A variety of aquaponic fish can be used in aquaponics operations. Which type of aquaponic fish one should choose for his or her system depends on practical matters such as water temperature and pH, as well as personal preference between edible fish and those that are solely (pun not intended) ornamental. There are many more options than those covered on the following list. The list is basically designed to provide a quick overview of some of the more common aquaponic fish options.
1. Tilapia
A very popular option, Tilapia is a great choice for a couple of reasons. First, due to its marketability (if you’re looking to profit from fish production, otherwise it’s just very tasty). Second, due to its ability to tolerate constantly-fluctuating water conditions such as pH, dissolved solids, temperature, and oxygen. Such resilience is key in less sophisticated systems that make it more difficult to control said variables.
Tilapia aren’t always this eerie-looking. Image via massmind.org
2. Goldfish
Goldfish are a great ornamental option to use in a hydroponics system. They obviously aren’t a prime option for consumption. However, much like tilapia, goldfish are cheap and Barramundi wishing he were part of an aquaponics system. Image via underwaterworld.com.au