all States allow Talapia....

Paku, Bluegill are others....

That's why goldfish has a lower stocking density.
Aptitude for Aquaponics is related to the food fed. So a few goldfish or a lot of white clouds, there is no difference, except for the mortality and birth rate.

Not edible fish at all, just ones that will produce the max nutrients for the plants.

goldfish are like cows... they eat lots of veggies and do BIG poos. Size for size I think Pleco make a lot more waste. Certainly seem to clean more crud from there tanks and add more food than anything else I keep

Oscars are nice and messy, but on the large size.

I think Oscars will be WAY too huge for my minni trial set-up.

With a 10g tank how much growbed can I have? I was thinking shoebox maby?

20 gallons worth of growbeds would be nice.

OK, not Oscars. Go goldfish.

If they're pretty enough to keep you happy, go goldfish. They'll work fine.

Wow 20g grow bed that much more than what I expected, thats just the max right, I know that they has to be a happy median, too much growbed not optimum growth, too little growbed, not enough filtration, hmm. I am just trying to think and take advantage of as much stuff that I already have.... maby a rubbermaid???? Thanks for your help!