The stocking densities of Aquaponics apply to the amount of fish contained in the fish tanks of Aquaponics. The more fish, the greater the benefit, but the stocking of too many fish will lead both fish and plants to ill health. The fish will not grow and will start to die as well, and there will be an accumulation of waste that will be poisonous to both fish and plants. Therefore, before this begins to have an adverse impact on their development, you need to find the perfect balance of storing as many fish as possible.

If you are looking for a brief answer on the stocking densities of Aquaponics to use, then go for 1 fish per 10 litres of water. For the longer answer now. In terms of kilogrammes of fish per cubic metre, or litres of water, it is more appropriate to speak of stocking densities. You can go for 30 to 40 kg of fish per 1000 litres for most Aquaponics sets-ups. Use this thumb rule as the maximum number, and if you are new to Aquaponics, opt for a lower number.

Bear in mind that the amount of food you put into the tanks, apart from the stocking density, will also determine how well the device works-if you feed too much, there will be an accumulation of waste that will not be able to manage the bacteria.

Tilapia is probably the most common fish used in aquaponic farming. So in terms of tilapia, let's figure out stocking densities. When you purchase 100 fingerlings of tilapia, they can weigh a kilo combined. Our present stocking density is 1kg/1000L if we have a 1000 litre fish tank. Tilapia grows rapidly and will weigh a combined total of say 40 kg soon enough, giving us a 40kg/1000L stocking density.

Then you'll have to catch the fish as soon as they're large enough, or else you'll end up with a stocking density that stresses the system by using the rule of thumb of one fish per ten litres of water. Individual fish grow at various rates, and as soon as they're big enough to feed, you can start taking out the large ones. Do not wait until they're large enough for all of them. In reality, this is a good thing, because you're going to have to harvest at a pace where you can eat / sell them and not have to ice a huge amount of fish. As the rates of growth of individual fish are so different, you can potentially harvest a single batch of fish over several months. This extends also to fish species, such as trout, with especially fast increasing rates.

To learn all the tips and tricks about growing Aquaponics fish, check out Aquaponics 4 You