# New 500+ Gallon Aquaponics Build - Tilapia and Veggies - AQUASUS



## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Along with my planted tank projects, I've also been working on a new aquaponics farm setup and I figured y'all might be interested in seeing my progress. 


Phase 1 of our new aquaponic system is pretty much finished!
We seeded bacteria, plants, and fish yesterday. 
Some quick photos for now...










































































Currently there are 7 Tilapia fingerlings during the initial cycle (I brought as much bacteria-covered-rocks from my buddies farm), so hopefully once the system is more established; I'll bring those Tilapia numbers up to about 30-40. 

The system's water is dirty looking right now for two reasons; the sediment from the substrate is still settling, and I've added iron (seaweed) which causes the color to darken.

The IBC Tote (large plastic thing with frame around it) is 330 gallons (but holding about 300 gallons after cutting the top off). The sump next to it is 150 gallons. Each grow bed is a 40 gallon tub. Phase 2 will include Styrofoam rafts (deep water culture).


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

looks, neat. Grow herbs and lettuce. You can always use them to cook.


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## jflng (Apr 5, 2007)

Nice! 

What do you expect the fish/plant output will be on this system?


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## Kntry (Dec 26, 2013)

I know nothing about aquaponics but have aways been intrigued. Can you explain the set up and what you expect to grow in each tank?


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

This setup is gravity fed, the pump is in the sump and feeds water directly into the fish tank. Everything else uses overflows and bell siphons in the grow beds. 

I've got a variety of Tomato, Sweet Potato, Lettuce, Arugula, Kale, Bok choy, etc for now. As the system ages, I'll pull things out and replace them. We're hoping to yield a nice amount of edible Tilapia each season, enough for our family/friends.


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## Kntry (Dec 26, 2013)

So you pump the water into the top of the plant tanks and it constantly returns to the Tilapia tank through the bottom pipe?

How many Tilapia can you grow in that tote? 

Do you have sand or soil in the bottom of the tanks or is it just rocks?

Thanks for the info.


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## r45t4m4n (Feb 12, 2014)

Nice setup, I've been dying to get one of these setup for years now, but not enough land. Looking to purchase a new place now and space for a greenhouse and aquaponics setup is high up on the priority list. When I get situated I may be PMing you for advise, if you don't mind of course.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Kntry said:


> So you pump the water into the top of the plant tanks and it constantly returns to the Tilapia tank through the bottom pipe?
> 
> How many Tilapia can you grow in that tote?
> 
> ...


I'm hoping to keep about 30-40 Tilapia total. 
There isn't any soil, only inert rocks. I've filled the containers 1/2 full with lava rock (very sharp/porous for bacteria to live in), and top layer of river rocks (smooth, won't cut your fingers or plant roots). 

Water is ONLY pumped from the sump, into the fish tank. Look at the last picture, the pipe on the right bends from the in-ground sump, upwards into the fish tank. Look at the left side, there is an overflow with bulkhead drilled into the tank. The water travels down through this pipe as it's being displaced, and it comes up and into the growbeds through pipes that are SHORTER than the height of the fish tank bulkhead. 

Confusing, right? It's not easy to explain, but it's a very simple process. I hope this helps? :frown:

Bump:


r45t4m4n said:


> Nice setup, I've been dying to get one of these setup for years now, but not enough land. Looking to purchase a new place now and space for a greenhouse and aquaponics setup is high up on the priority list. When I get situated I may be PMing you for advise, if you don't mind of course.


Sweet, you'll love aquaponics, it's much easier than planted tanks (and you can eat the rewards). Sure, hit me up if you need some pointers. :icon_cool


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Pictures are back up.


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

Your pictures, they're gone.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Pics are back up. 
32 Tilapia are currently in the system, can't wait to harvest, I'm a hungry man.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

mistergreen said:


> looks, neat. Grow herbs and lettuce. You can always use them to cook.


I've never cooked with lettuce, trying it now.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

how big are the tilapia now?

+
You should raise Basa catfish too. That's the mekong catfish that the US catfish industry is afraid of. The reason is it's delicious. You can find them in the lfs, maybe.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

mistergreen said:


> how big are the tilapia now?
> 
> +
> You should raise Basa catfish too. That's the mekong catfish that the US catfish industry is afraid of. The reason is it's delicious. You can find them in the lfs, maybe.


The Tilapia are between 6-8" now, they should be ready to harvest later this year hopefully. 
Catfish would be great, but I'd need another IBC tank, we can't keep the Tilapia and catfish together in the same tank. 

I'll keep my eyes open for Basa Catfish, they sound delicious!


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

Looks like a nice setup. I'll be watching this thread to see how it develops. Are you located in Florida?

I've been wanting to do something similar with the hydroponic part. I've already got a 3000 gal koi pond with an above ground filter. I gravity feed from the pond to a vortex chamber (to remove sediment) Then into a mechanical filter with pads and brushes. From there it pumps into an above ground bio filter thats heavily planted. I have a 1 1/2" drain off the bottom of the filter. I thought it would be a perfect to put some hydro pots in line with the drain and gravity feed back into the vortex chamber. It would be easy to set up, but I'm concerned about how much more I would heat up my pond water. I'm in an area that commonly gets 100+ temps.


I don't know how I missed it all these years but I was suprised when I found out tilapia is not a specific species of fish, but is actually a collection of several types of cichlids.


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## Kntry (Dec 26, 2013)

Can anyone suggest a place to buy Basa Catfish?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Kntry said:


> Can anyone suggest a place to buy Basa Catfish?


I saw them in the lfs once in a while a decade ago. They were 1-2 inches big. This was when people bought fish without know how big they get.

I don't see them (The basa fish, Pangasius bocourti) anymore though, not live anyway.
You might be able to find a relative Pangasius sanitwongsei, Paroon Shark, which grows huge or iridescent shark- swai (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus).

http://www.petsolutions.com/C/Live-Freshwater-Fish-Catfish/I/Iridescent-Shark.aspx

It's illegal to use the term catfish in the US unless it's US grown


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## Ashraf (Oct 7, 2014)

Coudln't you use native catfish instead?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Ashraf said:


> Coudln't you use native catfish instead?


I think it's for the taste. The catfish here although good, is muddy tasting. They're bottom feeders. The basa swims around and has a white flaky flesh when cooked.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

mistergreen said:


> I think it's for the taste. The catfish here although good, is muddy tasting. They're bottom feeders. The basa swims around and has a white flaky flesh when cooked.


Sounds tasty! 
Sadly, the catfish barbs hurt other fish, so they can't be kept with others. 
I'll look into it, in Central Florida we can only keep certain fish.. 
Thanks for the input mistergreen!


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## rottison (Aug 28, 2014)

I have always wanted to do with koi mind if I ask a question sense you are way further than I am.

we have a long 6 foot wood fence little over 50 foot long. I was thinking of using 6 or 8 inch pvc standing it up against each 4x4 fence post cutting a line every 12" horizontally almost threw the pipe then bend it in doing this all way down each pipe then back fill each of the cone shapes with gravel layer then composted earth to fill put a cap on top and bottom then use a pressure pump and use 1/4 line from the koi pond pump down the top of the fence and tee off to the top of each grow tube water filters threw to a bottom tube gravity feed back to koi pond. does this sound like it would really work or would I be wasting time and money


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## Kntry (Dec 26, 2013)

So you're saying you can eat Iridescent Shark? Those are always in the LFS.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

yup, you can eat most of the fish in the lfs 
The Iridescent Shark fry we see in the lfs comes from fish farms. It's called 'swai' in the grocery. I've always wanted to raise them but no space and it's not practical in cold climates. They can grow a few feet with space.

Make sure not to medicate them with meds that's not good for humans. That's some of the issues with Asian imports.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Thanks for the info mistergreen.



rottison said:


> I have always wanted to do with koi mind if I ask a question sense you are way further than I am.
> 
> we have a long 6 foot wood fence little over 50 foot long. I was thinking of using 6 or 8 inch pvc standing it up against each 4x4 fence post cutting a line every 12" horizontally almost threw the pipe then bend it in doing this all way down each pipe then back fill each of the cone shapes with gravel layer then composted earth to fill put a cap on top and bottom then use a pressure pump and use 1/4 line from the koi pond pump down the top of the fence and tee off to the top of each grow tube water filters threw to a bottom tube gravity feed back to koi pond. does this sound like it would really work or would I be wasting time and money



Sounds interesting! Water+plants+media can get very heavy, I'd make sure you fence can support the weight. But it sounds like a great idea. And for every aquaponic setup I've built, where we DON'T plan on eating the fish, we use Koi. They are great in hot/freezing climates, very hearty, create a lot of ammonia, and are beautiful to watch.

Keep me posted on your setup, sounds very interesting!


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

mistergreen said:


> yup, you can eat most of the fish in the lfs
> The Iridescent Shark fry we see in the lfs comes from fish farms. It's called 'swai' in the grocery. I've always wanted to raise them but no space and it's not practical in cold climates. They can grow a few feet with space.
> 
> Make sure not to medicate them with meds that's not good for humans. That's some of the issues with Asian imports.


And you also need to watch what you feed them. It has to be feed that is designed for fish that will be consumed by humans or a reasonable facsimile thereof.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

GraphicGr8s said:


> And you also need to watch what you feed them. It has to be feed that is designed for fish that will be consumed by humans or a reasonable facsimile thereof.


This is also a VERY good point for anyone lurking. 
For Tilapia, I personally recommend this feed: 
http://www.aquaponicsusa.com/products/aquaponics-tilapia-food.html


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## brooksie321 (Jul 19, 2014)

Pretty nifty setup there sir! Its like a backyard farm stand! I could see myself doing this... or I may just get chickens.. you can fry them and they're delicious


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

brooksie321 said:


> Pretty nifty setup there sir! Its like a backyard farm stand! I could see myself doing this... or I may just get chickens.. you can fry them and they're delicious


Thanks man! I was growing shrimp/plants for years that I couldn't eat (plantedtanks), so when I stumbled on aquaponics, my hobby quickly changed.


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## scapegoat (Jun 3, 2010)

excellent. I've been wanting to get in on something like this. We keep a garden vegetable, and have 10 chickens for eggs. Next step is a small greenhouse with a hydroponics set up for year round veggies and fish.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

I've also found a few more photos from 6 months ago, the farm is going nuts now, I will hopefully update soon...













































































































































































Bonus Pics of Fish Tank and Sump


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## rottison (Aug 28, 2014)

the guy that I buy koi from in Michigan breeds koi in a very large square pond 10wx15d for a back yard that is big in the city and has a green house on top of it the floor is slatted 1x2 looks like a sea side boardwalk his pond has never froze over as long as he keeps snow off the top of the green house he only grows fish and tomatoes nothing like what your doing... do you have enough fish to act as fertilizer for all the plants you have or do you have to add more ?


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

Glad to see you lined that PT. I am still leary of the new PT around things for human consumption. Where are you located?


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

rottison said:


> the guy that I buy koi from in Michigan breeds koi in a very large square pond 10wx15d for a back yard that is big in the city and has a green house on top of it the floor is slatted 1x2 looks like a sea side boardwalk his pond has never froze over as long as he keeps snow off the top of the green house he only grows fish and tomatoes nothing like what your doing... do you have enough fish to act as fertilizer for all the plants you have or do you have to add more ?


Thanks! Yup, I've got plenty of fertilizer from the fish, I'll only add iron to the system (in the form of Seaweed).




GraphicGr8s said:


> Glad to see you lined that PT. I am still leary of the new PT around things for human consumption. Where are you located?


Yup, it's hard making sure everything is food-safe. 
Grolando, Florida!


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

And it's not too hot now for growing? Only thing I have left are some cherry maters in the garden.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

GraphicGr8s said:


> And it's not too hot now for growing? Only thing I have left are some cherry maters in the garden.


Things are thriving! 
I'm growing Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant, Okra, Kale, Papaya, Marigolds, Rosemary, Watercress, Malabar Spinach, Cuban Oregano, Lemon Balm, Pineapple Sage, Dill, Moringa, and more.

Here is a picture of my other setups right now:


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

How are you keeping the heat from them? I know it's water but it still gets hot. Mine are terrestrial plants and they are taking a beating.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

They are getting 3/4 FULL SUN and FULL HEAT! 
Maybe the water flowing through the system helps keep everything cool.
BTW, trimming tomatoes surely helps the oxygen get between the branches easier, as tomato plants often get really "messy". 

But yeah, I agree, growing these plants in the ground in this heat wouldn't usually work that well. The power of aquaponics!


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

The constant moving water might very well move the heat away as well. bitFUUL, can you stick a thermometer in the soil? My tomato plants are currently under attack by leaf fungus. I cut off the affected leaves and covered up the soil with hay. If you have any other tips, that'll be great.


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

mistergreen said:


> The constant moving water might very well move the heat away as well. bitFUUL, can you stick a thermometer in the soil? My tomato plants are currently under attack by leaf fungus. I cut off the affected leaves and covered up the soil with hay. If you have any other tips, that'll be great.


Many diseases actually come from the soil. More from water hitting the soil and bouncing back up and hitting the plant. Hay is good but straw is better. Less weed seeds in straw. Also use newspaper under the straw to keep weeds at bay. Mulch also keeps the soil temps more consistent and prevents the top layer of soil from drying out. 
One thing when you first plant them. My transplants are about 2 feet tall when I transplant. I dig the hole a foot deep or a little more. Half of that 2 foot tomato gets buried. See roots will grow along that buried stem and provide the plants with nutrients from a larger area and will be less stressed.

Trimming the sucker stems, those that won't produce fruit, will put more energy into fruit production instead of leaf growth. 

If yo wind up getting hotter earlier cherry tomatoes are the ones that can withstand the heat better than the full size fruiters


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Thanks. I meant I used straw. At first I thought it was a nutrient issue but I saw pictures of the yellowing leaves with spots identifying it as fungus, I knew that was the problem.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

mistergreen said:


> Thanks. I meant I used straw. At first I thought it was a nutrient issue but I saw pictures of the yellowing leaves with spots identifying it as fungus, I knew that was the problem.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


I have straw now but I've used hay. Depends on which I can get cheapest.


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## r45t4m4n (Feb 12, 2014)

papaya is going to outgrow that real quick, mine was 10 feet in little over 6 months.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

mistergreen said:


> The constant moving water might very well move the heat away as well. bitFUUL, can you stick a thermometer in the soil? My tomato plants are currently under attack by leaf fungus. I cut off the affected leaves and covered up the soil with hay. If you have any other tips, that'll be great.


Hey Mistergreen, I'm still unable to get over to this farm yet, so haven't been able to get a temp reading. 



r45t4m4n said:


> papaya is going to outgrow that real quick, mine was 10 feet in little over 6 months.


YES! The papaya is doing just that...


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

hey man, how's the tank doing?


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

monkeyruler90 said:


> hey man, how's the tank doing?


Plants and fish are still thriving! Aquaponics is surely the best solution.


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