Aqauponics Are a new hype these days you can find why you need to start growing your own food and the advantages of growing and breeding your own produce on my blog. Here i am going to talk about my system and the aquaponic system in general.
Aquaponics is the integration of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (growing plants in water) in a water-circulating, soil-less system. This growing method, scalable from small backyard gardens to large commercial systems, requires minimal water usage and no chemical fertilizers while providing organic produce and fish from the system.
the fish waste provides an organic food source for the growing plants and the plants provide a natural filter for the water the fish live in. The third participants are the microbes (nitrifying bacteria) and composting red worms that thrive in the growing media. They do the job of converting the ammonia from the fish waste first into nitrites, then into nitrates and the solids into vermicompost that that are food for the plants.
In combining both systems aquaponics capitalizes on the benefits and eliminates the drawbacks of each.
Now you know how the idea of aqauponics work I am going to teach you witch systems there are and how you can build one.
First we are going to divide all the systems according to 2 major differences. The first one is that the plants grow inside a solid medium that holds liquid for a period like clay pellets. And the other is that the plants grow without this medium with their roots in water. Both have there advantages and their drawbacks.
plant grow systems
solid culture
the first kind of system is using a growth medium like this flood and drain system. Water is pomped out of the fish tank into a container with a medium like clay pellets. The water with nutrients will flood the container and will feed the plants inside. when the container is full he will be emptied and the nutrients will be left behind exposed to bacteria and the plants to process it.
This system works great for almost all of the plants. The advantages of this system is that the plants have dry periods. Most plants often don't like standing with their feet in the water all the time
The other advantages are that root plants like carrots will grow good and healthy roots. Also worms and bacteria have a place to live in this system and their are of vital importance.
The medium used will also function like a filter, filtering out any solids from the fishtank.
The drawbacks are that this kind of aqauponics costs a larger amount of space. It's harder to do this with a vertical system. The other drawback is that you most buy the medium in which you want to grow your plants.
water culture
In this system plants are hanging with their roots in the water. This way its easier to absorb water and they have plenty of exces to oxygen.
This system has some clear advantages. First is the plant growt rate its proven that plants grown this way will grow faster than plants grow in a solid medium. The other advantage is easy harvest. The plants are growing in water and are neatly placed. There is plenty of surface area for the beneficial bacteria to grow. its Very good for lettuces and leafy vegetables – used extensively by commercial farmers
the cons are that it Requires additional filtration to remove solids and Large plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. can be difficult, if not impossible to support.
fish grow
fish
Fish are what makes the system work in an aquaponics system, they provide the nutrients for the plants and if your growing edible fish, they also feed you and provide protein for yourself. Growing fish may be a little scary and overwelming to some, especially those without experience of this subject, however you should not be discouraged. Keeping fish in an aquaponic system is far easier than keeping aquarium fish, as long as you follow this simple guidelines growing fish from fingerling size, to ready to eat fish can be extremely simple.
There are many different species of fish and other aquatic creatures that can be used in an aquaponic system, it depends on your local climates and available supplies. In the Netherlands I only have a limited choice witch fish i am going to use. For my system i use Carp because I can breed this fish myself and they can withstand the colder winters. If you live in a cooler climate you might be looking at growing Trout all year round, or perhaps another locally produced fish species. In warmer areas like Australia people generally grow Barramundi, or Jade Perch year round, in most warm areas throughout the world Tilapia is the fish of choice.
In choosing what is the best fish for you to grow, you should take a few facts into consideration, most importantly is what you expect from your system. If you don’t have the desire to eat your fish then you won’t want to grow edible fish, or you may want to grow an edible fish that can live year-round in your area, so that you’re not having to harvest fish out seasonally. The second most important factor is ‘What’s available?’ You need to be able to buy fish to stock your system, even with species such as Tilapia that breed readily, you need to get your broodstock in the first place.
I will include a list of available fish in the what can i grow/breed part of this page.
taking care
looking after your fish is the most important element in your aqauponics mismanagement of your fish will result in dead fish that will resort in a dead system. Looking after your fish is supplying your fish with their basic needs. Fish have the same basic as most animals there needs are:
- oxygen
- food (nutrient rich)
- space
- clean water
- right temperature
If you supply your fish with these basic needs they will flourish and breed in your fish tank. Your aqauponic system must be build to supply the needs of the fish and i will help you to build it the right way.
oxygen
Supplying your fish with oxygen is one of the most important parts of your aqauponics. when you have a low density of fish 6kg/1000liters you could supply your fish with oxygen through creating a high fall in your pump circuit. But if you are using a timed flood and drain system that floods only 4 times a day or you are going to grow your fish high density you must add oxygen.
Professionals will add pure oxygen to there water but we are no proffesionals. Finding the right system for oxydicing is important.
Air pump
Using a air pump with a airstone is a excellent way of supplying your fish with their hard needed oxygen. Use a pomp with atleast 1.5 times the capacity of your water tank. For example when you have a 1000 liter tank you must use a 1500 liter a hour air pump.
this system will supplement your oxygen at a low cost but you will need to use a additional pump.
Fountain
using a fountain is a good way of ox
under construction
