Today on the podcast Kelly and I head to a unique homesteading supply shop called the King’s Roost to talk to the owner, Roe Sie, about aquaponics. During the show we discuss:
- What kind of growing medium to use
- Types of fish
- Water quality
- What female fish look like
- How to get an aquaponics system going
- How much it’s going to cost
- Troubleshooting
Roe gives a tour of his aquaponic system in this video:
You can connect with Roe through the King’s Roost website as well as Facebook and Instagram.
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Great interview! He made it sound so doable. I do have a question regarding tilapia. We’re putting in a 1500-2000 (approx.) gallon pond and I want to add fish, preferably edible. Are tilapia legal to raise in all counties of California? I can’t seem to get a definitive answer on this one. We’re in Monterey County.
Hi Christine,
The last time I checked, I discovered that Northern California counties were much more restrictive than Southern California. I would suggest checking with the California Department of Fish and Game to be sure of the rules in your area.
Very interesting, thank you 🙂
Would an aquaponic system work on a small scale, with an existing, regular pond that contains fish that is not for eating? The ‘free’ fertilising effect will still be there, right?
Definitely. You just have to balance the nutrient uptake of the plants with the nutrient output of the fish. If you search ‘goldfish aquaponics,’ you can see some examples of ‘counter top’ systems that are very small scale. Sylvia Bernstein cautions that systems less than about 50 gallons tend to be more finicky, though.
Or is your question more about upsetting the ecosystem in an already-balanced pond? You could find or borrow a water testing kit to see how much nitrate is in the water, which would give you a measure of how much fertility you could expect to get from the pond.