One of the most important factors in a successful Aquaponics system is the temperature of the water. Get it right and your system will work superbly, but get it wrong and it could spell disaster!The temperature of the water is crucial in ensuring that your system is functioning well but its a sad fact that, when starting out, most of us concentrate on other things like the pH levels, water oxygenation and feeding the plants. Unfortunately, we neglect one of the most basic features; the temperature of the water.
But, why, you may well ask, is the temperature of the water so important?
Well, before we look at why its so important, lets look at what you keep in the water – your fish! Basic biology tells us that some fish like cold water, others warm, so , for example its ok to keep goldfish out of doors because they like relatively cool water whereas Tilapia fish prefer much warmer water – 70-80 degrees in fact. Other popular aquaponics fish, such as trout like cold water – that’s why you can find trout in mountain streams and lakes. So, as you can see, the kind of fish that you are keeping will, to a large extent determine how warm, or cold, the water needs to be.
Its also important to understand that the temperature of the water regulates the amount of oxygen dissolved in it as well as other important factors such as the rate at which algae will multiply. These can have a direct effect on your systems ability to support the fish in it. Similarly, the temperature of the water will affect the rate of plant photosynthesis, the metabolic rate of the fish (and hence the rate at which they grow) as well as the presence of parasites which can harm your fish and even the level of pollutants in the water. Taking all of these things into consideration its easy to see why its important to regulate the water temperature in your aquaponics system.
Its Not Just Fish That Are Affected
That’s right, its not just the fish that are affected by the water temperature – your plants will suffer if the temperature creeps up too high as well. Plants certainly prefer warmer temperatures and photosynthesis is most efficient in a mild climate but just as it will be affected if the temperature is too cold, photosynthesis effectively stops above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s why you don’t want your water temperature to get too high. I have found that the optimum range for most plants is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, that’s about 22-23 degrees Celsius.
As I mentioned previously, one of the problems with warmer water is that it doesn’t hold as much dissolved oxygen. That’s why, if your water temperature is too high you will find that your fish start coming to the surface more often gasping for air. This is a sure sign that they aren’t getting enough oxygen and, if you don’t do something about it, pretty soon they will start to die off. Most of us resort to installing aerators or pumps or even reducing the number of fish but most of these solutions are expensive and don’t work. You see, the real issue s that as the water warms up, the fish’s metabolism speeds up meaning that they use .. .more oxygen! You end up chasing your tail, and, ultimately you can lose all of your fish. Not good.
So, instead of installing a sophisticated aeration system, simple cool the water so that the temperature s right for the kind of fish that you are using. Simple , cheap and effective.
I recommend that you aim for around 80% saturation for healthy fish and a balanced ecosystem. You can buy monitors, but, to be honest just keep an eye on your fish, and check for increased levels of algal bloom in your system. If you spot the warning signs, take action to lower your water temperature by a few degrees at a time.
So, you should hopefully understand how important water temperature is to running a health aquaponics system. Be sure to monitor the temperature and your system will produce health fish and plants.