My TOP 6 AQUAPONICS MISTAKES

My Top 6 Aquaponics Mistakes

I’ll go into detail in the video. But here are the biggies.

1. KEEP DEBRIS OUT OF YOUR PONDS

2. KEEP MEDIA BEDS DRY ON TOP

3. DON’T GO CHEAP ON YOUR PUMP (Buy a good DC Pump Here) 

4. MANAGE YOUR SEDIMENT

5. KNOW THE STATUS OF YOUR CHEMICALS. (PH, NITRATES, NITRITES, AMMONIA)

6. FEED YOUR FISH REGULARLY

We’ve been running our Aquaponics system for over 7 years, and over that time I’ve learned a LOT of lessons.  We originally started with an IBC based CHOP system.  “CHOP” stands for, constant height one pump and it is a popular system for using aquaponics.  This system uses the fish tank overflow to fill the grow beds.  Personally I think the CHOP system is a great design to go with if you are deciding to scale up your aquaponics system. 

My father and I had checked out a ton of YouTube video and done a good amount of research but found that we were in a fairly unique situation.  I just couldn’t find many outdoor systems built in the tropics.  The closest I could find was Murry Hallum’s video guides based in Australia.  He was wealth of information and I regret not taking his course before we started. (I still may)  However he built his systems protected from the environment inside of green houses.  And while this is ideal, this was NOT our situation. 
We had to run ours in the extreme tropic heat and humidity of Northwest Guanacaste, Costa Rica.  The climate here offers 6 months of dry heat and 6 months of rains and a monthly plague of different jungle insect.  It’s a challenge, but the system has stayed alive through many periods of neglect and some rough weather.       

 Here’s are pictures of the family’s first IBC Aquaponics System