# Aquaponics...



## Ruthiebaby88 (Jul 29, 2010)

Seriously! What a great idea! I have 2 problems, not enough places to keep fish and a balcony garden that dries out so fast in my dry climate that it never gets enough water to really thrive.

Is this the answer to my gardening woes?

I wonder if it would be possible to set something like this up on my balcony - I was thinking with gold fish - but it gets seriously hot there in the summer - when the outside temp is 105 - the tar like floor is too hot for bare feet.

There are some parts of the balcony that are shady for a large part of the day - maybe they could be 10 degrees cooler - I wonder if there is some kind of fish that could survive out there.

I could set up a hydroponic system which would be interesting and attractive with the fish - but also would keep my garden constantly watered even if I'm gone for the weekend? Sounds great! Wonder if it's possible!

Oh I would want to grow veggies and flowers.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Fish products are not for human consumption, so don't eat the veggies. Products like medications and dechlor.


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## okccichlids (Aug 17, 2010)

*** done aquaponics and it is pretty challenging. It would be even more challenging on a balcony.. an extremely hot balcony at that. First thing is you would have algae like crazy. It would rob your plants of the nutrients that they need to grow, defeating the purpose of the entire project. You would have much greater success indoors where you can control the environment. Anyway, I didnt want to discourage you, just trying to help.


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## Ruthiebaby88 (Jul 29, 2010)

okcichlids - Indoors I don't have the space or the sunshine for the plants.

DJ Ransome - Why can't fish products be consumed by humans? For example tetracycline is an antibiotic used to treat fish and also humans. The meat we buy at the store has been treated with all kinds of hormones and antibiotics. Veg from the store has usually been treated with pesticides and wax. I don't think pesticides are designed for human consumption.

Just because something is used on fish does not necessarily mean it's poisonous to humans - can you give me a specific reason why dechlor is toxic to humans? Also is there proof that after it has been diluted by fish water - sat for a week until the water is changed - been poured on dirt that later grows vegetables that it is still toxic to humans? Or is it just someone's gut feeling on here that it grosses them out to imagine eating dechlorinator?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Ruthiebaby88 said:


> Why can't fish products be consumed by humans?


There are warnings on the labels of some of those items that say "Not for food fish use". Which would make me concerned about eating any living thing grown in the same water.


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## tokyo (Jan 19, 2010)

Most dechlorinator is not safe for use on fish or plants meant for human consumption. I believe there is connection to cancer, but don't take that for fact.

ClorAm-X is a dechlorinator that can be used for fish and plants for human consumption. It's the only one I've been able to find that doesn't require you to buy in bulk.

I was planning a mini aquaponics system for my aortment a while ago, but I ended up deciding that with all the space it would take up I would rather just house another tank and get more fish. I will be revisiting it on a larger scale when I have a house.

If you were going to do it you would need to shade the tank. I would use a water trough for farm animals then cover it with something white to aid in keeping the tank cool and prevent algae from over running the tank.

Also, it is a good idea to use very hardy fish. Basically, you will need to keep a certain level of nitrates in the system to keep the plants fed. Sort of the opposite of what you usually aim for when keeping fish.

You also need to decide on a hydroponics system to use. The most effective system used in aquaponics is a flood and drain bed system.

Do slot of research before attempting to pull this off. It's slot trickier than it sounds, especially on a small scale.


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## okccichlids (Aug 17, 2010)

DJRansome said:


> Ruthiebaby88 said:
> 
> 
> > Why can't fish products be consumed by humans?
> ...


ay
Djransome... Have you ever operated an aquaponics system? FYI... In aquaponics, you do not add "medicine", ferts, or pesticides of any kind. Therefore your food is "Organic". Im just sayin', if your gonna comment on someones post or question, You should have some inkling of knowledge on the topic. 
Ruthiebaby88- there are some really good forums for aquaponics out there. I suggest you register for one of those and soak all the info up that you can. Thats what I did, and I did learn quite a lot in a short amount of time. You wont find many experts here on the cichlid forums. I recommend Backyardaquaponics.com. Just ask Q's and they will help you out... Let me know if I can help in any way.


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## tokyo (Jan 19, 2010)

okccichlids said:


> DJRansome said:
> 
> 
> > Ruthiebaby88 said:
> ...


Alright, there's no need to be rude. DJRansome had a good point. In a small scale aquaponics system where municipal water is used there is a good chance there would be chlorine and chloramines in the water. This means that, for the sake of the fish's well being you would need to use a dechlorinator. Because many dechlorinators are not meant meant for use with edible crops it would be best to find one that is.

Also, it does not have to be organic to be aquaponics. Just because that is the route most people go doesn't make it a requirement. Auquaponics is merely hydroponics working in conjunction with aquaculture.

FYI dechlorinator is neither medicine, nor fertilizer, nor pesticide.


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

Its just the FDA trying to cover their a$$es. I've done it with some aquariums and it works wonders. Some plants are sensitive to pH so be careful what plants you pair with your different setups. I've been wanting to try this again in conjunction with a windowfarm. :thumb:


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

It would have been more correct for me to say "if you use the usual fish products like dechlor and medications, check into the warnings against consumption on the bottle."

Is it true aquaponics is a closed system? Do proponents think it is healthy for the fish to have no water changes? And if you have a sick fish you remove the fish and medicate in another tank? Then can you eventually put the recovered fish back into the system?

The warning I cited was on a medication. Other members have cited warnings on dechlor, I have a well and don't need it. I know these warnings could be lawyer disclaimers where really no risk exists. But better to be aware of any risk and consciously decide to ignore it. :thumb:


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## okccichlids (Aug 17, 2010)

> Is it true aquaponics is a closed system?


 Not always. Some use natural springs to do water changes for more complex greenhouse applications, but for the home hobbyist, Yes. My system has a 55 gallon fish tank with goldfish in it. A small submersible pump moves the water up to a couple of growbeds with Hydroton in it. As the water fills the bed the plants absorb the nitrate that the bacteria are actively producing. When the bed reaches a predetermined point, an automatic siphon system drains the beds completely, restarting the cycle again. The water returns to the fish tank cleansed and the fish are happy and healthy. All you have to do is feed the fish.


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## dogofwar (Apr 5, 2004)

I've been watering my garden for years with water from my fish room(s)...

Matt


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## okccichlids (Aug 17, 2010)

That's a really good idea. More people should do that.


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## psychedelic_samurai (Aug 20, 2010)

I've been researching aquaponics for a little while now, I've been looking at setting up a little system in my house using LED grow lights. The only problem I've encountered is that I have African Malawi cichlids with a PH around 8... where most plants grow best between 6-7ph in aquaponics systems it seems. Does anyone know of any vegtables that like more alkaline conditions? The only plant I know of are cactus and suculants and I don't think they grow fast enough to use up the nitrates nor as far as I know at this point, grow in hydroponic conditions...
Ideally I could grow actual ethnobotanical plants, rather than just plants to remove nitrates, but this is more of just an experiment to learn more about aquaponics while also removing nitrates for better fish health.

If anyone has pull off an aquaponics system with african cichlids, please let me know.


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## Ruthiebaby88 (Jul 29, 2010)

okccichlids said:


> My system has a 55 gallon fish tank with goldfish in it. A small submersible pump moves the water up to a couple of growbeds with Hydroton in it. As the water fills the bed the plants absorb the nitrate that the bacteria are actively producing. When the bed reaches a predetermined point, an automatic siphon system drains the beds completely, restarting the cycle again. The water returns to the fish tank cleansed and the fish are happy and healthy. All you have to do is feed the fish.


That sounds like exactly the kind of system I would like to do! Only on the balcony if possible and I was thinking of 2 beds. Did you buy a premade system or set your own up? They are so expensive online I can't understand why they should be so expensive? How much did your setup cost?

You say all you have to do is feed the fish - but then you also said it was difficult in an earlier post - that sounds really easy to me! What kind of difficulties did you encounter?

Is your setup indoors?


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## okccichlids (Aug 17, 2010)

Ruthiebaby88 said:


> okccichlids said:
> 
> 
> > My system has a 55 gallon fish tank with goldfish in it. A small submersible pump moves the water up to a couple of growbeds with Hydroton in it. As the water fills the bed the plants absorb the nitrate that the bacteria are actively producing. When the bed reaches a predetermined point, an automatic siphon system drains the beds completely, restarting the cycle again. The water returns to the fish tank cleansed and the fish are happy and healthy. All you have to do is feed the fish.
> ...


Well, in theory, all you do is feed the fish. Thats what I meant. For me, I had alot of bugs. Once they got in, they didnt want to leave.  Then as the summer progressed, my garage became to hot to sustain any fish species or plants for that matter.

After thinking about your idea for your system, I think it might be better to have it on the balcony. You would have bugs for sure, but natural predators should keep them at bay for the most part.

I have uploaded videos of my experiment with aquaponics on Youtube if you are interested.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSuburbanGardener?feature=mhum

Just a pro tip here; you should probably go for the 24 cent goldfish from petsmart until you figure everything out. Your bound to lose some fish doing an experiment like this. :fish:


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## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn (Dec 26, 2005)

okccichlids said:


> Just a pro tip here; you should probably go for the 24 cent goldfish from petsmart until you figure everything out. Your bound to lose some fish doing an experiment like this. :fish:


first off, I just want to say that I strongly dislike comments like this. its one thing if you insist on keeping fish that require life food to use cheap fish as a source (though the risks there outweigh a lot of the benefits) however just because their cheap doesn't mean they should be experimented on (I feel the same when I here people say to use them to cycle a tank)

regarding aquaponics specifically. get the correct substrate for the plants, you want something inert - its job is to support the plant, not feed it. if you dont you'l have nutrients leaching into the tankwater

as I stated in the other post, theres no issue, provided you dont use meds. TBH, its probably overkill, plants are good at breaking down such molecules into usable parts, and are unlikely to become saturated with dangerous chemicals. however, I'd rather avoid the risk and only use water that came from a med free tank.

regarding alkalinity, I doubt there is an issue there, provided your not using high concentration of salt (sodium chloride) the small quantities of magnesium and sodium used to buffer would have little effect, thinking about it now specifically I wonder if tankwater alone has enough nutrient/minerals to support healthy growth, I'd rather use it as watering water, than plumb it in directly.


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## okccichlids (Aug 17, 2010)

> first off, I just want to say that I strongly dislike comments like this. its one thing if you insist on keeping fish that require life food to use cheap fish as a source (though the risks there outweigh a lot of the benefits) however just because their cheap doesn't mean they should be experimented on (I feel the same when I here people say to use them to cycle a tank)


I think you misinterpreted what I said "phycotic". I purchased 24 cent goldfish from petsmart with the intention of raising them in my aquaponics system. I didnt buy them as test subjects. I was merely suggesting goldfish as a possible fish that one could use due to its hardiness. Other tropical fish species can be extremely sensitive to ammonia spikes and the like. That is exactly why goldfish are the perfect fish for hobby aquaponics.


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## Ruthiebaby88 (Jul 29, 2010)

Okcichlids - I followed the link and saw some videos on an outdoor garden, but didn't see the aquaponics?


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## okccichlids (Aug 17, 2010)

Ruthiebaby88 said:


> Okcichlids - I followed the link and saw some videos on an outdoor garden, but didn't see the aquaponics?


You'll have to scroll down, or find the link that says "all videos" or something like that. The aquaponics videos are older than the rest.


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## Fry Daddy (Jul 29, 2010)

Ruthiebaby88 - The problem that I see with the outside setup in a hot dry location is going to be evaporation. You'd need a RO system to keep your setup topped off and to keep your water from getting too alkaline. I'm not sure if an RO system removes chlorine but if it does that would solve the problem of having to use a declorinator. Also you would need a large volume of water in the system to prevent large temperature swings between day and night.


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## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn (Dec 26, 2005)

okccichlids said:


> > first off, I just want to say that I strongly dislike comments like this. its one thing if you insist on keeping fish that require life food to use cheap fish as a source (though the risks there outweigh a lot of the benefits) however just because their cheap doesn't mean they should be experimented on (I feel the same when I here people say to use them to cycle a tank)
> 
> 
> I think you misinterpreted what I said "phycotic". I purchased 24 cent goldfish from petsmart with the intention of raising them in my aquaponics system. I didnt buy them as test subjects. I was merely suggesting goldfish as a possible fish that one could use due to its hardiness. Other tropical fish species can be extremely sensitive to ammonia spikes and the like. That is exactly why goldfish are the perfect fish for hobby aquaponics.


I'm sorry misinterpreted to a degree,

however, I still disagree with this, goldfish may be hardy but they will still suffer when subjected to ammonia or nitrite. I have always and will continue to advocate fishless cycling for this reason.


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