tank size and fish

[Don McCammon]

Hi All,

This is my first post to Aquaponic Gardening.  I am hoping to put in an Aquaponics system at a Juvenile Justice program in Florida.  I am looking at putting in a 650 gal tank and 100 catfish or a 1,000 gal tank and about 200 catfish.  How my square feet of media can I plant (at 12 inches deep).  Do the fish need to be large when I start or can I start with fingerlings?

Thanks

Don McCammon

[Harold Sukhbir]

Hi Don,

Can I direct you to our home page where we have an excellent resource on ratios?. If you have questions after reading it please ask here.

http://aquaponicscommunity.com/page/aquaponic-gardening-rules-of

[TCLynx]

And definitely start with fingerlings!

Actually, I will suggest fishless cycling before getting the fish.

 

You can support quite a large amount of planting beds with a relatively small amount of fish.  I've only got about 23 catfish in my 700 gallon tank (granted they are fairly big) on the big system at the moment and then some (less than 40) bluegill in a fingerling tank attached to that and the plants have more than enough nutrients.

[Don McCammon]

How do you attach tanks.  I've thought about a second, smaller tank.

TCLynx said:

And definitely start with fingerlings!

Actually, I will suggest fishless cycling before getting the fish.

 

You can support quite a large amount of planting beds with a relatively small amount of fish.  I've only got about 23 catfish in my 700 gallon tank (granted they are fairly big) on the big system at the moment and then some (less than 40) bluegill in a fingerling tank attached to that and the plants have more than enough nutrients.

[TCLynx]

In my system with more than one tank, they are Constant Height in Fish tank pump in sump tank set up so the tanks get water from the pump and then the water flows out of them through a SLO (solids lifting overflow drain) and the water goes to the grow beds and from there back to the sump.

Here is a link to my plumbing class diagrams.

Plumbing Class

[Harold Sukhbir]

Hi Don,

When connecting make sure tanks are kept at the same height(so that water level remains same due to gravity). They can be connected at any height below the maximum level when filled.

TC thanks for the great link, I really like this!