# Aquaponics formula?



## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

I've been watching a lot of video clips on youtube and am really getting interested so thought I'd throw out a couple questions for y'all that have done this.
First, I can't seem to find a formula for matching both sides of the system. Is there anything like that established yet? I'm thinking : x pound fish/y gal water/z lb veg =ammonia/nitrite/nitrate balance. Does that make sense?
Also,If you have done this or hydroponics I'd really like your opinion on the flavor of the veggy's. If tomatoes are going to taste like what you but in the store I'm not interested in even getting involved with it. 
I'd sure like your opinions!
Thanks,

Wade


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

You might try searching the RAC websites. I would start with the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC) website.


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## TMTex (Apr 5, 2013)

I'd be interested in that too. I see a lot of stuff about using fish and plants together, but no formulas for ammonia and nitrates/nitrites.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

The standard is usually 2 to 1, 2 times the grow bed in volume to tanks... Of coarse the variables are number of fish and how much you feed... More Fish max feed more bed... 

So lets say you have a 300 gallon Tank, stock 100 lbs of fish, rule of thumb is 2 to 1 ratio. 
300 gallons of water is 40.1042 cubic feet x 2 = 80.2084 cubic feet of bed.

I would Increase the Bed size proportionately with number of fish, if you double the stocking density, double the bed, so 200 lbs fish ,300 gallon tank and 160.21608 cubic feet of bed. 

And so forth , at a lb per gallon you running a very intensive set up, of coarse fish don't need to eat daily so less feed can reduce bed needed, or max feed needs more bed.

More the fish eat faster they grow, but all things need balanced.

Hope that makes sense... 

As far as Taste, a lot of that has to do with Variety and Harvest.


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## hickerbillywife (Feb 28, 2014)

We are hoping to set one up soon. Our plans are to use 275gal IBC totes
I intended to cut 8 inches off the top for plants and use the bottom for fish.
Some of the stuff I have seen makes me think you could have 2 plant tops 
for every 1 fish bottom. I'm not sure what we'll end up with but I am ready 
to get winter over with so we can get started. I bought some plastic barrels 
as well. I might cut them sideways and use them. I'd love to see what everyone
comes up with. I hope to come up with something worth sharing as well.


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## WildPrGardens (Mar 8, 2014)

There is no formula. The fish produce the ammonia. Two different kinds of bacteria break it down so the plants can use the nitrogen. Ammonia builds up the fish die.

Buy the book Aquaponic Gardening by Sylvia Bernstein. 

It is worth it. 

288 pages of good valid info. She does it and she teaches it.

You will never get enough accurate info in a few posts here or anywhere else.

Goodluck


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

WildPrGardens said:


> There is no formula. The fish produce the ammonia. Two different kinds of bacteria break it down so the plants can use the nitrogen. Ammonia builds up the fish die.
> 
> Buy the book Aquaponic Gardening by Sylvia Bernstein.
> 
> ...



Thanks you so much! This is exactly what I was looking for. It takes aquaponics from a back yard hobby to a science! I got on youtube and have watched 30 of her clips and feel I'm getting the kind of info I need to learn before I jump into this! Oh,and btw,there is a formula,it's just much more complicated than my poor example! 
Thanks again!


Wade


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

IMO that books not worth its price, its nothing more then the net in print. I suppose if you don't have a decent connection and are really bad at surfing it may be of use? check your local library that's where I got the copy I had.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

||Downhome|| said:


> IMO that books not worth its price, its nothing more then the net in print. I suppose if you don't have a decent connection and are really bad at surfing it may be of use? check your local library that's where I got the copy I had.



Thanks for your ibfo. For now I will stay with the video clips. I just can't remember things I read and really need the visuals to retain the knowledge. Hopefully I can find enouogh to make it clear just how involved in this I want to get.


Wade


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## WildPrGardens (Mar 8, 2014)

I still say there is no formula. 

There is a process though.

Too many inputs possible, and not all neccesarily present at any one time. 
And each one is a variable quanity.

With all the variation and fluctuation you can still have fish that live and thrive as well as plants that live and thrive.

If you follow the proper processes.

I like having the paper charts, graphs, diagrams etc as well as the videos.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

I agree! It would be nice to have hard copy of charts etc. I'm just tip-toeing into this for now. If I get comfortable enough to "Jump" ahead in I'll for sure want the book! Thanks again!

Wade


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

There is a formula, its not exact and its a starting point.
But still a formula... 

Yes you have to take all the variables into account ... Like I said you have to balance.

I hit on the main ones in my prior post.

Starting out you want to ensure a buffer , 1 lb fish to 3 gallons water and 2 times bed volume to 1 times tank is a good starting point, relatively forgiving with the right species of fish. 

Now though you will have a weak nutrient load, wich will limit plant types. Auqaponics in pure form is somewhat limited to start with... Nitrogen is the nutrient you have in any real quantity. plants also require Phosphorous and Potassium as well as macro and micro nutrients... which are lacking in any real quantity... there are various ways to supplement though.

Plants also need Light and Air (CO2/Oxygen) as well as Proper temps, limit those and Nutrient uptake is limited as well as Growth. 

Those are things that you have to account for on the plant side of the equation..

The Fish Need , Proper Space, Oxygen,Correct Temps and Food rather then N/P/K...

I noted earlier post Food is a key factor in maintaining your system, its a point at wich you can balance, Fish do not need to eat all the time, they can get by on very little... you won't have any growth though... But you won't have a surplus of waste either.

In fact Fish stop metabolizing food when it gets to cold, in those conditions its actually detrimental and can kill them to eat. The food will ferment in their bellies.

Again Balance, but to Balance you need to Know what your Fish and Plants need.

You also need to layout what your goal is.

There are also various ways to run a system, grow out or continuous harvest.

You would not want your tanks full of fish that are dependent on the filter plants waiting for a batch of seedlings to grow enough to properly filter? 

Same as you would not want Beds full of plants dependent on Fish to have to wait on your fry to grow to size to provide adequate nutrients. 

That all said don't limit yourself to researching just aquaponics, Aquarists are many and very Knowledgeable in their hobby, You also have many resources available under Aquaculture and Hydroponics... consider both pure and separate branches alone and combined you have Aquaponics... 

As a side note I had one tank with just a few fish , no bed, no feed no supplied Oxygen.
Just what Nature provided, Micro Fauna and mosquito larvae, water bugs... Not even keeping the Ice from forming. 

They lived several years just like that, it was balanced. I did loose a few to the Ice. They did grow but very little, first year they doubled size and then it was static.

I brought them in this winter because I expected it to be harsh, which it was, and Killed them by forgetting to turn off my aerator. Its nothing more then a water pump with a venturi on the very end of the return line, it works very well, a little too well.
Only needed it to run about 5 mins a day for the tank I had them in... 

Too much oxygen is just as bad as too little, causes symptoms similar to the bends in people.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

Good info. Thanks

Wade


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## pengyou (Jun 22, 2009)

I was going to start a new thread but my question seems to fit very well with this one. If I am going to take the water from the fish tank, "feed" my plants and then let the water drain out onto an outdoor field crop - corn, etc. it would seem to me that there is not really any need to balance the equation - I could maximize the number of fish for the given volume of water and maximize the number of plants for the growing bed, and then supplement the "food" for the plants with compost tea or some other organic media. Does that seem right? It would require more water in the hp system, but not more water in the total system, because the corn still needs water. Another option, if land and sun are available, an inexpensive solar water distilling system can be built to heavily concentrate the runoff from the hp system, send the pure water back to the fish tanks and then use the concentrate in some other area. This is one step more involved in the standard ap system, but, it seems to me, that it allows maximization of plant and fish output, something that could be very important if you are talking about a (very expensive) greenhouse setup.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

Interesting thinking, your correct in your assumption on a open system, with proper watering system (drip/soaker hose & mulch ) you could cultivate a lot of space using that system.

I can't speak on the over all economy of such, really boils down to available water and how much water your land needs. 

One reason people prefer the closed systems. 

But you still need a balance... just to different ends.

You still will want to maintain enough fish to keep a practical nutrient load,
(other wise no real benefit, save maybe just keeping the fish) 
you will need to now how much water needs to be cycled daily, matching that to your soil and plants requirements as well as keeping the tanks flushed/dilute enough to keep fish happy... like I said still balancing.

Be nice to not construct beds and maintain them and connections.
as long as the in/out is balance no need to work about plants or fish... 
both pluses.

I never really explored a open system as a option, but You got me thinking about it. thanks... 

I don't know about doing a solar still for the replenishment, here it would be fed by well, so the most I would try to do is limit evaporation.


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Well, I have had an interest in Aquaponics for quite some time. I planned to start a system last year, but just never got the time. I am planning a raft system, which will be partially indoors and partially outside. The outside system is by far the cheapest, but here in Arkansas it would be next to impossible to keep through the winter. I have read many of the post above, not all, but many, so I may have missed something. I would suggest also for additional information a visit to Friendly Aquaponics website. They have a lot of information and it is all free. They have many, as over 100 newsletters posted there you can read which span several years. I actually attended one of their seminars (something I said I would never do) and to be honest it was basically a recap of all the info I had read free on their website, but I do give credit for them taking the time to offer the free info on the website. Aquaponics is an area of Agriculture that is new and unfortunately there are many snake oil salesman out there profiting from this. To be quite honest I have yet to see a viable commercial model in production making a profit. None the less I plan to build a system and experiment with it, it may be commercially viable with certain crops if a person finds the right market and area?


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