Possible
Mirror carp
Cyprinus carpio (form with reduced scales)
A form of common carp with few scales: same water, feeding and growth benchmarks.
See the Common carp guideAquaponics
Which fish for your plants?
Each species has its own temperature, oxygen needs and pace. First choose the one that can handle your water without ruinous heating costs.
- detailed guides
- 8
- other species reviewed
- 21
- kg of fish max per 1000 L
- 20
The principle
One cycle in four steps
The fish feed the plants, the plants clean the fish’s water.
Guides
Choosing depending on your water
Use
Tilapia
Oreochromis spp.
26 to 32 °C (79 to 90 °F)
Common carp
Cyprinus carpio
26 to 30 °C (79 to 86 °F)
Koi
Cyprinus carpio (ornamental variety)
26 to 30 °C (79 to 86 °F)
Goldfish
Carassius auratus
18 to 29 °C (64 to 84 °F)
Rainbow trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
16 °C
European perch
Perca fluviatilis
23 to 26 °C (73 to 79 °F)
Zander
Sander lucioperca
23 to 28 °C (73 to 82 °F)
African catfish
Clarias gariepinus
26 to 30 °C (79 to 86 °F)
What about the others?
All fish from the board
Species often mentioned in aquaponics, with our quick take. Detailed guides are reserved for species for which we have sourced benchmarks.
Possible
Red tilapia
Oreochromis (hybrid)
A red-colored tilapia, raised like tilapia: water heated year-round in Belgium.
See the Tilapia guide
Possible
Nile tilapia
Oreochromis niloticus
The most farmed tilapia in the world: same benchmarks as the tilapia guide, with water heated year-round in Belgium.
See the Tilapia guide
Possible
Siberian sturgeon
Acipenser baerii
A cool-water bottom fish (optimum 17 to 20 °C (63 to 68 °F), TransFarm), peaceful but needs a lot of space. Sturgeons are protected under CITES: buy only from a breeder who provides the paperwork.
Possible
Tench
Tinca tinca
A local, hardy fish that tolerates poorly oxygenated water; slow growth. Detailed guide coming soon.
Possible
Crucian carp
Carassius carassius
Close relative of the goldfish, native and very hardy. Detailed guide coming soon.
Possible
Channel catfish
Ictalurus punctatus (channel catfish)
Raised in aquaponics in North America (SRAC 454). Non-native species: look into it before buying, and don’t confuse it with the black bullhead, an invasive species banned in the European Union.
Mini system
Medaka
Oryzias latipes
A small hardy fish for a mini system or a patio tub: it produces too little nitrogen to feed a real vegetable garden.
Mini system
Gourami
Osphronemidae family
Tropical aquarium fish that also breathes air at the surface: for a planted aquarium, not for a vegetable garden.
Mini system
Zebrafish (danio)
Danio rerio
A very easy small aquarium fish, from 18 to 24 °C (64 to 75 °F) (FishBase): ideal for an indoor aquaponic aquarium, not for producing vegetables.
Indoor aquaponics with aquarium fish
Mini system
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
Hardy, from 18 to 28 °C (64 to 82 °F) and pH 7 to 8 (FishBase); breeds very fast. Feeds a few herbs above an aquarium.
Indoor aquaponics with aquarium fish
Mini system
Platy
Xiphophorus maculatus
Peaceful and hardy, from 18 to 25 °C (64 to 77 °F) and pH 7 to 8 (FishBase): for an indoor aquaponic aquarium.
Indoor aquaponics with aquarium fish
Mini system
Rosy barb
Pethia conchonius
Likes cool water, 18 to 22 °C (64 to 72 °F) (FishBase), but reaches 14 cm: large aquarium.
Indoor aquaponics with aquarium fish
Mini system
Tiger barb
Puntigrus tetrazona
From 20 to 26 °C (68 to 79 °F) (FishBase); a fin nipper: never with guppies or other long-finned fish.
Indoor aquaponics with aquarium fish
Mini system
Peppered cory
Corydoras paleatus
A small bottom-dwelling fish that cleans up leftovers, from 18 to 23 °C (64 to 73 °F) (FishBase), kept in a group.
Indoor aquaponics with aquarium fish
Not recommended
Wels catfish
Silurus glanis
A large predator that can exceed 2 m: it needs volumes far beyond a hobbyist’s tank.
Not recommended
Grass carp (white amur)
Ctenopharyngodon idella
A large plant-eating fish: it reaches pond size, and your crops’ roots must stay out of its reach. Best kept for ponds.
Not recommended
Tambaqui (pacu)
Colossoma macropomum
Tropical fish from the Amazon that grows very large and needs heated water: best left to professional setups.
Not recommended
Nile perch
Lates niloticus
A very large tropical predator that has become invasive in Lake Victoria: avoid.
Seawater
European sea bass
Dicentrarchus labrax
A saltwater fish: it belongs to marine aquaponics, outside the scope of a freshwater garden.
Seawater
Gilthead sea bream
Sparus aurata
A saltwater fish, like sea bass: not suited to a freshwater system.
Benchmarks from TransFarm training materials (Interreg Central Baltic), NMSU (CR-680) and FAO. Commercial stocking densities don't apply to a hobbyist's tank: stay under 10 to 20 kg of fish per 1000 liters.