Mix and match?

[plantwomyn@verizon.net]

Can fish be mixed? If in the summer I go with tilapia can I start to introduce trout as it gets cooler and visa versa? I know tilapia are ciclids and aggressive so I wonder if they'd kill small trout. Or maybe tillapia and bass together? Anyone tried?

[Murray]

Hi PlantWoman,
Generally, it does not work too well mixing fish species. As a general rule, fish eat fish, that's what they do.
It is best to keep them apart. Some folk keep two species in the one tank by the use of partitions or cages.

[GaryD]

Hi,

Aside from the fact that fish eat fish, there's the issue of water temperature. Trout and tilapia are at different ends of the temperature spectrum. Trout would be dying in water that was comfortable for Tilapia (and vice versa).

GaryD

[Martin A1]

Sounds like a perfect reason to add a second system to your backyard :D

[GaryD]

Hi,

I agree, Martin. When one's mind travels to different fish species, it's clearly time for another system.....or at least for new elements in one's existing system.

All of the systems that I have seen (or heard of) focus on a single fish tank connected to one or more growing systems.

There's nothing to suggest that we can't have more than one fish tank hooked into a system. When it comes to small-scale aquaponics, having different species in different (but connected) tanks.....all in a shared water cycle.....is probably our best shot at a productive backyard polyculture.

That way, aquatic organisms like freshwater fish and crayfish get what they need out of the polyculture without having each other over for dinner (in the literal sense).

GaryD

[fishfood]

Garry can i answer the mix and match and plumbing thread here i have 2 ibc/s in the ground [can be used together or seperate ] running a main line to[in order] the bypass to the fish tanks
Strawberry tower
4 grow beds
aqua lemon tree
glasshouse where it will if needed run 4 beds and capillary bed
The glass has the capacity to run separate with its own sump[one tap only to turn off] all the water from the system then returns [gravity ]to the fish tanks or a clean water sump then via a small pond pump[or the main pump]to a nft and yabby and duckweed tank then back to the main fish tank
I have just ordered more ibc/s [2 more in system so 4 kinds of fish if needed]
This whole thing can run on 1 pump and gravity return the system has taps on every thing[20 total] so you can turn of and on at will [at he moment the nft and duckweed are off]