Can someone explain to me how the algae helps balance an aquaculture system? This is a new concept to me. People on the aquaponics forums freak out if they have algae blooms. Personally i dont fret about them. My outdoor system seems to get one every year in the spring when the weather first starts to warm up but it lasts a couple weeks and then dissipates. I know tilapia are filter feeders and can eat the algae using filtering in their gills. But algae can also cause PH fluctuation and if you arent aerating at night it can cause low O2 for the fish.
I am not arguing one way or the other, just making a pros and cons list. And i feel like i must bee leaving some 'pros' out.
I build algae blooms ibc tanks like yours to feed sunfish larva/fry. I start with aquaponics water (adds a lot of N) and add some rock phospate (adds a lot of P) and the water looks like lime green jello in 24 hours. You should be getting plenty of N and micronutrients from the fish/fish food. If you already already have pond fertilizer on hand, for sure use that but if you are looking for an inexpensive fish safe/organic addition a couple of tablespoons of rock phosphate is probably all you need to really set your bloom off.
