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Comment by TCLynx on September 25, 2013 at 3:46pm

Ah you can probably keep the tomato going till the first frost or freeze, just be sure to pick all the green ones that might ripen up the day before the first forecast frost for your area.

I'm lucky, where I'm located, I've occasionally managed to over winter tomato plants, of course the other side of that coin i from about May through Oct it is often too hot for most types of tomato plants to fruit.

Comment by Linda Logan on September 25, 2013 at 2:26pm

I think growing tilapia is over-rated as the go to fish.  For most of us keeping the water warm enough defeats any savings in growing our own food.  I started with tilapia but gave them all away.  I would rather have perch or blue gill and will be migrating that direction.  Most of what I want would be happy with 65 degree water.

That said, my tomatoes and melons this summer were/are really good.  Melons were sweet and the tomatoes had real flavor and good texture.  I've tasted other GH tomatoes and haven't been very impressed.  I grew two varieties specific to GH growing and then one heirloom variety.

We're about to turn cold here in the NW so I'm back to broccoli, kale, chard, lettuce and peas.  Still letting the tomatoes go a little longer though.  It's hard to take them out as I know it will be the end of fresh tomatoes still next summer.

Comment by Keith Rowan on September 23, 2013 at 7:48am

my main tank is only 700 gallons with the yp, bg and tilapia, with 3 growbeds (each gb is a half a tote)

i also have a single tote system with just tilapia

perch are pretty tough fish, can handle a wide range of temps, but will struggle if your water temps get into the 90's..  i'm using regular flourescent lights on my growbeds, except for one that has a hps light,, all my glass tanks are using sponge filters, and growing duckweeed to manage nutrients,, glass tanks are mostly for raising crayfish, that i feed to the yp and bg..get good stock, and buy 4-5" fish, and you'll have eatin size fish in a year for yp.. they also keep the breeding crazy tilapia under control

i can give you some marmokrebs if you want... but you'd have to pick them up, i'm not set up to ship livestock

Comment by TCLynx on September 23, 2013 at 5:17am

Here in inland FL in outdoor systems where the water can be chilly through winter but very warm in summer, channel catfish can get well over 3 lb in 12 months.  Tilapia, mixed gender blue tilapia, Most of the ones I grew only got to between 8-12 ounces and I only had a few that reached or topped the 1 lb size in 12 months.  That was during the first two years I did aquaponics and they were cold winters so the tilapia spent months not eating much at all.  For really fast growth on tilapia you need water that is between about 80-86 F and to be feeding high protein feed.  Unfortunately, at those water temperatures there are limited veggies that really thrive to use up all the excess nutrients.  Tilapia can live and grow well in the 70-79 F temp range but they will grow slower.  74 F is the "ideal" temperature according to some for growing tilapia in a system that is also growing lettuce.  This is apparently a little warm for the lettuce roots but a compromise to keep the tilapia eating well enough to provide adequate nutrients for the lettuce growing at that temperature.

If you keep your indoor temp at 72 F and your AP system is indoors, you can expect your water temp to be around 69 F (about 3 F cooler than the air) unless the grow lights tend to keep it warmer than that or you add heaters (if the water temp is higher than the air temp, be prepared for excess evaporation and humidity issues.)  So choose an appropriate fish to your water temp.  Just because some breed of tilapia is a little better adapted to cooler water, does not mean that you can actually keep/grow them at the cooler temperature.  for instance Blue Tilapia here in FL can survive down to about 53 F before their immune systems are compromised but they are basically dormant when the temperature is 69 F or below.  If you can't provide them with 8-10 months of warm water (74 F or above) don't bother.

Perch are adapted to cooler water but not as extreme as the trout.

Bluegill and channel catfish as well as some other catfish like bullhead are warm water fish but they survive cold just fine and they eat well in the 65-80 F range which is far better for growing most veggies than the 80-86 F tilapia grow best at.

Choose something locally appropriate that is also suitable to the temperatures your system is likely to keep.

Comment by Tom OBrien on September 22, 2013 at 10:36pm

Brigitte - I'm trying perch now and they seem to be doing well so far in my 150 gallon tank. I picked them because I had trouble growing trout and liked the fact that they were native to the area and wouldn't require heating or cooling. The biggest drawback with perch is that they grow slower than trout or tilapia. Since you are growing indoors, you might be able to grow tilapia without heating up the water. I haven't tried them yet, so I can't speak from personal experiance, but I've read that people have had success keeping Blue Nile tilapia at slightly lower water temps.

Comment by TCLynx on September 22, 2013 at 7:53pm

I would personally recommend going with a local, climate appropriate fish instead of tilapia.  I don't have personal experience with Perch but I do know that there are several operations in the Midwest that use perch instead if messing with heating the water for tilapia.

Comment by Brigitte Gigi Klotzek-Obringer on September 22, 2013 at 4:26pm

Hello!
Thank you so much Bob, Tom and Keith!

Wow! I have been addicted to Nate Storey's YouTube Channel! Thank you for the suggestion!

Hello fellow Buckeye Keith! How have the perch been working for you? My husband is more interested in perch than the Tilapia. Which fish would you recommend starting with? Do the perch require more work? 15 hundred gallons! My word!! How many grow beds do you have? Do you sell the extras? Does it cost a lot more when you move your system to the basement? LOL, lots of questions. 
I am in Ashland Ohio smack dab between Columbus and Cleveland. 

There is such a wealth of information! I think that we are going to start with an IBC tote system. But who knows, I keep redesigning everything in my head. 

Thanks so much for the good start!!

Comment by Cheri Bower on September 21, 2013 at 5:01pm

Found it!!! Woo hoo!

Comment by Cheri Bower on September 21, 2013 at 4:47pm

Can anyone suggest a laymen's guide that offers an in-depth explanation of an aquaponic systems operation? I will be building 2 systems with my eleven year old son.....a small prototype, on a small cart, for his science project and a large full production one to help keep down the cost of organic food I now buy. I live in riverside county, CA. And believe that i am able to raise curtain species of tilapia in this area of ca.
Next.... Can an old spa be repurposed as a fish habitat? I would like to save as much money as possible to build my system and will be looking for components that I can get for free or minimum funds.

I have been reading discussions from all the groups and my brain is starting to hurt....LOL. I read a reply where Jim Fisk said there is a primer... Can some one direct me to it???. I would like to get a system up and running before Jan.
Thanks a bunch
Momgyver

Comment by Keith Rowan on September 11, 2013 at 6:59am

hi from another buckeye bridgette.. i built my first system outside, and moved into my basement in the fall.. i've got tilapia, yellow perch and bluegill.. about 14 or 15 hundred gallons of water now!

you could probably get through winter in a greenhouse with yellow perch/bluegill, but would have to add heat for tilapia..i needed to put a small heater near the tank last winter for about 2 months when my big tank got down to about 48f

1" tilapia from last july were over 2lbs this august

i'm in northeast ohio btw - fairport harbor

 

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