It's all about the right fish!

The availability of stocked fish is a crucial criterion for the operation, which can significantly limit the choice of fish species. Orientate yourself on this first!

In addition, it must be expected at the beginning that the system will need a certain amount of time to stabilize. However , according to fisheries experts from LANUV and the ministry, practical experience shows that new systems only produce around 10% - 30% of the maximum possible biomass in the first few years. In stable operation, recirculation systems are operated at approx. 70% - 80% of their capacity.

In order to find the right fish for your own aquaponics system, you can already rely on a large selection of suitable food fish. There are small fish for small systems, big ones for larger systems. However, they all have to meet some basic requirements. As a rule, fish are used that can withstand the high, almost tropical temperatures in a facility. So they have to be heat resistant. Furthermore, they have to get along with many other animals in a small space. This requires the fish to have a certain resistance to stress, which enables breeders to keep, manipulate and care for the fish conscientiously and without hesitation.

One of the greatest dangers resulting from open aquaculture farming is the transmission of diseases and the transfer of genetic material from farmed fish to wild fish. This happens when fish escape from aquaculture and come into contact with wildlife. Since the systems in aquaponics form a closed circuit and are located far away from wild fish areas, there is no genetic crossing of farmed fish with wild fish. Another factor that has a strong positive effect on the use of aquaponics. So which species are suitable for aquaponics?

Below we have listed all the relevant key data for various fish species, which can narrow down your selection for your purposes based on growth, breeding time, temperature range and many other factors.