Easiest Species To Grow The 5 Best Aquaponics Fish

Size and Space Requirements
It goes without saying that different types of fish grow to varying sizes. You’ll need to ensure the fish tank is large enough to accommodate the number of fully-grown adult fish, and you’ll want to keep the size of the fish tank in proportion with the grow bed. If the grow bed is too large and holds too many plants for the size of the tank and number of fish, the waste may not be adequately diluted and sufficient nutrients will not reach the plant’s roots. Overcrowding of either plants or fish is detrimental to the ecosystem, so it’s important not to raise too many fish, or grow too many plants.

Stocking Density
The fish act as a type of control that when adjusted, will in turn alter other levels along the cycle. This is because the fish produce the ammonia-rich waste that the beneficial bacteria used to convert into nitrites for the plants, therefore the amount of waste being produced, together with the size of the beneficial bacteria colonies, both work to regulate the amount of nitrites being produced.

Stocking density of each fish species will vary, however you can follow a general rule of thumb to give the system the best chances of flourishing.

The generally advise ratio for a balanced stocking density in aquaponics is 1:2 / Fish:Plant.

Nitrifying Bacteria and the Nitrification Process
With sufficient numbers of nitrifying bacteria, and the right amount of fish producing waste, the resulting amount of nitrites for the plants will be ideal. However, if there are too many fish producing too much waste, or conversely, too few fish not creating enough waste, then there’s a risk of the nitrification process producing too much, or too few, nitrites for the plants respectively.

As noted, the nitrifying bacteria will play a key part in this role. Similarly, when the colonies of these beneficial bacteria are not large enough then nitrification will be poor, however, in nearly all circumstances you can never really have too much nitrifying bacteria in your aquaponics system, so of course, the most common problem is not having enough of the beneficial bacteria.

So, yet another factor you’ll need to perfect but one that won’t require continual monitoring. Instead this must be achieved prior to plants being grown. Then once sufficient numbers have been reached it’s unlikely they’ll fall too low again, unless of course there are problems, which will be signaled by one of the afore mentioned parameters.

The Importance of Cycling Aquaponics Systems Prior To Growing
This is why every aquaponics growers stresses the importance of cycling the system adequately prior to growing any plants, as without it the system will likely never even being, or at least will not survive.

Cycling refers to starting the nitrification process and allowing it to ‘cycle’ until the bacteria colonies reach sufficient numbers to convert enough ammonia into nitrites. This typically takes from 4-6 weeks, which can cause impatient, and unknowledgeable growers, to ignore the warnings and transplant the plants too quick, not allowing enough time for this process to occur.

Cycling can be done with or without fish, but is fastest without fish since ammonia can be added in greater concentrations than with fish.

If the process seems to be taking too long, you can speed up cycling by introducing additional nitrifying bacteria such as nitrosomonas and/or nitrobacteria.