The wonder tree "Moringa" (Moringa oleifera) is an excellent source for fish feed for tilapia, catfish and prawns. Nearly every part of the tree can be consumed as food: The leaves, the flowers, the buds, the (very young) pods and the seeds. Moringa can significantly reduce the feeding costs in an aquaponic or aquaculture venture. Salone Aquaponic is going to produce its own fish feed from fish waste products from the aquaponic system as well as moringa. A detailed feed production manual will be displayed shortly on our blog. Stay tuned.

Producing black soldier fly as sustainable feed for aquaculture and aquaponics. It´s very easy using compost. 

http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/bsf-bio-composter-assembly-and-set-up-instructions/

Salone Aquaponic promotes 100% sustainablity. Using livestock manure to produce aquaculture feed. 

http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/y5098e/y5098e04.htm

How to reduce high feed costs in aquaculture or aquaponics production. Use simply waste recycling practices to grow maggots which gives an ideal fish feed. 

http://maggotproduction.blogspot.com/

Plumbing work: The Plumbing work for the aquaponic system is ongoing. The NFT-system has been constructed and the ball valves have been mounted to regulated the water flow through the system.

Suitable fish and prawns for the aquaponic system in Freetown:

1.  Oreochromis Niloticus - Nile Tilapia (Local name: Mango perch)
2.  Clarias gariepinius - African Catfish (Local name: Slimple fish)
3.  Macrobrachium Rosenbergii - Freh water prawn (Local name: River shrimp)

For aquaponic fans and interested parties, please download the newly published manual on "Small scale aquaponic food production - Integrated fish and plant farming"  from FAO.
Enjoy reading and learning!

http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4021e/index.html

Connecting the pipes: The construction on the first aquaponic system in Sierra Leone is ongoing. The plumber has connected the fish tanks with the 3-step filter array. The siphons are now connected to the grow beds to have a constant flow of water throughout the system. We expecting the pumps and the air compressors to arrive within the next days. Once the construction is completed, the system will become operational.

In Sierra Leone, the local name for Tilapia is "Mango Perch". Tilapia is a high valuable fresh water fish that is traded on the fish markets. Here we see a big wild catch Tilapia (oreochromis niloticus) sold on the fish market on the Lumley Beach Road, Freetown. Tilapia can highly contribute to the food security startegy in Sierra Leone. Especially in combination with hydroponics, the fish can be raised using aquaponic techniques. A successful aquaponics business can provide stable income for mainly female traders in fish and vegetables.

http://chitosace.com/2014/03/31/recirculating-aquaponics-system-for-tilapia-prawn-vegetable-polyculture/comment-page-1/#comment-58

Interesting blog about increasing yield and overall performance of an aquaponic system adding fresh water prawns, Macrobrachium Rosenbergii, into the system.

Step by step: The Salone Aquaponic team has constructed the basic layout of its first aquaponic setup in Sierra Leone. The system consists of a 1000 liter IBC-tank for the Tilapia, a 150 liter breeding tank a 100 liter tank for the fish fry, as well as a 320 liter filter array with a solid removal filter, a foam filter and a biofilter. After that the water is flowing into a 4 growbeds made out of barrels and a NFT-system (Nutrient film technique) using pipes. From there the water runs into a 200 liter sump tank and is then pumped back to the fishtanks. Stay tuned for regular updates!

The Salone Aquaponic project in Freetown has started to construct the first Aquaponic System in Sierra Leone. In collaboration with the German NGO Welthungerhilfe, Salone Aquaponic is setting up a 3000 liter Tilapia system, including breeding tank, nursery and growbeds. For the growbeds, the team will use 3 main techniques known in hydroponic production: The gravel bed, the raft system and a pipe system. Stay tuned for a step-by-step picture and video guide documenting the construction and initial set-up of the system.

http://www.pri.org/stories/2013-06-24/aquaponic-lunch-pushing-super-efficient-fish-veggie-farming-uganda

Salone Aquaponic is doing consultancy for a renewable energy project funded by the European Union for the setup of an Aquaponic System in urban Freetown. The system shall be ready at the end of January 2015 @saloneaquaponic