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More On Tilapia

The Black Tilapia (Tilapia mariae) or spotted Tilapia as they are also known, are a fresh water fish of the cichlid family with origins in West Africa. Commonly referred to as the spotted mangrove cichlid or black mangrove cichlid, they have a short rounded snout and three anal spines along with a rapid growth rate and maturation time.

They also have very simple food diets and a high tolerance of environmental conditions such as water temperature, salinity, and pollution with the ability to produce a large number of offspring and rapidly populate areas with an appropriate habitat. They are normally dark olive green to a light yellowish color and have eight or nine dark bars on their sides which are more evident in young spotted mangrove cichlids than adults. They also have two to six dark spots between the bars on the middle of their side and they gene

rally reach a maximum length of 11-12 inches. Typically spotted mangrove cichlids tend to be an aggressive and territorial species and research has found that internal reproductive androgenic factors are usually responsible for the development of male sexual characteristics in this species. Black Tilapia are able to live in many different habitats and generally become dominant over other fish populations in the same area.

Breeding Black Tilapia

Like many in the tilapia family, black tilapia are popular for their adaptability to water conditions and producing a lot of offspring, laying up to 1800 eggs beginning around the time they reach about 5-6 inches long generally breeding year long. Black Tilapia are a monogamous fish who engage in bi-parental care, and research has found that the size of the eggs tend to increase with the amount of parental care.The males and females both have very specific roles in parenting and work together to ensure the well being of their offspring. The females prepare the nest by clearing an area on rocky substrate.The eggs hatch after approximately three days.
Ideal Water conditions about two to three meters away and remain mostly inactive except for an occasional feeding or chasing away of predators. When the offspring become two to three days old they rise off the nest and form a school. This causes a dramatic change in parental role as the male becomes active and the female begins to spend more time away from the young, guarding ahead of the school by chasing away predators. Parental care continues until the fish are about an inch in length.

 

 

 

Different types of Aquaponic Systems

I have seen several different terminologies lately related to Aquaponics such as “Raft” or “NFT” and of course what I have been using since I started mine the “Media Bed” version. So I decided to familiarize myself more with the different types of systems and related “Pros” or “Cons” and share with you my findings. As most of you probably already know, we are currently using two of these systems at the moment (NFT & Media bed) and I am planning on adding a raft system possibly as early as this weekend. Below is a break down of each of those systems.

Media Bed – (using a substance such as lave rocks or other medium other than soil for raising plants and bacteria)

A media-filled bed system uses a container filled with perlite, lava rock, gravel or another media for the plant bed. This method appears to be the most common among back yard users and requires no additional filtration, making it very simple to operate. The container is flooded with water periodically from the fish tank. Once full, the water then drains back to the fish tank, usually using a bell siphon or flush kit (such as those used on a toilet system). Solids from the fish waste are broken down within the plant bed using beneficial bacteria’s and in some cases worms to increase the break-down of the waste. I have read recently though, that the production from this set-up is much lower than the next two systems I will cover next.

Raft – (using foam boards with cut outs to place planter pots floating in fish water)

A raft system uses Styrofoam boards that float on top of the water where the plants are grown. Water is pumped from the fish tank into the raft tank where the plants are grown and then back to the fish tank. This is usually a tank separate from the fish tank. The beneficial bacteria needed to convert the ammonia’s created by fish waste are able to live in the rafts much like that of the media bed system. Using a separate tank to grow the plants (rather than the fish tank) provides a buffer for the fish, reducing stress and potential water quality problems. Most large scale operations I have studied online use this type of system or the “NFT” system for commercial grows like those found in large green houses.

NFT – (using PVC pipes or similar materials with cut outs for plants using a continuous flow of water)

The Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) is a system whereby plants are grown in long narrow channels such as PVC pipes or box channels with cuts lids for plants. A continuous flow of water travels down each pipe providing plant roots with an ever flowing fresh supply nutrient and oxygen rich water. Due to a lack of surface area commonly found in media beds or rafts, a bio filter is usually required to allow for the beneficial bacteria to live and cultivate. I have read that using small hoses like those commonly used in Hydro-ponics are not as effective and prone to clog when used in Aquaponics due to the organic nature of the system and “living” water. I have found this type of system very popular especially in South American systems and of course the standard in Hydro-ponics.