Aquaponics- the Dream build.

Bhookus

Member
Thanks buzz. A tsp per gallon. I just dosed 1tsp/50g based on a planted aquarium site. I understand its hard to overdose. That was suggested twice a week. Any thoughts on using rapitest soil test kit to check the level? Or is there a test kit anyone would suggest for potassium?
 

Bhookus

Member
I used to put a about teaspoon per gallon..not sure what is recommended but I just make sure the ppm is low and the ph isn't too low I have never had a problem with too much, but you may want to look up what is recommended....also I think that 68 for talapia is fine...my water stayed at 68 all year round (40-100 outside temps) because of it's size and the fact my liners made contact with the ground helped in sure. Ps..if anyone wants to know where to find good cheap food grade liners, look for used billboards! If I remember correctly a 30'x20' 13mil dura scrim was like $60 as opposed to a rubber liner that size running $400-$500 also they can be easily cut and or glued together! https://billboardtarps.com
Another awesome setup is with ibc creates, 275-330 gal usually $50-$125 I even used 4 of them to make a second filtration system!!
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Recycled bath tubs!!!
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I like those bathtubs! I have been planning on using them as well.
 

Buzz Buzzilla

Well-Known Member
Soil test kits are extremely unreliable....I use an ec meter that shows ppm and ph...I'm sure you can find one for under $40 and they are well worth it! Takes all the guessing out of the equation...and will save tons of time and $ in the long run...
 

Bhookus

Member
I didn't have faith in the cheapo soil kit. I guess I'm not understanding an ec meter. Don't they just check total ions in the water. Won't an ap system have too many extra ions to get a worthwhile reading? How do you determine just potassium level? Are you mixing a stock solution and using the meter to test that?
 

Buzz Buzzilla

Well-Known Member
I didn't have faith in the cheapo soil kit. I guess I'm not understanding an ec meter. Don't they just check total ions in the water. Won't an ap system have too many extra ions to get a worthwhile reading? How do you determine just potassium level? Are you mixing a stock solution and using the meter to test that?
Not sure about the ions and all that? I've heard that it is hard to get an accurate read when using organics, either way it was something for me to go on and my reading from my ppm were the same all through out the 35,000 gal I had...and as far as ph it was right on...I even used paper and liquid tests every so often just to be sure....as far as the k levels it just depends on what stage your at and how you have your plants conditioned, at the end I'm using about 12-58-38 if that helps? Gotta work your way up slowly or you'll kill the roots, this is where the ec meter really helps
 
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Voidling

Well-Known Member
Talapia are very hardy but I would strongly recommend staying away from them! One female and you have over 500 babies underneath your plants eating your roots! Most farms have males only but they can change too just like our beloved cannabis plant!! Go with koi! They are hardy, unlikely to breed unless given a ton of space...also at the end of a year or two you would be looking at a $500-$2000 fish instead of that tasteless $6 talapia.

Hey buzz, question on koi. How many gallons did you have per fish? Koi keepers say something crazy like 100 gallons a fish or pound or some such.

Any experience breeding them?

I have gotten some tilapia make it into my grow beds and get nice and fat on all the roots. I had been using a screen filter. Was about to start breeding, need another 600 pounds for my system. Have some kind of Nile hybrid though were supposed to be Mozambique.
 

Buzz Buzzilla

Well-Known Member
Hey buzz, question on koi. How many gallons did you have per fish? Koi keepers say something crazy like 100 gallons a fish or pound or some such.

Any experience breeding them?

I have gotten some tilapia make it into my grow beds and get nice and fat on all the roots. I had been using a screen filter. Was about to start breeding, need another 600 pounds for my system. Have some kind of Nile hybrid though were supposed to be Mozambique.
I had began with about 1500 1"-"3in my 7,500 gal rearing tank but after hawks, raccoons, herons, and snakes I was left with only 250 two years later which grew to be 18"-30"....I believe maximum capacity is 1-2 gal per 1" of fish but you also have to have the correct ratios for your clarifier or filtration system and grow beds....5:1 rearing to filter surface area up to 13:1 grow bed water volume to rearing tank. Also must importantly u must have the right feed to total water volume...can't remember off the top of my head but look up dr racosky "the god father of aquaponics" he has been doing ratifies for over 35 years and has a ton of info!!
 

Voidling

Well-Known Member
60-100g per meter squared per day, but thought his work was with tilapia.

I'm looking to breed my own tilapia and want a bass tank to feed off the extras.

I have 700+ square feet of dwc at 10" give or take, making 900lbs of tilapia and 9 pounds of fish food per day.

If only I could afford and breed out some expensive koi
 

Buzz Buzzilla

Well-Known Member
60-100g per meter squared per day, but thought his work was with tilapia.

I'm looking to breed my own tilapia and want a bass tank to feed off the extras.

I have 700+ square feet of dwc at 10" give or take, making 900lbs of tilapia and 9 pounds of fish food per day.

If only I could afford and breed out some expensive koi
Koi don't have to be expensive...less then $1 each including shipping...http://www.koisale.com/KoiStore/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=86 there my secret is out!!! :)
Also on breeding them...I didn't even try and had absolutely no babies over the two years...but all the koi experts say all they need is their own space and a lot of it...son maybe that's where your getting the 100 gal each fish?
 
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Buzz Buzzilla

Well-Known Member
The numbers I've seen were just for keeping them in ponds with filters and never mention breeding.

http://www.koiandponds.com/fishstockingtable.htm

They may be cheap but I'd want some higher end fish to breed and sell of some of the nicer offspring
The price is cheap but the quality is some if the best...butterfly fin, skeleton, pumpkin, calico, and solid,yellows, white and, blues were just a few of the many types I ended up with...the mostly white with a few red spots on top , said to be originals are some of the more sought after...all the rest are hybrids.
 

Voidling

Well-Known Member
Here ya go my 35k gal system, ran it for 3 years with koi talapia tiger prawns and guppies,what would ya like to know?

Pics are in my old post!
Iron was an issue because of high alkalinity and high ph. Easily corrected
with eddha iron (the only iron I trust now!)..also had to supplement Potassium with foliar feeding with potassium sulfate...0-0-40!!! Still haven't found a feed that is high in potassium, but I did have a retention ditch I made for my runoff...at least 1k gal filled with duck weed! Awesome free food for fish chickens ect...
I missed this, you had 35,000 gallons? That's crazy.

I'm thinking of going to the water garden pond store an hour away and talking about koi breeding and market. Pretty sure they but there's. I need to learn what traits are valuable. I'm thinking a separate tank of large mouth bass to eat off the koi culls. Both are more expensive than tilapia, but since tilapia grow faster I'm not sure which would be more valuable over time
 

Buzz Buzzilla

Well-Known Member
I missed this, you had 35,000 gallons? That's crazy.

I'm thinking of going to the water garden pond store an hour away and talking about koi breeding and market. Pretty sure they but there's. I need to learn what traits are valuable. I'm thinking a separate tank of large mouth bass to eat off the koi culls. Both are more expensive than tilapia, but since tilapia grow faster I'm not sure which would be more valuable over time
Koi are more valuable at any point even at a slightly higher initial cost. I'd suggest guppies also as they keep down the unwanted insects and small crustaceans, while also feeding the bass ;)
 

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Koi are more valuable at any point even at a slightly higher initial cost. I'd suggest guppies also as they keep down the unwanted insects and small crustaceans, while also feeding the bass ;)
Nice! Build a mini ecosystem and reduce your own input needs.
 

Voidling

Well-Known Member
Mine is under cover so no run off for me.

I went to the closest water garden store to me today, it's an hour away. Talked to the lady in charge of their fish and she said the problem locally is that Craigslist is full of free or cheap koi. She said they take in a number of them that people just don't want.
 
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