What can I grow Choosing a fish species There are many different species of fish that can be used in our aquaponics system. Our local climate in Florida allows us to grow tilapia year round. In deciding what is the best species for you to grow, you should take a few factors into account, most importantly is what you want from your system. If you don’t want to eat your fish then you probably won’t want to grow edible fish, or you may want to grow an edible fish that can live year-round in your area, so that you’re not having to harvest fish out seasonally. Importance of fish Fish are the power house of an aquaponics system. They provide the nutrients for the plants; and if your growing edible fish, then they also provide protein for yourself. Keeping fish in an aquaponic system is more simple than keeping aquarium fish. As long as you follow simple guidelines, then growing fish can be extremely simple. Types of fish we grow: Tilapia Originally found in Africa, Tilapia has been farmed for more than 2,500 years. Tilapia is a perfect fish for aquaponics because of its rapid growth, large size, and because it tastes great. This hardy fish can adapt to most any condition with the exception of water temperature. Tilapia prefer warm water – at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit. It takes about 9 months for Tilapia to grow to a harvestable size, about 1.5 pounds. What does Tilapia eat? At Tree Frog Aquaponics, we feed our fish duckweed and ground-up salad greens from the greenhouse. In addition, tilapia love to eat algae from the side of the tank. Types of veggies you can grow: Plant species We are often asked which plants grow well in an aquaponic’s system and it seems that most herbs and vegetables adapt well to aquaponics. Of course, some plants won’t do as well when using different methods. Media filled beds seem to be the most successful for growing a large range of plants and you can grow just about anything. Most herb varieties (such as basil, chives and cilantro) can be grown using the same plant spacing. Other crops (such as tomatoes, egg plant, melons, beans, cucumbers, etc.) can be grown using the appropriate plant spacing. Estimated numbers of heads of lettuce is based on yearly production in a controlled environment. Estimated pounds of fish is based on fish type and amount of breeding space. Aquaponic’s systems will grow just about anything. A single tomato can produce well over 30 kg of tomatoes. Some other fruiting varieties that perform well are: eggplant (aubergine), capsicum (bell pepper), bean, peas and many more. Root crops? What about root crops? No problem, although you are probably better off growing potatoes in the ground, they will still grow successfully in an aquaponic’s grow bed. Carrots are another great root crop in media beds. Carrots harvested from grow beds have no sand on them and although you might wonder how they grow in a bed filled with gravel; they do a surprisingly good job. Can I plant seeds? Definitely. Media filled beds generally use a combination of seedlings and seeds. When first planting a grow bed in a new system, sprinkle a mixture of seeds over the grow bed, as well as planting seedlings in the bed. Planting seedlings is simple. However, before you plant the seedlings, wash off the majority of the potting mix from the root ball in a small bucket of water. The potting mix should wash off fairly easily with just a gentle shake in the water. What are growth rates like? Growth rates of plants in aquaponic systems can be quite phenomenal. Aquaponic growth rates can exceed hydroponic plant growth by up to four times with some vegetables and herbs. The advantage of aquaponics over soil grown vegetables is that during warm weather the plants get as much water as they need due to the regular flooding of grow beds in an aquaponic system. Plants grown in the ground can use the water around their root system very quickly in hot weather leading to wilting from a lack of water very quickly on a hot day. Plants in an aquaponic system get watered constantly, so they always have water; no matter how hot the weather is. This is a list of plants that grew well for our customers. This list is is by no means an exhaustive list of all plants that will grow well. It is just a few of the great performers. Lettuce Peas Spinach Onion Tomato Cucumber Silver beet Basil Parsley Watercress Chives Chilies Celery Snow peas Egg plant Broccoli Cabbage Garlic Dwarf beans Sage Lemongrass Cucumber