Aquaponics - The Basic Information You Should Know
It has become one of the most loved and best ways to grow fish and produce; it's called aquaponics. It's not just farming freshwater fish and growing fresh vegetables and fruits but all of the food is grown within one complete ecosystem. This system combines two great systems into one so you get the best of both worlds.
Why is this system so great? For one, soil is completely removed from the equation. And two, the fish feed the plants and the plants provide clean water for the fish. What exactly do the fish offer the plants? Their waste, which creates ammonia which results in nitrates, is nourishment to plants. The plants filter this nourishment and other toxins from the water and the "clean" water is given back to the fish.
Aquaponics is considered a sustainable and closed-system; it is a hybrid of two systems (aquaculture and hydroponics). Almost everyone who has tried this system has been extremely successful. If they haven't it's because they either didn't give the system enough time or they missed a step and didn't get any help.
Aquaculture is farming fish from through their entire life cycle and through harvest. Hydroponics is relatively easy; however, if you don't keep the chemicals in the water properly balanced, you could lose your crop. It does use only water but can be a successful process to obtain fresh produce.
Below are some advantages of why aquaponics would be beneficial to any household:
- The amount of space required will depend upon the required size of harvest
- Harvest will include: fresh fish, fresh vegetables and/or fruits
- Complete system set up is easy
- Overall cost to build and maintain is minimal
- Every system can easily be expanded or reduced
- Aquaponics specialists are located in almost every region of the country
The size of the system could consist of a 25 gallon fish tank with a large grow bed sitting on top of it to a 1,000 gallon tank connected to several grow beds. A typical 'small' system will produce up to 50 kilograms of fresh fish (i.e. tilapia) every 6 months. This doesn't include the produce harvest. The harvest will occur all year; it's no longer 'seasonal'.
Once the system is built, you just need to ensure that the fish are fed daily, the water level is maintained and the harvest is done when it's time. This system is a closed-system to once its running, the fish will provide nutrients to the plants and the plants will filter the water for the fish.
If you underestimated how much food you needed, expansion is so simple. You may need to invest in a simple pumping system to ensure that the water is moving properly several times a day from the fish tank to the plants. If you get stuck, having a specialist to contact for help is an asset to ensure that your system is a success.
It must be said that this is an educational experience to have in your own back yard. To watch the fish and plants grow and then to eat your rewards is an event in itself. Aquaponics is becoming the thing to do and with food prices on the rise it just makes sense.
