I’ve received numerous queries already about where I sourced my materials and where I got the fishes for my Ultimate Aquaponics Setup. All these, I sourced locally.
The cage water tanks were purchased second hand from CPS at 130 Radium St, Welshpool, WA for $100 (brand new ones would be in the vicinity of $400). Their number is 08 9458 4366. They assured me that their previous contents were animal feed mix and that they were safe for food fish.
For pumps, UV, aerators and other aquarium equipment, you can source them from your local fish shop. The fish shops I regularly deal with in Perth are Vebas Aquariums in O’connor, Perth Aquarium & Display Centre in Myaree, Morley Aquariums in Morley and Watergarden World in Balcatta.
I sourced all the plumbing and other equipment from Bunnings in Belmont. The other big Bunnings store is in Cannington. When purchasing the down pipe for the plant trough, choose the one that’s rectangular in cross section and the one that’s deeper.
So that’s all the hard work done, but where do you source the fishes from to stock your setup?
The silver perch were from Mr Bob Henley in Wanneroo (08 9407 5339). He also farms other species like koi, goldfish and tropical freshwater fishes.
If you’re after rainbow trout during the cooler season, you can try Ms Calinda Anderson at the Koi and Lily Farm (08 9409 9248) in Woodvale. She also stocks yabbies, koi and goldfish.
For barramundi for summer growout, there’s Hydroponic Xpress at 295 Warton Rd, Canning Vale – 1800 640 222. Other fish species should be available seasonally. If you’re too lazy to setup your own, you can purchase a ready made one here.
Now we have fish, where do you get economical fish food? I sourced mine from Glen Forrest StockFeeds at 3150 Great Eastern Highway, Glen Forrest. Phone: 08 9298 8111.
I also tried out some koi food in one tank of fish as an experiment. This food was funnily enough available at the Regent Cake store in Francis St, Northbridge. The owner of the cake store is an avid koi owner and so he retails the fish food! He also makes the best cakes and has fancy fish toys, so it’s worth checking out his store.
Vegetable seeds can be easily sourced from any garden shop.
So, I hope I’ve inspired you to be an urban gardener and fish farmer!
Hi Rich,
I go to Malawi, southern Africa in 4 weeks. Every spring for the next 5 yrs Ill be helping small subsistence farmers there improve tilapia pond (and poultry) yield. Do you think aquaponics can be employed in a minimalist framework like rural Africa to increase crop yield during the dry season? I’ll see you at Eastern….hope to discuss this with you then.
-Laura
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Hi Laura,
Most Aquaponics designs will need electricity to power the water and air pumps, but if no electricity in the remote areas, you could use solar panels or windmills.
When you say dry season, will you still have access to water? Aquaponics does use quite a bit of water. My ~4000L setup when fully planted and at the height of summer needs about 15L top up per day. Much of the water loss is through transpiration. But I suppose this could be avoided if it’s inside a greenhouse.
I think it’s worthwhile investigating whether it’s feasible in that location.
Richmond
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A deep well system could work as it won’t require pumping. Maybe just aeration and protecting the roots from the fish.
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