Aquaponics Ratio Simplified

Once you have your system up and running the key question on everything is how much?
how much feed  for my fish, how much fish for my system, how much ph, how much nitrates and so on.

Well lets just make it simple for you shall we?

    Lets start with feeding your fish since the feed is the start of it all.
Normally with adult fish they will eat about 1 - 2 percent of their body weight.
While young fish as in fry and fingerlings will eat about 6 to 8 percent of their body weight.
Now since most everyone is using the popular Tilapia, that is what we will base or numbers on, other fish may eat a lil more or a lil less, you will just have to test it for yourself. Easy way to do this is to start off with a 1/4 cup of food depending on how many fish you have. sprinkle that on the top of your fish tank and see if they eat that up within 15 minutes. Wasted food will hurt your system, so this should important to figure out. 

   Next we will learn the stocking density of your system. Based on  media or hybrid base system,
we will stock 1 pound of fish per 5 to 10 pounds of water in your tank, so if you have a 300 gallon stock tank, then up to 30 pounds of fish can be added, or if they are fingerlings or fry in a new system, just add 1 fish per every 5 to 10 gallons of water since usually they get upwards of a pound a piece.
Now! That being said studies are being made and stocking density can actually be made with less, basically unless you are aiming for high fish yields you can probably get by with half the fish, and still produce the same amount of nutrients needed for the plants and have a cleaner system.

   Your Oxygen level should be above 3ppm but would be better if it was 6 ppm, basically you can not really have to much oxygen.
Certain fish can withstand less oxygen like the tilapia as in raising trout, you need lots more, and dont forget the cooler the water the better the oxygen count will be.

   We want to target the PH level between 6.8 and 7 in your aquaponic system, this seems to work best for both fish and plants and should be checked weekly or more.. 


   Nitrite and Ammonia levels should not exceed .75.

If you see Ammonia levels rise suddenly, you may have a dead fish in

your tank. If you see Nitrite levels rise you may have damaged the bacteria

environment.

If either of the above circumstances occur, stop feeding

until the levels stabilize, and at the worse, do a 1/3 water

exchange to dilute the solution

   Nitrates can rise as high as 150 ppm without causing a problem, but much

more and  you should consider harvesting some fish and/or adding

additional plants  to your system

   Nothing is solid information and this should be used as a guide line,  everything can change the out put to your system like the type of fish, the water temperature (75 to 80) the type of plant you use, but it is imortant to start yourself a journal so that when you do find what works keep that info for the next system or the next grow bed, of if your father in law wants to build one you can come off knowing how it all works ( yes that is important too)

Please leave comments and questions down below and if you need test strips, look at amazon, or ebay or shop from the aquaponic source ( link above)

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Profitable herbs for aquaponics

   Well now your growing some plants and raising fish, but wish that you had enough money to  build and grow more. Obviously we know we can sell off some of our fish and even our lettuce, but everyone grows lettuce and most that have aquaponics have tilapia, check craigs list to see if anyone is selling tilapia, if not jump on it, it can be a gold mine.

  But I want to go over a few herbs that you can grow that you may already be growing or can easily grow that can make a small profit if you can find a buyer.

Cilantro is an excellent source of potassium, is low in calories, and is good for the digestive system. Expect to sell a good portion of this at the Saturday market. a lot of the latin restaurants will buy fresh Cilantro also. These are easy to grow in flood and drain systems and self watering buckets (dutch buckets) systems.

Make up your own salsa and sell that as well.

Basil is my favorite to grow! It is so easy and gives off a great aroma. I use it in everything I cook, and fresh basil makes the best pesto. Besides making every dish just fabulous, it also has great medicinal properties. It helps treat common colds, headaches, stomach disorders, inflammation, heart disease, various forms of poisoning, and malaria.
 Growing Basil is easy in flood and drain and I have good luck with it in rafts also. It supposed to help keep the flys down too, but havent had that kind of luck with it.  Keep fresh plants to harvest.

Oregano has a distinguish flavor that one just has to have if they are cooking Italian food. Fresh Oregano or dred can be sold to health food shops, since it is good for so much healthy properties, including colds and viral infections, digestive upsets, pain relief, and respiratory problems. Warming oregano can also be used to bring on menses and ease painful menstruation, even cancer.
I personally use the oil to keep from getting colds, just add a few drops to an ounce of water and drink, nasty as all get out but works.
It also works in flood and drain systems. I havent tried it in float systems but would assume that it would do great.

Chives are a steady seller. These will start to germinate after a week or so. And unlike basil, these can actually do quite well in cooler weather.

I like to use chives in place of onion on a regular basis.

Every restaurant will use these if you can give a fair price on them. simple to grow in most mediums, and will multiply without assistance from you. Also puts on a pretty lavender flower.

Chamomile can all be traced to its effects on the nervous system and digestive system, as well as its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Works great for a sleep aid and even has a lot of uses for skin and hair care. The market for this is easy to get into. Cant find it at the super market and everyone has an illness that this can help. I like it to help sleep, it seems this has been a small problem of mine. Grows in a flood and drain system, but should be given a lot of space.

Parsley is  a great cash crop because it grows so well. It is used in many dishes. Parsley leaves and root are high in iron content and rich in vitamins A, B, C and trace minerals. Parsley adds color and aids digestion of the foods we eat and acts to prevent gas and bloating. Its just an all around good herb. And can be grown in both flood and drain, or raft, or if you choose, it can be grown in a bucket system.

Catnip is great to sell at farmers markets. Most everyone has a cat. You can sell the whole plant, or dried in individual bags. But also have to let your customers know how good it is for them. It is a soothing sedative for humans. It has been known to provide pain and stress relief and to also help with flu and cold symptoms. Catnip leaves contain considerable quantities of vitamins C and E, both excellent antioxidants.  Grow these in a rock or shell medium.  Makes great Christmas gifts and can be sold at craft fairs as well as the weekend market.

Lavender Is usually done on a more commercial basis, but if you have a local florist or someone that makes home remedies using honey and such, this is a popular product. It can be added to tea and has a lot of medicinal gifts. Soaking in a lavender scented bath relaxes away mild depression and anxiety and may even lower high blood pressure and improve circulation. Helps with sleep aid also. Great to grow in an extra bed that has a lot of room, or you can lace these randomly in your other beds.

   When picking out herbs or plants to sell, try to use what people are familiar with. Exotic plants do good if you can find the right market. But some folks like to have what they are used to or what their grandmother used in her kitchen. Start small and investigate what you are growing. Its like Vanilla beans is a great cash crop, but they take so much care and time, that its only worth it if you have a dedicated green house just for that. So keep it simple and get ready to make a lil profit. and live a healthier life for a bonus. 

   If there is a plant that you think is a great profit plant, let me know, and would love to post it.

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Thanks

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Aquaponics In a recycled Ice cooler

Here is just something I decided I had to do when the compressor shut down and was told that it was going to cost $300 to fix it!

 

After the snow and -2 degrees

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Where to buy tilapia

   Well when we start off with auaponics its a blast! If your like me, you cant sleep at night with all the ideas in your head of building your own system. Lets face it, after looking at all the videos on You-Tube for an hour or so, we can definitely wipe out the hardware stores with our own ideas.

   And then we go to the local nursery or department store and buy some plants and seeds which gets us off to the right direction but now where do we get the fish?

   Well there is several places but choose wisely. First off I netted up several perch from a near by pond, and I thought that would be perfect, but I was mistaken. Because they were wild they would only eat real food as in worms, tadpoles, or even bread, but no store bought food. I would go out every day and dig worms but after a while that was too much work and less was being found every day, so I took them back to the pond.

I first would suggest to get your fish from a reputably source if possible. This way your guaranteed to get quality fish without the chance of disease.
There is several aquaponics suppliers that either carry the fish of know who to contact.
Aquaponic Store is one of the ones on my list. They have many options to choose from including other fish besides Tilapia.  

  Tilapia Depot from Florida has one of the widest range of fish that I know of.

   But I think first of I would Check Craigs List to see if anyone in your area has the fish you would like to try. chances are there is and you can drive to their place and see how they are doing it. If there isnt
then this would be a great opportunity for you to think of a business venture of selling some fish to help offset some of your cost.

   My last choice but one that I like to use more often is E-bay 
keep and eye on this, because there is always a good deal, even free shipping on some.
If there is not free shipping then try to get someone to go in with you to order your fish. its not the fish that cost so much, its the shipping, you can basically get 15 fish shipped for the same price as 50.

Hope this helps,
Let me know if you need any help, and Ill be glad to assist.

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