DIY aquaponics is definitely the future to agriculture in my opinion. And with the blossoming of aquaponics gardens worldwide in recent years, this is slowly becoming a reality. One of the most important factors to consider in aquaponics is getting the right aquaponics plants to match with the aquaponics fish of your choice.
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The other thing, you should also give a good consideration to is, whether you are raising your fish for food or if you are raising them to just to supply nutrients to your plants. The following list shows some of the most popular and the best fish you can raise in an aquaponic system.
Tilapia
Tilapia fish is considered by many as the fish that is most suited for aquaculture and DIY aquaponics. It is an edible fish, which is rather tasty. This fish species (the cichlid fish) is easy to breed and can withstand poor water conditions. The only downside is that it needs warm water to thrive.
You can feed them any plant based food and algae so you can expect them to grow rapidly. This is also the reason why this specie is popular in commercial fisheries.
Trout
If you are not fond of tilapia or if you live in colder areas, then raising trout is a good option. This is another popular type of fish for DIY aquaponics systems. It thrives in water with a temperature range of 10 to 20° Celsius. Its fast growth rate is also quite notable making it an easy favorite. Theyre actually quite popular in many fish farms.
Carp
Carp are excellent species if you raise them in a fish farm. They adapt easily to different environments. They also reproduce easily so expect to get a huge school of fish after a while. The common species of carp that work best in aquaponic systems include the crucian carp.
Goldfish
Goldfish is a popular aquarium fish species. This is a hardy breed of fish and they tend to be a pretty good option for DIY aquaponics. If you feed them too much, these fish tend to produce too much waste, which is bad for a regular aquarium but great for an aquaponic system. The only downside you will encounter is that this breed is susceptible to diseases and parasites. Goldfish need to be monitored from time to time. They serve a more decorative purpose rather than as a food source.
Koi Fish
Another type of fish that is fast becoming a favorite among folks who make DIY aquaponics systems is koi fish. Koi have a very strong resistance to many of the parasites that infest other types of fish. If you are having little success at raising goldfish then try this one as an alternative.
They serve pretty much the same purpose as goldfish since both are inedible species. They even have very long lifespans. Another plus factor is the fact that they are omnivorous so you can feed them pretty much anything.
