One fish two fish what to do fish

By Russ Roberston

I have worked with aquariums and plants all my life. I have bred and raised numerous different kinds of fish as well as growing food and running a small Mini-Farm. At one time my wife and I canned, raised and grew everything that was at our table. So, the experience I pass on to you in my blogs comes from many years of trial and error. Before this blog is published it must also pass an expert plant-ologist, my wife, who is a certified Master Gardener.

What kind of fish to use in your aquaponic gardens? First, we must determine what size of grow bed you want or can use. This is what is used to determine the amount of fish that is needed in the tank. Currently, I have 4 aquaponic systems set up in the yard.  They are made up of anywhere from 3 to 8 buckets with each bucket about 1 gallon in size. We must remember that an aquaponic system is a symbiotic system that has the fish and plants working together with each other. The fish’s waste feeds the plants and the plants and root systems clean and purifies the water for the fish. And once every other day I feed the fish.

Anyone who has tried to grow plants knows you can’t grow a lot in a gallon bucket. But we are not talking about dirt. We are talking about a growing medium that can be anything. Ok, almost anything. Grow medium can be hydroton, perlite, gravel, or lava rock. There are a few different types of grow material but the few I mentioned above are what works best for me. When you use a grow medium the plants are not taking nutrients from the growing medium. The only way the plants get their nutrients is from the water.

Fig 1   Fig 2

Fig 1 above is a grow bed is made of ½ of a 50 Gallon drum. There are only about 12 gallons of growing material ½ hydro ton and ½ medium pea gravel.  In front of this bed, I am starting to sprout two kinds of hibiscus. In the back, I have started one of my three tomato plants this tomato is a 6-week-old Key West Tomato plant(Fig 3) .  Fig 3

It would be very easy to put 3 tomato plants in this bed and they would grow very well. In this tank, I usually keep around 20 goldfish feeders. As they grow I will thin them out, so I don’t overstock the tank.

Enough about the grow beds this is about the fish. I have tried many different types of fish, but my favorite is Goldfish. I usually put feeder goldfish that I purchase from the local Pet shop. The reason why I use feeder fish is kind of abstract. I live in Central Florida and all my aquaponic systems are outside.  Even though I love to eat tilapia the two times I tried them our winters were too cold. Tilapia is not a cold-water fish like goldfish they cannot handle water under 57 degrees. The water beds or water troughs are above ground and when only using 110 gallons of water, they do not hold the water temperature for long. Something most people forget about living in Florida is we have Storks big white and beautiful birds that are a real pain. They stand alongside my tank and have a sushi buffet. They are not invited! With the cost in this area for tilapia fingerlings going for around 2.50 each and the fact that I am frugal as the day is long, it’s best for me to use Goldfish.

     

If you can keep the Storks out of the water and away from your fish Goldfish grow very well in this size tank. After about 9 to 12 months, you will have some nice size ones to sell as pets as well as holding on to some for breeding. You could sell a 1 ½-year-old Goldfish for around 3 to 5 dollars each depending upon size and color.

One fish two fish what to do for the fish

I have worked with aquariums and plants all my life. I have bred and raised numerous different kinds of fish as well as growing food and running a small Mini-Farm. At one time my wife and I canned, raised and grew everything that was at our table. So, the experience I pass on to you in my blogs comes from many years of trial and error. Before this blog is published it must also pass an expert plant-ologist, my wife, who is a certified Master Gardener.

What kind of fish to use in your aquaponic gardens? First, we must determine what size of grow bed you want or can use. This is what is used to determine the amount of fish that is needed in the tank. Currently, I have 4 aquaponic systems set up in the yard.  They are made up of anywhere from 3 to 8 buckets with each bucket about 1 gallon in size. We must remember that an aquaponic system is a symbiotic system that has the fish and plants working together with each other. The fish’s waste feeds the plants and the plants and root systems clean and purifies the water for the fish. And once every other day I feed the fish.

Anyone who has tried to grow plants knows you can’t grow a lot in a gallon bucket. But we are not talking about dirt. We are talking about a growing medium that can be anything. Ok, almost anything. Grow medium can be hydroton, perlite, gravel, or lava rock. There are a few different types of grow material but the few I mentioned above are what works best for me. When you use a grow medium the plants are not taking nutrients from the growing medium. The only way the plants get their nutrients is from the water.