Great to hear from you, and that your system is doing well!
Yes, I'm still working some form or other of Aquaponics. Sounds like you've got a steady supply for the fish tank! Be warned that taking care of bunches of little ones in an aquarium is somewhat time-consuming...like other babies, they just poo and poo and poo! :) If you are still running the water through indoor grow beds, I'm sure that will cut down on the waste build up.
I'm looking at hammertoe/bunion surgery in November and decided to do some downsizing. It appears the population in the big tank is maintaining itself. I've moved the male and female I had in the house out to the tank and am letting matters take care of themselves. Another fish buyer is interested in buying the tanks I had them in, and he'll be picking those up on Monday. I really need less busy-ness for the weeks to come.
I recently acquired a sump pump (free - best price!) and am trying to determine how I want to set it up to help with the waste in the big tank...the system I currently have is way to small for the tank size...having some sludge issues. Yuck.
Gotta scoot...lunchtime is almost over. God bless your day, and give Kathy a 'Howdy!' for me, too!
Welcome to Aquaponic Gardening! I see by your profile that you might be interested in Tilapia...if you can keep the totes warm enough. I have Blue Tilapia, and keep most of them in a 750g stock tank out back. I'd lined the inside so there is no direct contact with the galvanized steel. Blues are the most cold tolerant of the Tilapia species, and, as my water temps have occasionally gone down to 45 for about a day, I can say that the loss factor has really been low. The average winter temps range from 55-65. Because I have a breeding pair (kept inside), I have an abundance of different sized fish in this big tank, and the very few fish I've lost may be due to a little overcrowding. One benefit of the cooler water is that they have very little appetite...and can easily go up to a week or better without regular feeding.
I 'heat' the tank using a little solar, a little 'candle-power', and a little with an aquarium heater (to 'zone warm'). Some suggestions for an IBC would be an insulation wrap with a plywood box built around it. Insulate a lid also...tilapia could care less if there is little to no light in there. If it doesn't draw too much electricity, place an electric heat blanket between the tank and the insulation - put it on a timer so it's only on at night. A covering on the IBCs would also slow the deterioration rate of the tote itself.
When you return from Kuai, if you are interested in Blues and are unable to find a source in your immediate area, I'd be happy to work something out with you.
John Carlton's Comments
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Hey John!
Great to hear from you, and that your system is doing well!
Yes, I'm still working some form or other of Aquaponics. Sounds like you've got a steady supply for the fish tank! Be warned that taking care of bunches of little ones in an aquarium is somewhat time-consuming...like other babies, they just poo and poo and poo! :) If you are still running the water through indoor grow beds, I'm sure that will cut down on the waste build up.
I'm looking at hammertoe/bunion surgery in November and decided to do some downsizing. It appears the population in the big tank is maintaining itself. I've moved the male and female I had in the house out to the tank and am letting matters take care of themselves. Another fish buyer is interested in buying the tanks I had them in, and he'll be picking those up on Monday. I really need less busy-ness for the weeks to come.
I recently acquired a sump pump (free - best price!) and am trying to determine how I want to set it up to help with the waste in the big tank...the system I currently have is way to small for the tank size...having some sludge issues. Yuck.
Gotta scoot...lunchtime is almost over. God bless your day, and give Kathy a 'Howdy!' for me, too!
Hi John (and Kathy!)
Thank you again for the fish order...Don and I truly enjoyed our visit with you...love your set-up!
Per our disussion about pooh collecting at the bottom of your IBC, I watched a YouTube vid that might help in that area: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RULR_fHTG8s
God Bless!
Hi John,
Welcome to Aquaponic Gardening! I see by your profile that you might be interested in Tilapia...if you can keep the totes warm enough. I have Blue Tilapia, and keep most of them in a 750g stock tank out back. I'd lined the inside so there is no direct contact with the galvanized steel. Blues are the most cold tolerant of the Tilapia species, and, as my water temps have occasionally gone down to 45 for about a day, I can say that the loss factor has really been low. The average winter temps range from 55-65. Because I have a breeding pair (kept inside), I have an abundance of different sized fish in this big tank, and the very few fish I've lost may be due to a little overcrowding. One benefit of the cooler water is that they have very little appetite...and can easily go up to a week or better without regular feeding.
I 'heat' the tank using a little solar, a little 'candle-power', and a little with an aquarium heater (to 'zone warm'). Some suggestions for an IBC would be an insulation wrap with a plywood box built around it. Insulate a lid also...tilapia could care less if there is little to no light in there. If it doesn't draw too much electricity, place an electric heat blanket between the tank and the insulation - put it on a timer so it's only on at night. A covering on the IBCs would also slow the deterioration rate of the tote itself.
When you return from Kuai, if you are interested in Blues and are unable to find a source in your immediate area, I'd be happy to work something out with you.
Have a great vacation!!!
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