API fresh water test kit. Seems expensive upfront but it will save you money in the long run. It's more accurate than any test strips and it will last you for a long time.

I like to avoid the use of heaters if possible because they can fail and electrocute your turtle and potentially burn your house down.

Ask yourself how cold do you let your house get ever? Is it above 60f? You don't need one then.

I recommend this timer. I have 3 of them: GE 24-Hour Heavy Duty Indoor Plug-in Mechanical Timer, 2 Grounded Outlets, 30 Minute Intervals, Daily On/Off Cycle, for Lamps, Seasonal, Christmas Tree Lights and Holiday Decorations, 15075 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00366JSNU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_eFQpFb4MJG3TJ

Don't feed your turtle daily or worse twice daily.

Change your UVB/UVA bulbs every 6 months if they are CFL like this one: Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 Mini Compact Fluorescent Lamp https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A8RHTYU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_VGQpFb6P1DE4G

YBS need extra UVA/UVB so go with the bulb I linked or a similarly powered one.

You also need cuttlebones. Exo Terra Sepia Bones for Turtles https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002YPZDBK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_eIQpFb2ZFDZR0

Any cuttlebones will do though.

Here's my water treatment: API QUICK START Freshwater and... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006YG12F6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

API TURTLE SLUDGE DESTROYER... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ESBHN1Q?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

API TAP WATER CONDITIONER... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LO9KSY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share (FYI you almost certainly have chloramine not chlorine in your water.)

API AMMO-LOCK Freshwater and... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255N0A?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Get this to test your water: API Freshwater Master Test Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NCI?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share Ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites are your enemy.

Don't buy a dock. Make one from egg crate diffuser materials and zip ties: https://youtu.be/KDb6cv5I9Tg

Your turtle needs to get fully dry on top and bottom or they will get shell rot. I had a zoomed dock that cost 50$ and I replaced it after a scare with shell rot.

Here’s a list of supplies to check off:

• Tank (10 gallon would be easiest to maintain, especially good for an office where you’re not there all the time to monitor, and more water volume + more plants and one betta means less water changes in the long run)
• Filter (I like HOBs personally, saves space in the tank - and quiet up nicely over time)
• Heater (50watt adjustable would work great for 5-10gal)
• Substrate
• Decorations/plants
• Water conditioner
• Gravel vacuum for water changes
• 2 Buckets for water changes
• Thermometer
• Food
• Test kit
• Ammonia (pure ammonia, Dr. Timms is good if you have it but if not then you can also use fish food or cleaning ammonia with no additives)
• Sponge, biomedia

Here’s info on fishless cycling which should be completed before getting the fish for smooth sailing:

Info:

• Nitrogen Cycle
• Fishless Cycling Guide
• Cycle Diagram

Supplies:

• Seachem Prime
  
• API Master test kit
• Ammonia source

Tips related to cycling/the cycle:

• Keep temp closer to 80°F/26.5°C
• After your tank is cycled perform weekly water changes between 25-50%, avoid doing more than 50% to maintain balance of tank’s cycle.
• Swish/squeeze filter media in old tank water during a water change once a month to get gunk off, never replace or rinse in tap water as it may crash your cycle
• Carbon in the filter is pretty useless usually, its good for pulling medicine out of the water if needed but it’s not necessary in a cycled betta tank - if your filter comes with this you can set it aside and use foam and biomedia instead!
• You can buy supplemental bacteria to speed up the cycling process, shake the bottle vigorously and add as much as you want in! Tetra Safestart Plus and Seachem Stability are two good ones.
• When gravel vacuuming it’s most efficient to crimp the tube so you get most of the dirt but don’t take too much water out (Here’s a how-to: https://youtu.be/LYv5n0a85OY)
• Filter Media Cheat Sheet

API Master Test Kit. Strips are notoriously unreliable.

How and when should I start up the system and then when after that should I add tilapia and plants?

You should add plants after you get the system into a starting location and have been running the system for a 3-4 weeks. while adding either raw urine or pure concentrations of ammonia daily to the running water. The ideal is to have the nitrite/nitrate cycle stable before adding fish.

I'm in USDA zone 7a. People are already planting soil gardens here but I'm guessing our night temperatures aren't quite warm enough for tilapia yet.

Depends upon the breed of tilapia. Blue tilapia can easily live in 40+ degree water. They won't grow very quickly but its surviavable.

I've heard various recommendations to get the bacteria going: add chemical ammonia and let it run for a while, add disposable minnows or fish and let it cycle with them for a while, or add pond water which will already contain bacteria. I do have a large, healthy pond on my property with many fish so I have easy access to pond water, minnows, bluegill, crawfish, and tadpoles. I'm ok with losing pond fish as the system balances itself but I'll be buying the tilapia from a supplier so I'd rather have the system stable and safe before I add them. What chemical levels will I need to monitor? What testing kit do I need and where should I get it? Is there a good one on Amazon?

Get the master aquarium testing kit. petco has them and amazon.http://www.amazon.com/API-Freshwater-Master-Test-Kit/dp/B000255NCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458229467&sr=8-1&keywords=master+aquarium. test for ammonia, nitrites, nitratesm and PH. If you have hundreds of dollars get the oxygen meter too. http://www.amazon.com/Hanna-Instruments-HI9147-04-Water-Resistant-Aquaculture/dp/B0085X2GZ6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458229571&sr=8-2&keywords=dissolved+oxygen+meter

What kind of fish food and where should I get it?

Feed your self real food from whole ingrediants and feed the scraps to the fish. NO HOTDOGS. course tilapia will eat almost anything. but the main thing to concentrate on is... are you wanting a heavy harvest of fish?

How many tilapia for this system? I'm hoping to stock them small and then harvest them at the end of the growing season.

Well, thats a 300 gallon system tank. A realatively safe level would be if you stock for aprox 1 pound of fish per 5 gallons of water. 60 pounds of fish at the end of the season, depending on growth.

What easy to grow, hard to kill plants would you recommend for a beginner in zone 7a? We like full-sized tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, poblano peppers, zucchini, strawberries, and squash if they're not to difficult. If they are I'll probably skip them for the first year. I'm open to suggestions on whatever's easy!

The fruiting stuff will need a couple ounces of phosphorus and potassium added to the media beds. you should consider dual-root zone aquaponics. It allows for amendments to be added to the root zone of the plant instead of indiscriminately to the system.

The person I got the system from ran it without any aeration aside from the natural splashing as water runs into the growbeds, fish tanks, and sump tanks. Think I'll be ok with this or should I add an aerator?

You will be ok like this most likely... But growth of tilapia follows the 1-1-1 guideline. 1 pound of feed plus 1 pound of oxygen grown for 1 year equals 1 pound. More oxygen will allow the quick growth that your interested in.

😨 what test kit are you looking at?

Unfortunately the API master test kit is out of stock

That's the one I use.

Tank: 5 gallons in an absolute minimum, I personally recommend 10 gallons.

Water conditioner: Fish must have conditioned, dechlorinated water! Seachem Prime is the best water conditioner there is. It helps bind and negate the effects of ammonia for a time period as well.

Filter: Bettas need a filter! For a good, cheap choice, I recommend the Top Fin Silentstream 10. This will fit both 5 and 10 gallon tanks. Here is a link. This is what is called a hang-on back (HOB) filter. Other good HOB filters are the Fluval Aquaclear or Aqueon Quietflow. I prefer HOBs, but many people will recommend sponge filters. This is because HOBs can have a strong outflow current, which can make it difficult to swim for long-finned bettas. Google how to set up a sponge filter if you're more interested in those.

Baffle: If you choose to go with a HOB filter, odds are you're going to need a baffle. This is an object placed in the outflow to help cut down the current. It can be a lot of different things. For the Top Fin Silentstream 10, I use a piece of dense filter sponge cut to size, specifically this brand. Just cut a square out of it and plop it in the outflow. You will also need an intake sponge for a HOB to protect the betta's fins. This can also help cut down the outflow. The Fluval Edge Pre-filter Sponge fits the Top Fin Silentstream 10 perfectly.

Filter Media: For HOB or internal filters, you need filter media! The carbon cartridge that these filters come with are only good for removing medicines in the water as they are not permanent. Replacing cartridges destroys your bio cycle (more on that in a minute). Instead, use the Fluval Aquaclear Sponges. Polishing pads aren't required but can make your water clearer!

Heater: Bettas need a heater! Adjustable heaters are much better than pre-set heaters because you get to control the temp. Bettas need a temp of 78-82. I keep my tank on 80. This is the best there is in my opinion. 50 watts is good for both 5 and 10 gallons. Grab a thermometer too!

Decor: Make sure to get a hide cave! Bettas like to lounge around in secure, sheltered places. Make sure whatever decor you get doesn't have any sharp edges that could snag a fin, and also make sure it doesn't have small holes a betta could potentially get stuck in. If you find an ornament you really like but it has small holes, you can get some aquarium sealant to seal those holes up.

Plants: Silk or live only! Plastic plants are harmful to a betta's fins. I've had both fake and live plants, and I have to say a 100% recommend live plants over fake. They keep the water cleaner, help cut down on nitrates, and my betta loves sitting and swimming through them. You can get rooted plants that go in the substrate, or you can even get plants that don't required to be planted at all! These are call rhizome plants. Java ferns and Anubias are my absolute favorites. They can tied to decor, left free floating, or my personal favorite, superglued! I use this. Whatever glue you use, just make sure it is pure cyanoacrylate and it is gel. Let it dry before putting back in the tank. If you want rooted plants, either place root tabs in your substrate or get a nutrient-rich substrate. A good, cheap fertilizer is Aqueon Aquarium Plant Food.

Substrate: Gravel, sand, or nutrient rich substrate all work great!

Cycle: Since you already have your boy, you'll have to do a fish-in cycle. Read up on the full process in the wiki, but it ultimately boils down to regular parameter testing and water changes. Get the API Liquid Test Kit as well as some Seachem Stability to kick-start your cycle.

Food: Always use pellets, never flakes. Fluval Bug Bites, Northfin Betta Bits, and New Life Spectrum are all good foods. Supplement with frozen brine shrimp and blood worms about once a week.

Water Changes: up to 50% of the tank water once a week. Use a gravel vac to make the process easier!

Meds to have on hand: Seachem StressGuard and ParaGuard, API General Cure, Prazi-Pro, Seachem Kanaplex, Focus, and Metroplex. Read up on some common ailments for bettas.

This is an awesome starter kit (just toss the heater, in my experience it's not a very good one): https://www.petsmart.com/fish/starter-kits/top-fin-essentials-aquarium-starter-kit-5262267.html

Small aquaponics system equals how big of a fish tank? Don't do goldfish, please. They are pond fish. They get huge. Putting them into a small system is inhumane and plain stupid when there are plenty of other fish that can be HAPPY. Figure out how many gallons/liters your fish tank will be then research what the appropriate sized fish is using traditional aquarium guidelines. If you have a small system you will not be able to do eating fish, period. Eating fish = big fish. Guppies and/or mollies are probably your best, cheapest bet for anything larger than 5-10 gallons. Anything smaller I would go with a gourami or betta fish. Fish species does not matter for what you want to grow, but I would lean towards something omnivorous so you can have a great variety of foods in their diet.

Use this water test kit.

Just the basic api freshwater test kit, https://www.amazon.com/API-FRESHWATER-800-Test-Freshwater-Aquarium/dp/B000255NCI/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=NCMARLVP1D6J&keywords=api+master+freshwater+test+kit&qid=1691428163&sprefix=api+mast%2Caps%2C268&sr=8-3

If you aren't too familiar with fish/frogs and the nitrogen cycle I would 1000% reccomend you watch youtube videos to try and learn more . I like prime time aquatics because he as a degree in aquatic biology I belive

If you dont have well water please use water conditioner

Aquarium CO-OP wonderShells

API Stress Coat Water Conditioner

I put in stress coat or stress coat + zyme after a water change or when a fish loses color or looks like it has an ouchy

[API master Water Test Kit]  (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NCI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_glt_fabc_2KGRHRGN4H778VSS338H)

The master test kit is great to see of the nitrate or ammonia is too high 

Great for looking at all the chemical levels and properties of your aquarium water

Aquarium sticker Thermometer

Will let you know if your tank is to warm or to hot

preset aquarium heater

For tropical fish like plecos 

digital tempture gun

I use this when I bring new fish home or when doing a water change to make sure the tap water or Reverse osmosis water is not to hot or to cold

Laifoo 25ft Aquarium Vacuum Gravel Cleaner Fish Tank Cleaner Siphon Water Changer

If you dont have a water Siphon you can use a garden hose or PVC flex pipe from lowesnirnget a water changes from Petco or petsmart you will need a water dechlorinator if its town water if it's well water you should be ok

Great for water changes and easier on your back and floors

5ML pipettes 

5ML Plastic Transfer Pipettes 

I love using these when I use stress coat or other liquid medicine or for plant fertilizer 

You should have aquarium only gear that you never use soap or bleach on if you need to clean something only use water and distilled white vinegar 

Aquarium Co-Op Measuring Glass

Measure glass for fish meds, liquid ferts, or aquarium salt

Beneficial bacteria 

Aqueon PURE Live Beneficial Bacteria and Enzymes

Live beneficial bacteria is usually placed in your filter chamber under the pad so it can grow and Culture on the cotton or sponge filter ( beneficial bacteria is microscopic so if you can see growth something is wrong)

Beneficial bacteria for new filters or new filter cartridges 

Fritz Zyme 7 Live Bacteria (Freshwater)

 Bottled beneficial bacteria 

slow release starter colony beneficial bacteria

Plants help remove and reduce nitrates if you got frogbite, Salvinia cucullata (Asian Watermoss) , duckweed if you dont mind removing some very week. 

Plant holder like lucky bamboo or pathos plants

Poth-O-Carry™ Plus: Pothos Holder with Open Face Technology

You should have a secondary bio filter and never clean the hang on back filter the same week as the secondary bio filter should be a sponge filter or a a ziss moving bed filter 

Sponge filter 

AQUANEAT Double Bio Sponge Filter, Quiet Aquarium Filter with Ceramic Media Balls

These are both air driven so you will need

 [air pump]

(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000A0PYQK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_glt_fabc_0YT4EV4TGSE1NM3T0NAF?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1)

Air stone

Aquarium Air Stone, Ultra Silent Deep Dissolving Oxygen Diffuser

API Freshwater Master Kit if you are in the States Amazon has them on sale right now ^ _ ^

https://www.amazon.com/API-FRESHWATER-800-Test-Freshwater-Aquarium/dp/B000255NCI?ref_=Oct_DLandingS_D_fe8d9a2b_60&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER