12 Rules of Thumb For Aquaponics

[@theman5946]

been watching for years, will buy one just because you've earned it, you are a good man

[@RobsAquaponics]

Many thanks mate. 👍 Hope you find it helpful at some point. Cheers & have a top one.

[@retroaudiomumbai3045]

I've been a subscriber for long. There is nothing in this video that you haven't spoken about before... Yet I watched your entire video... I felt compelled!! Compliments again Rob.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Bob. 👍 Hopefully some new comers will pick up a pointer or 2 that will help them out. Cheers & happy growing mate.

[@coutinhojon]

It's crazy how knowledgeable you are on aquaponics and even crazier that you're sharing all that experience for free. Thanks a lot mate.

[@RobsAquaponics]

My pleasure Jon C. 👍

[@baron6797]

I wish that in your next vid, your beard will be plaited like in Vikings! No pressure

[@RobsAquaponics]

😅 My eldest wants me to grow my hair out as well so she can braid it Viking style. I think it's getting a tad too thin for that to happen. The beard though 🤔 I think that could be possible. Cheers Baron.

[@hornetIIkite3]

Add some dye and you'll have a persian carpet

[@chrispeguero2404]

Lol that's funny I would love to see that too

[@Professor_MemesSquad]

my teacer said we were making one of these in the classroom and asked me to research, as i am quarantined. started watching these videos and now i am interested in building one at home.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Nice one mate.. Have you seen the playlist? kzbin.info/aero/PLBcWprMIwYYj8zCdbSzPJOR3HRXpxuBwf Might help you out some as well.

[@FrugalOffGrid]

Thank you Rob! I have my system up now, next up is rock then fish. Your videos have been helpful.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Nice one FOG. 👍👍Will you be posting vid's on the build? Let me know if you do, always like to suss out others take on AP. 👍 Cheers & all the best mate.

[@FrugalOffGrid]

@@RobsAquaponics Yes sir, I live off grid. I'm an hour from the nearest city. I try to live as frugal and sustainable as possible. I built a 32'x16'x6' geothermal greenhouse and built a aquaponics system with an old trailer lined with vinyl and a vinyl aquarium. I watched how you build bell siphons and built mine mostly from scrap material like everything else on my homestead. The temperature should be regulated well enough to keep trout. Soon kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJzCe4qEeK6Be8U

[@SeeStuDo]

Turning a 40 gal rain barrel system into an aquarium/aquaponic system. Using a small container with constant height/hydroton and guppies/tetra for fish stock for a first system to learn the process. Stoked to have just found these vids, guy makes it clear and easy.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Nice one Charles. Hope the system runs well for you mate. 👍 Happy growing.

[@MrInnovativeEnergy]

Purchased.....Thank you my brother. I appreciate the help!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Tad & hope it helps you out with running your system. 🍻 Cheers.

[@joycelinstead7600]

Love this guy best on youtube

[@RobsAquaponics]

Cheers Joyce. 😁👍

[@phillip4772]

I currently have 4 wicking garden beds and a small orchard. The next step is an ibc aquaponics system.

[@schuie1993]

Mate ur video are super helpful! Thank you very much

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad to hear that Dylan. Cheers mate.

[@gwenjohnston-petrarch5071]

I love the channel, Rob. I'm not a hydro beginner but am making a foray into aquaponics and find your videos very watchable and you a wonderful presenter. I thank you for all your hard work in putting these videos out for folks. If I could suggest one thing it would be to walk us through how you set up your systems. In this video you are speaking about it but the images you are showing are captioned and I find it very difficult to read the caption, listen to you speaking on the overall setup and look at and study the images at the same time.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Gwen. I'm glad the videos are helpful. I try to make the captions long enough so folks have time to pause & read them if that makes sense as that's what I do. I do have a playlist of this system that starts from when it was first set up if that helps any. kzbin.info/aero/PLBcWprMIwYYhxrXIEidBYPP4Nk0uxtK8w I'll look at doing a more recent over view soon after I knock off a few other videos I've promised folks. Sorry for missing this as well. Get a bit hard to keep up with it all being a one man show. Cheers & have a top one.

[@andybush368]

Great video again Rob, stay safe 😁

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Andy. 😁 Cheers & all the best to you as well mate.

[@PracticalPrimate]

Good one Rob. I particularly liked what you said about getting the kids involved in the harvest. Spot on :) All the best. Dan

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Dan. It turns out that our eldest is better at filleting than either of us so am more than happy to inviter her around at harvest time. 😉 Hope all's well with you mate.

[@warren7565]

Great all round video mate

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad you enjoyed Warren.😁👍 Cheers & have a top one mate.

[@matthewg4956]

I really enjoyed this video Rob. Good for beginners & a refresher for me. I am sad to say that I won’t be doing aquaponics any longer in the near future. Not to worry, I am donating my entire system and support supplies to a local high school. I have really learned from you and will let the school know about your new guide. Thank you for all you do. I will definitely still be watching.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Sorry to hear you're retiring the system mate. Great to hear it will be put to use again though. Can I ask why? No problem if you prefer not to answer. 👍 Cheers mate & all the best.

[@matthewg4956]

@@RobsAquaponics I no longer have the time the system deserves.

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@matthewg4956 Fair enough & a good call mate. 👍

[@sixsquared2947]

Great stuff! Thank you.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad you enjoyed it SS. Cheers & have a top one.

[@acuaponiahome]

Muy bien la explicación que das, Me suscribo a tu canal, gracias por compartir y te mando un abrazo fuerte desde México

[@RobsAquaponics]

Gracias. Espero que su sistema de acuaponia esté creciendo bien.🌱🌱🌱 (Google Translate)

[@ChrisBeckPortableLogMill]

I have operated an aquaponics system for last 6 years. What I have learned is to not overload the system with too many fish and add red wiggler worms to the grow beds. The worms thrive and break down the small leftover bits of fish food and poop so the microbial can convert to plant food. This makes it so the water stays clean and no need to remove any solids. All this uses additional oxygen so a small air pump or waterfall is always a nice addition

[@autumnrose2070]

This was very informative, thanks for the great video!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad it was helpful Autumn Rose. Happy growing.

[@trytobetheballpeople]

Perfect Rob!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Cheers mate. 👍

[@Ferndale-Farm]

This is an amazing video, thank you so very much :)

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad you liked it Joshua. 👍

[@jimparsons8440]

Nice overview Rob!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Jim. Hope all's well with you & yours mate. 👍

[@gabe-gt9fb]

Ill be starting my chop and flip project very interesting thank you.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hope the build goes smoothly Gabe. 👍👍

[@brandonterry6194]

GRATITUDE 💥🐟💥

[@jakobprestele8904]

Hi Rob, thanks for your videos - definitely the most comprehensive out there! I use your descriptions together with my pupils while we are building an aquaponics here in Northern Sweden. One question: Have you ever used the juice that builds up within and drains from a Bokashi-kompost as an nitrogen source while cykling the aquaponics system?

[@joshuapoole6962]

Love your videos I am about to start my own first try system here in the states and I have found your ideas and theory very helpful thus far.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hope it goes well for you Joshua. Happy Growing Mate

[@ChuanfaBuddha]

Thank you so much for this video I have your app it is wonderful. this is a great addition answered the question I had previously about the meters perfect

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks for the feedback Stephan, I really appreciate it mate. 👍 Cheers & happy growing. 🐟🌱🍓

[@Janderra]

Great advice Rob

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks folks. 😁

[@edengrowsystems]

Great beginner tips!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad you think so! Cheers EGS.

[@rho1360]

Absolutely awesome tips, thank you! We'll defo be getting your ebook/app thing when we're setting up! Cheers.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Awesome, thank you RS. 😁 Hope the build goes smoothly when the time comes. Cheers.

[@cato7902]

Good, im gonna start in malaysia. Its got here

[@Kearnesy]

Great video Rob couple suggestions can you have a video of recipes lol they looked so good lol. Also maybe suggest a back up for power failure such as a battery air stone (or like the one you used to have in the old system)

[@RobsAquaponics]

That part made the cutting room floor so to speak along with a few others Kearnesy. I have had a few folks ask if I can do another covering some points I missed in this one so backup air will definitely make it into that one. Cheers mate & have a top one.

[@dimannish1]

Hello. First, let me express my admiration and joy of watching all your videos :) !!! I also interested, if the fish is too young and I use 300litre tank. So 12 young baby fish won't be enough at all? Should I multiply fish quantity x5,x10 in that case and buy 60-120 fish for 300l? Distracting them lately when they would grow up. I other word, should I use biomass rule instead of quantity rule?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Use the quantity rule (1 fish per 25L/6.6gal of wet media) if they are going to grow to be table fish sized (500g/1lb). Just don't over-plant the beds & they should grow just fine on the available nutrients.

[@aarongamb1138]

I have been watching your videos for about 6 months now and finally got my ibc chop/flip ready to start cycling. I'm super excited. My question is have you ever used red worms in your grow beds? I didn't see a video on the topic.

[@RobsAquaponics]

I have them in all the beds Aaron. 👍 Not the best solids filters as some claim but they do a great job at processing old roots, fallen leaves & any waste that makes it through into plant available nutrients. I posted this short vid a while back if you wanted to suss it out, kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXKnmIGKqb98p9E Cheers & happy growing.

[@aarongamb1138]

@@RobsAquaponics okay I built one of the solids filters for my tank. I just didn't know if I needed worms as well. BTW I appreciate all your hard work and research, it's been a huge help!

[@aarongamb8426]

@@RobsAquaponics Follow up question: Have you ever used muscles, shrimp, prawns or anything like that in your tanks? Thoughts?

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@aarongamb8426 I haven't Aaron but would like to have a crack at the freshwater prawns at some stage.

[@dankennerson2080]

I love the videos and have recently started building my system. I designed everything for the fish per volume of water and fish per volume of media based on your guidelines. I just started cycling through my beds and have a few questions I haven't found answers to. For the impatient such as myself, is there any way to Jumpstart the bacterial cycle? I hadn't previously read anything about adding Salt, is that needed for all types of fish? Thanks!

[@RobsAquaponics]

You can help "seed" some bacteria into the beds using media from another aquaponics system or been material from an aquarium filter. Just make sure that the system it comes from is healthy. The salt is there as an insurance policy against nitrite poisoning/ brown blood disease. I add some to all my systems as it only takes a small amount of excess nitrite to kill your fish. Hope that helps some Dan.

[@timoblake5689]

Rob bob, I work at a salt yard in America and we have blended salts for driveways and sidewalks. The one bagged salt we carry is a plant safe magnesium, potassium, calcium, and sodium chloride blend what are you thoughts on using it instead of the pool salt?

[@RobsAquaponics]

That should be OK as long as there's not other elements in there Timo. I would probably run it by a vet or aquaculture specialist first though just to be on the safe side. Would hate to give you the wrong info.

[@MatthewByrd]

Thanks for the content Rob. Have you ever build/designed a small commercial aquaponics setup?

[@RobsAquaponics]

No I haven't Matthew but am interested in having a crack at one when we get a larger property. 👍 Cheers & have a top one mate.

[@thereal702edge]

Have you tried to use pex or the flexible plastic lines instead of hard pvc?

[@RobsAquaponics]

I have used some food grade reinforced hose but the larger diameter PVC is the most cost effective way to go I've found.

[@paco050974]

Hi Rob! What are your thoughts on combining biofloc and aquaponics?

[@RobsAquaponics]

If you have the space & extra nutrient load, I can't see why you couldn't include a biofloc component to the system. Most folks will want the extra nutrients to boost the plant production side.

[@truongvanpha5479]

Can you give me your experience with aquarium aquaponics using a 1000l or round tank is good for your fish? and the high x wide vegetable tray thank you??

[@RobsAquaponics]

My tank is 1000L & works fine. 👍 The amount of grow bed volume will depend on the amount of fish you want to stock as that will be acting as your biofilter. I cover it in this video if you want to see how I work it out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5a8pYicd7CqhNE Hope that helps mate. 👍

[@dannyschumaker]

great videos mate !! Thanks for the info i"m looking into making a system this has helped me alot. :)

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad I could help some HONR. Hope the build is going well.

[@chrispeguero2404]

Hey Rob good day .I've been following you for quite some time now but the only problem I got is I don't have a chop and flip or grow beds I have my plants in 2 inch pipes and 2 55 gl drums so the amount of fish and what I can grow varies

[@RobsAquaponics]

Nice one Chris. I've seen some very productive systems set up like that. 👍 Do you have any videos I could suss out? Always interested in seeing how other set their systems up.

[@chrispeguero2404]

I would love to send a video not sure how it done that's why I watch your

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@chrispeguero2404 You could upload here to KZbin & send a link. You don't need to make them public if you don't want. 👍👍

[@leighgretton1255]

excuse my lack of knowledge. My wife has a pond with lilys etc and no fish in it.. When I clean the pump filter could i use the residue to help build up the aquaponics nitrates levels .Regards and thanks.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Leigh. The gunk from the pump will have some nutrients as well as bacteria that may be helpful. Are you cycling a new aquaponics system?

[@richardbowerman3211]

Great vids Rob. How much electricity does a basic system use Kw/hour ? Plus other regular costs, such as fish food. There are probably other daily costs. Thanks.

[@RobsAquaponics]

I think I'll cover this in a new video as my "cut & paste" response is a bit outdated now Richard. 😉 I'll try & post it to the channel very soon or at least mention it in an update video.

[@venetogardens]

Nice video. Very concise. I have a question about covering an IBC to minimize light. How well does paint work in your experience? seems it will still allow light. What are your current recommendations? Thanks. Dave

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Dave & thanks mate. 😁 Paint does an OK job if you can get a few coats of paint to stick. The insulation foil works well too but is expensive if you have to by it. I was lucky enough to have some gifted to me. I think I'll be cladding ours from now on though as it also makes them look a bit tidier. Pallet timber with a bit of stain on it will be what I'm looking at using as there appears to be a fair bit available locally. Hope that helps mate. Thanks for stopping by the hangout as well. Hope you had a great time with the family as well.

[@jettachamp26]

What type of bin do you use for your fish tank? The size and shape seems perfect for backyard

[@RobsAquaponics]

The mob that made this one has shut down unfortunately. It's basically a small commercial chemical holding tank with no lid. If you look up poly or fiberglass tank manufacturers/suppliers you may find something suitable in your area. I have seen folks use compact rain water tanks with portions of the lid cut away for access to the fish if that helps any. Just a heads up, the proportions of my tank are a bit out as you get better water flow in a squatter, wide tank. Most aquaculture tanks have a height to diameter ratio starting at 1:3 then increasing in diameter from there. But it is great in that it's compact & does the job for a small system like mine. Hope that helps some Ryan.

[@jettachamp26]

@@RobsAquaponics thank you. Just picked up your guide as well to show support. You are a treasure trove of information on this topic and I really appreciate it. Yeah, your tank looks similar to "open top cylindrical" type rain/water reservoirs I'm seeing here in the US. Crazy from $100-$400+ going between 50-100 gallons. My fish tank upgrade search continues! Time to head up to central Florida and try and make some new friends on the aggro industry and try to get one second hand

[@thuytruongluu3669]

What do I have to do in winter for the system to work properly?

[@karimhayes3134]

HI rob thanks again ., i have 24000litre pond for aquaponics and im in winter perth. losing about 60litres aday , how much water to you add daily or weekly . For this time of year

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hey Karim. At the moment I'm adding about 200L in our 1600L system every week or so. In summer It's about 3-400L depending on what we have planted out. Hope that helps a little mate.

[@CraftAmundous]

Have you ever tried nano aqua culture? I'm wanting to try it with crawfish and simple veggie plants for winter gardening indoors....in an apartment. Thoughts?

[@RobsAquaponics]

I haven't tried it myself. I know folks that did with 1 or 2 fish & they never really grew anything useable. You might have issues getting enough nutrients from crustaceans as they done' eat as much as most fish species. I think you need at least 5 decent sized fish to be able to provide enough nutrients for the veg to grow. Would like to know how you get on if you do give it a crack Rex. 👍

[@Dustin-jj5eh]

Hello Rob just a couple questions on things i haven't seen you talk about. Have you seen the verticle barrel style "low pressure aeration aquaponics" made with the blue drums and pvc elbows ? I am interested in making a few and tieing them into some IBC fish tanks. How do the formulas work when there is no media ? I understand that the water in the tank needs to be turned over 1.5 times and hr, but with the spray tips used i may need several 55gal drum "planters" per ibc. Each planter would have ~60 2in net cups with no media. Just not sure on how to work out how many fish per ibc and what flow rate i have to achieve to keep them healthy.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi DB. Do you have a link as only a small bucket type system came up when I searched.

[@RobsAquaponics]

You will still need to have some form of biofiltration either as a dedicated filter or a media bed somewhere. I have seen folks run without them but the fish stocking rates are very low & things can go pear-shaped very quickly if you don't monitor the water parameters regularly.

[@EnkiTheBarbarian]

Rob, I'looking at building an aquaponics system in my garage in Alaska. I have 225gal & 350gal 304 stainless steel totes. I'm looking at modular 5gal bucket DWC after a bioreactor with passive return to the tanks. Please advise.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Sorry I missed this mate. How did the build go?

[@Shane_O.5158]

hi Rob, with rule 1 is that allowing a little extra for disasters, such as having to turn off a bed for 12 hours if a pipe breaks ?

[@RobsAquaponics]

It could be mate. 👍 Also good to see if there's extra space for the inevitable expansion of the system. 😉

[@Shane_O.5158]

@@RobsAquaponics oh yes, i think i have done 2 expansions on mine.

[@glendawest9871]

Borrowed phone Mike rob watched your video no muddy taste I started thinking about this and I know that wild Russian boar in the us they catch them and feed them corn for 45 days. That is makes me think if ya had tank of clean water and now this the part I dont know maybe the same food something different

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hey Mike. We found not feeding the fish for a week or so also helped to reduce those flavours., I don't think it harmed the fish much either as they weer still full of fat when they were harvested. Cheers mate.

[@themadtrimmer2102]

do you have to cycle before every time you add new fish

[@RobsAquaponics]

The bacteria are already the & will repopulate as the available feed for the increases TMT. 👍👍

[@HubbubAudioLibrary]

Great video! Does your book cover sexing the fish, if it's better to keep F or M uniform, any natural breeding cycles or how to keep your fish reproduction at the pace required for the system?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Kevin. It's not a book as such, more a video guide with transcripts provided & is very interactive. Sexing fish doesn't come into it sorry as my content is aimed at backyarders. The fish used here in Australia won't breed in tank culture without human intervention. I know folks that use tilapia & breed them in other countries. We also have them in our waterways but the fines are astronomical if you're caught with them so I won't be using them in our system any time soon.

[@WmCRobison]

I was wondering. Is it possible to add something water snails and or cat fish to help with keeping the fish tank clean.

[@daniwelton715]

Snails clog your pump really bad

[@WmCRobison]

@@daniwelton715 that makes sense. Thank you.

[@RobsAquaponics]

I have had the snails get into the pipes as well in the past which caused a few issues. As the pH dropped I found the species we had died out as it was too rough on their shells. I have a catfish in the sump & it does an OK job. A little algae on the walls is normally OK. I find I get it growing mainly where the sun hits the inside walls in the morning. You'll also get a greenish brown "bio slime" grow in there as well which is normal & has never caused my systems any grief. The Jade will eat it & I often find marks on the walls where they've had a bit of a feed on it. Hope that helps some mate.

[@WmCRobison]

@@RobsAquaponics thank you it is very helpful.

[@mjamurquhartproudaussiefar2776]

Hi Rob what type of fish can you grow ? Murray cod ? Can you mix spices?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hey folks. Murrays are OK for you folks down there. 👍 I know folks that do mix species but you may lose a few if there's a large size difference, especially with the cod & the perch. Hope that helps.

[@rickspringer4814]

Hey Rob, long time follower here. I'd like to ask an in depth question. How or where would I go about about asking?

[@RobsAquaponics]

You can ask here I I'll get back to when I can. If you buy the guide you get to ask 2 free questions, no pressure, it's just a perk if you do. I also do consultations either via our Farm Your Own Yard site or by appointment if you're interested in a one on one Zoom consultation. You can email me at [e-mail] if you want to go down the consultation route for a more in depth chat. Cheers mate.

[@recruitmentdatabase]

What about the fish when they are fingerlings? Do you add a lot more and reduce as they grow ?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Do you mean the kelp additives Davo? If so, I still add some once a month & add plants slowly as I see the nitrate increase. 👍 Let me know if I got that wrong.

[@6cryn]

​@@RobsAquaponics Hi Rob, I think he's asking about how many more fish can you add if they are small (1"-2") as I had the same question and looked through the comments first to see if I can find the answer. I understand that with 1000 liters and 3 grow beds you have 40 large fish, but if you were to add fingerlings in it from the start - how many would you add? 100 fingerlings and you decrease to 40 as they grow to a pound each? btw, your channel is a great learning material - I just set up an indoor 240L tank with a 220L grow bed and I'm about to get carp fingerlings this week and I'm still undecided how many to get; I believe 25 fingerlings to be reduced down to 8-10 as they grow is alright, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks!

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@6cryn Thanks mate. Will add the correct response. 😉

[@RobsAquaponics]

Sorry for misreading this mate. The recommendation from some used to be add a lot & thin them out as they grow so as to not overwhelm the system (as 01100100 mentioned below). Many folks didn't thin them out or couldn't catch the larger ones so it didn't work out too well for them. Others just let them go & had catastrophic system failures losing the lot. If you can maintain the stocking levels to 5kg of biomass (total weight of fish) per 300L of wet grow media you could get away with it. 👍 Not something I would recommend to a beginner or someone who doesn't have the time to regularly maintain the system. Hope that helps some mate & sorry again for misreading your post.

[@joshuacolocar8365]

Hi! Been enjoying all of your uploads from Philippines. Thank you for all that you impart. One question, I just discovered Josh Kern bio filtration system which basically uses gravel, sand and bio-char to eliminate biological and chemical toxins in water so effectively that the end result is drinking water. Is it possible to integrate the biofilter as the last stage before water is recycled in the fish tank?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Do you have a link for the filter Joshua? You could add it in but I think it may strip some of the nutrients from the water for the plants. I have seen many folks use a basic sand & gravel filter though as solids/biofiltration & they look to work OK. Will be visiting a chap this weekend that has invited me out to look at his & see how it works. If I get enough footage I'll be posting a video on it as well. Cheers.

[@joshuacolocar8365]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZLddnSwfLyof8U Cheers! Here's the link. Thank you for the response Rob. took me a while to notice the notification. Since I'm just trying to learn the art of aquaponics, I just found out that fish to plant/grow bed ratio is quite technical and need precision for the fish to thrive in recirculating water and the plants to have enough nutrients. So a last stage filtration might be logical but I just though well since PH levels need to range around 7, the bio-char might affect the PH and learned from you that PH is very important for bacterial growth. Any thoughts on this sir?

[@jamesjohnston547]

Hey mate, love your work. Any chance you will pit.your content on DVD or hard copy book? I'd love to have you guidance in the absence of internet or devices. Cheers

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi James. I would like to write a book & have some content for it already but finding the time is an issue. A DVD may be a better option. as I could bundle it with some PDF that folks could print off or view on their device. Are you here in OZ?

[@Rupiee]

So is it ok to add the sea salt with fresh water fish?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Certainly is but I would add no more than 1part per thousand unless you're treating sick fish. Adding too much will affect the growth of plants.

[@TheShoward67]

Very happy to find you and see a few first videos of yours today. Looks like your book is a great way for me to start here in Central Kansas, USA. I have a really great area under a planned grape arbor off driveway and am converting an old carriage house style garage into a hydro based shed ( I can convert half the roof into a solar capture based on your sunlight duration advice (very helpful tip). Chicken coop and rainwater capture already installed. So Ill read up this winter and be ready to start in the spring. One question: Is it important to get fish that are more native or naturally adapted in your area if you are not looking to eat them. Catfish or crawfish and even perch are examples here. I was also curious if freshwater bivavles like mussels could be utilized.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Steve. I'd suggest you go with fish that can handle your climate if you're not looking to chow down on them. Carp (goldfish & koi) would be two of the most popular ornamentals folks use & can still be grown out for sale to collectors which will help pay for feed & the build cost. Mussels can be problematic as some varieties of larvae spend part of their life attached to the gills of fish which may cause issues.

[@boybungaw6678]

Do you use UV lights on your pond? Thanks & bless up

[@RobsAquaponics]

Not so much in aquaponics as the UV can lock out certain elements such as Iron from the plants. I Have seen folks use it in one off situations though to get algae under control in brand new systems.

[@boybungaw6678]

@@RobsAquaponics really appreciate

[@maxgom4734]

Won't salt interfere with the plants' growth Rob?

[@RobsAquaponics]

It can if raised too high Max. I've had it up to 6ppm in the old system treating some crook fish & lost the strawberries & a few other salt sensitive plants. 1ppm is generally OK for most plants. Our strawberries survived at that level & fruited just fine. Cheers mate.

[@Warren1138]

Do the fish breed or do you always have to order them.

[@RobsAquaponics]

I cover that at the start of this recent video if it helps Warren, kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWmrqGVmeL57fKM Sorry it took so long to get back to you.

[@jamestetreault7675]

How about pumping water from my 5K gal KOI pond through some grow beds?

[@RobsAquaponics]

It's possible James especially if you already have a decent biofilter set up on the pond. If you do, you could probably get away with running some NFT rails for the plants. It will also depend on how many fish & how much feed they're consuming as to how well the plants will grow.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Want to learn more about Aquaponics? 🐟 🍓🥬🍅 Now you can with Rob's "Backyard Aquaponics for Beginners" Guide for only US$19.95. You can see the guide in action on my website, ► www.bitsouttheback.com/aquaponics-guide Or, buy directly here, ► robbobaquaponics.retrieve.com/g/XL0J6T2P#/content/90525 Don't forget to click the subscribe button if you enjoyed the video, bit.ly/Subscribe2Rob & share the clip around if you think it may help others too.👍 Cheers all & have a top one. 🐟 🌱🍅 Rob

[@ticoh3937]

Another great video Rob! I'm glad to hear that the beginner's guide is going well. One thing that might be really helpful as far as planning the space for a new aquaponic setup would be if you showed a sketched out "floor plan" with spacing between beds etc roughly measured out in meters/feet etc ... Especially showing the expansions.

[@Biggest_Chungus]

Could you do a breakdown of this video? kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5yweHtvbpZjm68

[@RobsAquaponics]

@Tim's and Liam's Fish and Turtles Thanks folks. 😁 Hope it comes in handy with your projects👍

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@ticoh3937 Will keep that in mind with the next build & the videos I make on it Tico. 👍 Cheers mate.

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@Biggest_Chungus I can't sorry BF as I don't do breakdowns as such. Not experienced in cannabis growing wither sorry as it's highly illegal here in Australia still.

[@andreaselia7089]

Hi Bob. I’m following you in every step since I decided to do my Aquaponics farm last year. Now I have an issue with yellowing leafs and seems not getting better but worst, I gave magnesium sulfate but nothing. The leafs are starting yellowing between the veins, all the leafs not only the new or the old ones, then the entire leaf becomes yellow then starts necrosis. I don’t know what to do, do you have any clue? Thanks in advance mate!! 🙏

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Andreas. Is a bit hard to diagnose without knowing more. What are your pH & nitrate levels at?

Question. Hown many of your 25mm venturis would be required for air into an IBC to provide 1000L of air in an hour roughly?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi again mate. According to the manufacturers site they will deliver up to 1200lph of air when teamed up with a 4500+lph water pump. I don't like to quote that as head height, pipe friction & depth of venturi in the tank will all come into play with the water flow rate which affects the amount of air drawn into the unit. I still need to spring for an O2 meter so I can do some testing & post something more concrete to my site. I can tell you that I had 45+ silvers & Jades in the two 1000L tanks with a 1500-2000lph flow rate. They went all through summer up here with no deaths or surface breathing. The water temp went up to about 31°C at one point from memory. This was the last system BTW, not the present one. I only added the air stones into the tanks along with the venturis after a water pump failure which I was lucky enough to catch before the fish were affected. Sorry I can't be more accurate in my response mate.

@@RobsAquaponics That is enough accuracy mate. Thanks. I recently bought a 16500L pump (don't ask, it was cheap) and running 2 venturis I bought from you. My flow rate increased and actually flooded the FT but I managed to adjust using valves. I want to eliminate the air pump which is drawing 50w of power. The water pump is 100w and I am looking into saving electricity.

[@RobsAquaponics]

@ That's one large pump mate. 😅 I would recommend a flow switch on your backup air if you have already got one. Have had 2 pumps burn out on me while only running venturis, on in the aquaponics & one in the fish farm. Could have been very messy if I wasn't at home at the time.

[@royrosa8278]

Can Alfagrog be used in the filter system

[@royrosa8278]

Great informative channel cheers

[@RobsAquaponics]

That's the first time I've heard of it, thanks. It looks like it could be suitable looking at the information they share on their site, www.alfagrog.com/ You may want to contact them directly to make sure it's suitable for use with food production.

[@daniwelton715]

How often do you add salt? Just the once or more often

[@RobsAquaponics]

I add at the start & check the levels every 6 or so months. Adding the 1 part per thousand to start with is a bit of overkill but will ensure that there's enough chloride in there for a period of time & is low enough that it won't harm the plants that are commonly grow in aquaponics systems. . You can buy cheap salt refractometers online to test the levels. I think mine cost $25 a few years back. Hope that helps Dani.

[@Albrey]

I am having a great difficulty getting the pH level down to where it should be. The other day i saw tiny little bubbles rising from my claypots that I bought from Bunnings. Is it possible that these clay pots are not pH nuetral and they are making the water very alkaline?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Sorry I missed this Ryan. Has the pH settled down mate? I don't think the clay should affect it.

[@primelricafrente]

Cool... New subs here... What part of Au are you? What setup would you recommend here in Auckland?

[@RobsAquaponics]

We're in SE QLD in Ipswich. I know folks running large & small systems over in NZ. Might pay for you to start with a smaller chop & flip / basic system that you can add on to later if aquaponics is right for you. 👍 The main issue has been finding table fish to grow. All are using ornamental aquarium fish as far as I know. Hope that helps some.

[@amarchadbagan8667]

Nice video valo

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Amar. 😁 Cheers & happy growing mate.

Howdy Rob

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Gürkan 😁👍

[@davecannabis]

a comment on your first point , allow for the inevitable expansion!

[@RobsAquaponics]

🤣 You're right Dave, I should have included that. Hope all's well with you mate. 👍

[@dksfollies4772]

Nice presentation brother. Wish your lectures are in our language Urdu also

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks DK. I just checked their language lists & Urdu isn't included sorry mate. I know that they are still improving the service so will suggest it next time I chat with my contact there. 👍 I used to talk to a number of folks from Pakistan a few years back so I know there's interest in the region. Cheers & have a top one mate. 😁

[@martindelpesh5265]

what abou8t lump charcoal?

[@RobsAquaponics]

I have seen folks say they're going to use it but none have come back to tell me if it worked or not.

[@d4dan734]

How long did it take to learn all those languages?

[@RobsAquaponics]

I let others do the translations. 😉

[@haneefkader7917]

i need need solar pamop is u have ?

[@RobsAquaponics]

I use a 240V pump but you can also run aquaponics using solar pumps as well. 👍

[@jankourbanek9355]

Lke your videos

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Janko. Happy growing mate.

[@tcphang7454]

thank Rob. i just thinking throw 100fish to tank ^_^"

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hope the tanks large enough & you have the right amount of filtration mate. 👍 Happy growing.

[@richardsterne2875]

You say 6.6 gallons are they US or imperial gallons?

[@RobsAquaponics]

US, most others use litres. 😉

[@richardsterne2875]

@@RobsAquaponics thanks

[@petery4801]

👌👌👌❤❤❤

[@RobsAquaponics]

😁😁😁👍👍👍

[@CraftAmundous]

Brown blood disease...is that what we used to call "mud veins"? Makes the fish taste literally like crap.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Brown blood will kill the fish. It's basically the nitrite blocking the uptake of O2 & the fish suffocates.

[@pierreshasta1480]

Interesting video, but the calculation of the number of fish per liter of water does not seem to me very accurate (1 fish for 25 liters), because it depends on the size of the fish. In aquaristics we calculate 1cm (fish) for 1 liter. So for a fish of 25cm you need 25l.

[@RobsAquaponics]

You'll find in aquaculture the stocking rate can be as low as 6L per table sized fish depending on what country your looking at. 1 fish for 25L is the the maximum but you'll find many folks like myself will stock a lot lower.

[@pierreshasta1480]

@@RobsAquaponicsThanks bob for your answer. I agree with you, it is always better to have less fish than too much.

[@keyboardoracle1044]

My tank is same size as wet media. 🤣

[@ahowl7mx]

1000 liter of fishtank has 1 kg of sea salt? (2.2lbs per 275 gal)? Hmm never tried that before. So .008 lbs of sea salt per gallon. Got it.

[@RobsAquaponics]

That sounds about right mate. 👍

[@drrahilakurdi5943]

💕💕🏠💕💕

[@RobsAquaponics]

😁😁👍😁😁

[@isaacnazar]

Dear Rob, I'd like to help you translate your course to spanish.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Isaac. The course through retrieve is already translated into Spanish Thanks mate. 👍 I would be interested in getting some of my current videos translated into Spanish for uploading to KZbin though. 😁👍 Let me know if you'd be interested & we can have a chat. 😁😁

[@isaacnazar]

@@RobsAquaponics count on me. How do we get in contact?

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@isaacnazar Send me an email 😁 [e-mail] is the best one. Thanks mate.

[@WormsvsTHEWORLD]

Yeah 100 fish in one of those containers would be way too many.

[@RobsAquaponics]

I've seen some wombats put around 150 in there. 😥

[@WormsvsTHEWORLD]

@@RobsAquaponics wow that is so many.

[@naimanaima5284]

للأسف لا أفهم الغة الإنجليزية ليونيل أستطيع تربية الحوت و الزراعة حض جيد 🤗

[@taurustodd9112]

That’s a lotta work to grow a salad Dude

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hard to grow fish fingers & nuggets in soil my dude.