Aquaponics Fish - Edible or Decoration For Your System

When you decide to set up an aquaponics system you have three key elements to consider namely plants, bacteria and fish. The types of aquaponics fish you place in the system will be determined by your choice of plants and reasons behind rearing the fish.

The biggest question to ask yourself will be, what am I rearing the fish for, food or decoration?

Many people get into aquaponics purely for the sustainable food production side, so they can grow fresh fruits and vegetables without the need for conventional soil based methods. In this example, the fish are a by-product of the process, so it does not matter about rearing the fish for food.

When the fish are purely a part of the symbiotic cycle certain types of fish suit the system better. You want to choose larger fish that mature slower and live longer, this way your fish will be producing larger amounts of solid waste over a longer period. This will convert via the bacterial process into more food for your plants.

Even though you do not intend to eat the fish in this system, you could still choose fish species based on looks. Your tanks could then be sunk to resemble ponds and the fish will be beautiful to look at if you choose the more decorative types.

The other side of the equation is that you grow the fish as part of the overall protein food stock plan. In this instance you need to choose edible fish to fully appreciate the system and create a worthwhile food source.

The types of edible fish you can choose from will again be down to personal taste and possibly even local stocks. As you are rearing fish to eat you will favour faster growing species, so that these mature quicker on less food and end up on the dinner plate quicker. If you are looking to sell the fish for food you need to know what the market trends are and which fish sell well for taste. To speed up the maturation process you can grow from fingerlings instead of fry.

A possibly overlooked factor for rearing fish is the location of the tank. Some species require certain conditions to grow and will struggle or die in shaded areas, whereas other fish types might prefer to be out of the sun for large parts of the day. Obviously you home location and country might make the above two factors difficult to predict.

Let us now take a quick look at the types of fish. All fish can reasonably be reared for decoration, so we will highlight the edible types.

Barramundi - a large tasty fish which also makes an attractive guest in your tank.

Catfish - a popular quick growing fish with many varieties, which must be de-scaled before cooking.

Carp - more popular on the Asian food market, it has a black mark against it in western countries due to over-competing with native species, which can mean it will be tricky to get hold of.

Jade Perch - superbly healthy fish drenched in omega 3 oils, which can therefore give it an overpowering taste.

Murray Cod - a newer species to aquaponics this fish takes experience to grow as it has cannibalistic tendencies. Tastes good though.

Tilapia - the aquaponic all-rounder suitable for all types of system and a good starter fish due to ease of rearing and pleasant taste.

Trout - nice tasting fish which is grown in large quantities in the UK and cooler parts of the United States.

Add to this fish list other types of seafood which can include cockles, mussels, whelks, prawns and crayfish. Some of these species help to keep the tank clean with their filter feeding habits.

Check your aquaponic plans for fish densities as you need to get the balance right for numbers of fish. Too many and you will stress the fish, too few and you will not garner enough fish waste to convert into plant food.

There are other types of suitable aquaponics fish, but the above list should give you something to get started with, so now you can plan your system in more detail and decide whether or not you will be rearing the fish for food.

Steven Bourne is a writer with personal interests in the renewable energy sector and his hobbies are centered around the great outdoors and DIY.

His latest website is Aquaponics 4 You Center, where you will find buying advice and further informative articles on Aquaponics including Aquaponics Fish, Aquaponics Plans, DIY Aquaponics and Aquaponics Supplies.

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