Small-scale tilapia farming in an apartment - possible?

[lmstransky]

So, I've never done aquaponics before, but I've read and watched about it online, and I'm interested in exploring my options as an city dweller.

I've read that in a 55-gallon drum, up to 12 adult tilapia can live, and that a good ration is one male to four or five females.

Now, here's my dilema: if I live in a second story apartment, I am worried that the concentrated weight of a 55-galon drum aquarium would eventually bust in the floor boards. However, it seems reasonable that a 40 gallon tank with the dimensions of 36" x 18" x 16" should be fine since it's a pretty common size for people to keep.

Is this size cruel to the fish? Would a tank with a depth of less than 36" be cruel to the fish - like, would they be crowded? Could I just put some sort of cover over it to prevent them from hopping out?

Do you think it would be possible to keep 6 tilapia (1:5) in a 40 gallon tank? Would things work out naturally, or do I need to setup some kind of breeding tank? Would it be better to start out with just 1 male and 3 females?

[keith_r]

if the water is warm, the tilapia will grow fast, and unless you have some good filtration, the nitrification process can easily get out of balance
and what happens if they do breed and you've suddenly got a couple hundred fry...
for a "small" starter system, you can get plenty of nutrients using ornamental fish, koi can grow quite large (and some are pretty expensive).. the main thing is to use a good quality fish food that provides not only the fish a more complete diet, but your plants as well
i'm growing marmokreb crayfish in several glass tanks (three 55's, a 40, and a couple of 20's).. and in my "single" ibc system (cut in half, 1/2 is the gb, the other is the ft) i'm using just rosy red minnows and crayfish

[jackalope]

Welcome to the Forum, Glad you're here!

[Littlefishy]

How did it go?

[Aloha Don]

Good question?
And welcome Littlefishy.

[JCO]

As I have said in the past...members come and they go...why or where, we do not know. We can only hope they come back and catch us up with info and photos.