urbanfarmer

"I don't think there's a "one size fits all" type AP system. There are SO many variables you can't just say what works best for someone in California is going to work for someone in Florida."

As long as the environment is the same (and it usually isn't) then the science will work the same. I agree that not everything can be distilled down to pounds, gallons and ratios. But, we do the best we can to understand what the process is and what is going on in any Aquaponics system and then apply what we learned in the next system, regardless of location. Even two identical systems in the same location will respond differently; which is only to say that regardless of what we may think, they really aren't identical after all.

"If anything, it is a bit arrogant to believe we know best given our tiny amount of knowledge for all circumstances when there are more variables than there are facts or answers. Trail and error is the way to go while using what we do know as a GUIDE and NOT GOSPEL. Plus if it doesn't work out, you can rack up kills to become a REAL fish farmer, right?"

The Aquaponics experience tends to weed out arrogance once some of your fish die. And, yes, this is just a guide; but my hope is that I have landed somewhere near the center of the bell curve when it comes to the advise I am giving here. Obviously, I am taking some risk in putting this information out on a forum; for I know that not all will agree with these suggestions. But, that is why I asked JCO to unlock this area so we could have a good and lively debate.

Oliver