With so many popular options like tilapia already dominating the hobby, you might wonder what makes arctic char worth considering for your aquaponics setup. It really comes down to matching your fish choice to your climate and to what you’re trying to grow. Arctic char is a close cousin of salmon and belongs firmly in the cold-water category, naturally at home in alpine lakes and in arctic or subarctic coastal waters.

Scientifically known as Salvelinus alpinus, arctic char is frequently nicknamed “arctic char salmon” because it shares so many traits with true salmon — right down to a similar look, though its coloring shifts depending on the season and surrounding conditions. If your location already runs cold, this fish could be an excellent match, since there’s no point spending money heating water for a species that’s happiest when it’s chilly. Keep the tank below 60°F, dissolved oxygen under 5mg/l, and pH somewhere between 7 and 8 to keep them content.

Arctic Char Growth Rate

Wild arctic char typically weigh between 2 and 8 pounds, though some specimens have topped out around 25 pounds. Inside an aquaponics system, fingerlings need continuous 24-hour lighting for roughly their first 200 days, during which they should reach about a quarter pound. After that period, natural lighting is fine, and they’ll typically hit full size — around 1 pound — by day 500. A particularly large setup could push growth beyond these figures.

Arctic Char Salmon

The nickname comes purely from taxonomy — arctic char and salmon are members of the same broader fish family. Both favor cold water and look fairly alike, though arctic char tends to run a bit longer than salmon. Since arctic char is the less familiar of the two, people often reach for the salmon comparison to describe it, and it’s steadily gaining ground as a substitute for salmon on the dinner table.

Pros and Cons Of Arctic Char Aquaponics

Several qualities make arctic char an appealing choice for your system:

Tolerance of cold temperature

Since cold water is exactly what this fish prefers, you can skip water heating altogether, even in a chilly climate.

Desire to Shoal

Arctic char naturally group together in shoals, which means you can pack more of them into a given tank than you could with many other aquaponics species.

Low Limitations

Because arctic char isn’t heavily used in commercial fishing right now, it isn’t classified as endangered, so sourcing them is generally straightforward and your state is unlikely to have restrictions against keeping them.

Hardy

As a cold-water member of the salmonid family, arctic char handles fluctuations in water conditions reasonably well, so long as the temperature stays within its preferred range.

That said, there are a couple of drawbacks worth knowing about:

Temperature

A naturally cold climate works in your favor here, but if summer temperatures climb where you live, keeping the water cool enough can become a real challenge — you might even need a chiller or freezer setup to manage it.

Tank Size

Arctic char isn’t a small fish, and even with their shoaling behavior, you’ll need a sizable tank to keep enough of them for adequate plant nutrition.

Arctic Char for Aquaponics FAQ

What does Arctic char eat?

In their natural habitat, arctic char feed on snails, plankton, freshwater shrimp, sticklebacks, and even salmon eggs or other fish smaller than themselves. In your system, standard fish food works well as a base, supplemented occasionally with fresh shrimp or sticklebacks. Keep in mind these are opportunistic eaters that will try almost anything offered to them.

How big does Arctic char get?

The largest arctic char on record weighed over 32 pounds, while commercial operations typically raise them to between 5 and 15 pounds. As with most fish, available space plays a big role in final size. In the wild, they can exceed 20 inches in length, but within a home aquaponics system, expect something closer to 5 to 10 inches.

How does Arctic char taste?

Given its close relation to salmon and trout, the flavor lands in similar territory while still having its own character. It’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids and carotenoids, with flesh that’s moderately firm, flakes apart easily, and develops a nicely crisp skin when cooked. It works well baked, grilled, or poached, and can even be used in sushi — though for raw preparations, it needs to be frozen to at least -4°F for a full 24 hours first, to eliminate any bacteria.

Can Arctic char be kept with other fish?

Avoid pairing arctic char with much smaller tankmates, since they’re likely to be eaten. Fish of a similar size, including salmon itself, can generally cohabit safely with arctic char.

How long does Arctic char live?

Arctic char can live up to 25 years, making them a long-term addition to any aquaponics setup.

Where can you buy Arctic char?

A local fish market typically won’t be much help here. Instead, look for an aquaponics supplier, whether online or in your area, since they’re the ones likely to carry the fingerlings needed to start your system.