1.Where can I find Aquaponics supplies?
2.Where can I buy fish for my Aquaponics setup?
3.Where can I buy feed in bulk for my fish?
4.How can I ship fish, plants, and invertebrates to others around the country?
5.How should I package fish, plants, and invertebrates for shipping?
6.Where can I find shipping supplies for shipping fish, aquarium plants, and invertebrates to others around the country?
(1). Where can I find Aquaponics Supplies?
There are many suppliers of Aquaponics setups and supplies. First, it is recommended that you look on the DIYAquaponics home page Clik , there are many links there to help you out. Secondly, look in our DIY Classifieds section Clik , if you don't find what you are looking for there, ask for recommendations on the forum. You can also look in your local telephone book, or newspaper. If you still get no results, Google is your friend . Simply enter into your Google search box, “Aquaponics Supplies” or “Hydroponics Supplies” ...... if you want to make it a little closer to home, just enter your state like this, “Aquaponics Supplies” + Montana (put your state in instead of my state), and Google will list all of the suppliers that it can find that include the name of your state on their website.
DIYAquaponics home page Clik
DIY Classifieds section Clik
These are suppliers that have been recommended by our members as well as many in the aquarium, hydroponics, and aquaponics community.
Urban Aquaponics Manual Clik
Backwater Provision Co./The Backwater System Clik
Aquaponics USA Clik
Aquatic Eco-Systems Clik All sorts of aquaculture, hydroponics and aquaponics supplies.
A H Supply Clik DIY fishroom lighting and other supplies
The Pipe Viper Clik A very interesting PVC pipe bender
FlexPVC Clik 1-888-PVC-FLEX, for flexible pvc pipe
Pond Armor Clik Non-Toxic Epoxy & Polyurea Pond Liners & Sealers
PVCfittings Clik 1-877-PVC-FITTINGS, for pvc fittings.
Others will be added as we are informed of them.
Craigslist – Clik
Freecycle – Clik
(2). Where can I buy fish for my Aquaponics setup?
There are many suppliers of fish suitable for use in Aquaponics systems. First, it is recommended that you look on the DIYAquaponics home page Clik , there are many links there to help you out. Secondly, look in our DIY Classifieds section Clik , if you don't find what you are looking for there, ask for recommendations on the forum. You can also look in your local telephone book, or newspaper. If you still get no results, Google is your friend Simply enter into your Google search box, “Fish farm, Yellow Perch” + fry (replacing the Yellow Perch with your favorite fish, and you can replace fry with fingerlings, breeders, or eggs, whichever you wish). Many suppliers have a minimum order, so keep looking until you find what you can afford
DIYAquaponics home page Clik
DIY Classifieds section Clik
Jim's Online Fish Shop Clik
Miami Aquaculture - Clik
NOTE: as our moderator/member badflash says, “it's cheaper to ship fry than it is to ship fingerlings” they require less space, water and air
(3). Where can I buy feed in bulk for my fish?
There are many suppliers of fish foods to be found, just make sure that you use a quality food – check the ingredients, the protein content (for growth), and whether it has growth hormones or steroids. First, it is recommended that you look on the DIYAquaponics home page Clik , there are many links there to help you out. Secondly, look in our DIY Classifieds section Clik , if you don't find what you are looking for there, ask for recommendations on the forum. In addition, the links below may also have bulk fish supplies.
DIYAquaponics home page Clik
DIY Classifieds section Clik
Aquabid - Clik
AquaFarms Fish Food - Clik
Kens Fish - Clik
4FishStuff - Clik
Angels Plus - Clik
Tractor Supply - Clik
Blue Seal Feeds - Clik
Agway - Clik
Co-Operative Feed Dealers - Clik
eBay – Clik
(4). How can I ship Fish, Plants, and Invertebrates to others around the country?
USPS
FedEx
UPS
Air freight
(5). How should I package fish, plants, and invertebrates for shipping?
All should be packed similarly. Individual instructions are indicated below. Depending on the temperatures where they are shipped from, the temperatures they will experience during shipping (the belly of an airplane at 10 or 20,000 feet is mighty cold) and the temperatures where they will arrive, the shipping box should possibly be lined with rigid styrofoam, and a heat pack inserted under the bag of fish, plants, or invertebrates. Be sure to pack it well with newspaper or Styrofoam peanuts to prevent damage to the animal when it is handled by your gentle Postal workers. When using plastic bags, be sure to double or triple bag the fish, as the bags sometimes tend to have pinholes which will leak, and kill the fish, plants, or invertebrates. Be sure to label the box on all sides, top and bottom “Contents Live Animals - Handle With Care” and on the top “This Side Up” in the hopes that the USPS personnel can read English and will actually handle the box accordingly.
Fish – Either in the plastic shipping bags available from many fish shipping suppliers (which require oxygen pellets) or with water in Kordon breather bags which do not require oxygen pellets.
Plants – Plants should be put into plastic shipping bags with a small amount of water and some oxygen, unless Kordon breather bags are used, and packed according to the way fish and invertebrates are packed.
Invertebrates – Snails, Frogs – Pack in a plastic bag as you would a fish, with water and oxygen pellets, or with water in Kordon bags.
Crayfish – Pack with a piece or two of wet sponge, about the size of the cray for very small ones. It is recommended to use Kordon Breather bags for very small crays. Use plastic containers such as a tupperware or butter tubs for larger crays with a wet sponge about half the size for larger ones – their claws can poke through the plastic bags and spill the water all over the Post Office making you very unpopular. So use a plastic container, oxygen pellets, a wet sponge will keep their gills wet, and give them something to hold in their claws so they won't get damaged when the box is tossed around in the Post Office. They won't be poking their claws through a butter tub
It is recommended that if the fish or invertebrates are an aggressive species, you ship them in separate bags/containers within the box to avoid damage to the animals
Remember – ALWAYS, ALWAYS double or triple the bags when shipping Fish, Plants or Invertebrates EXCEPT when using Kordon breather bags.
ALWAYS, ALWAYS double or triple the rubber bands you use to tie the bags shut.
(6). Where can I find Shipping supplies for shipping fish, aquarium plants, and invertebrates to others around the country?
DIYAquaponics home page Clik
DIY Classifieds section Clik
Aquabid - Clik
Kens Fish - Clik
4FishStuff - Clik
Angels Plus - Clik
Disclaimer - NOTE: DIYAquaponics does not recommend one or the other of any supplier listed in these FAQS, they are private businesses, and are not associated with DIYAquaponics.
If you would like another supplier to be added to this list, or if you feel there should be additional questions added and answered, contact the moderator, Jackalope, in a PM. Please be advised that we check with the supplier to get their permission before posting the URL ...... if you see that it has not been added after a reasonable wait, it means that they have either said no or they have ignored our emails. Thanks