Aquaponics is an efficient solution to the most fundamental requirement of our modern world: a clean and sustainable source of food. Traditional aquaculture and farming are simply too time consuming or expensive for the vast majority of people. Not everyone has a large space that can be dedicated to a conventional vegetable garden.
Shortage of usable farming space prevents most people from even trying to grow their own food. Aquaponics does away with this problem because this type of system doesn’t require much space.
What is aquaponics, anyhow?
Aquaponics is just a hybrid of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (vegetable farming with the use of water). Aquaponics combines the best of both. This means more advantages for the aquaponics farmer.
How does an aquaponic system work?
Here’s a simple explanation of what goes on in an aquaponic system:
1. Freshwater fish like tilapia or white bass are put in a holding tank. The holding tank has simple aeration system to oxygenate the water. The fish are fed with pellets or organic/natural fish food.
2. The fish eat the food and excrete waste. The waste from the fish mixes with the water. Organic material and excess fish food also accumulate in the holding tank.
3. Some of the water from the holding tank is moved out to the growing beds.
4. Vegetables, fruits or herbs are seeded on the growing beds. The plants use of the nutrients in the water from the holding tanks and also help purify the water.
5. Purified and oxygenated water from the growing beds is then carried back to the holding tanks.
6. The fish thrive on the purified and oxygenated water and the cycle is repeated over and over again. Because of the nutrient-rich water, vegetables, fruits or herbs will grow continuously.
An aquaponic system thrives because of three main components: Edible fish + bacteria in the water + plants
Naturally, there is also sunlight, which makes it possible for vegetables and other plants to grow. It’s an effective and simple system that produces almost zero waste because the waste itself is used up by plants.
At the start, you have the edible fish and the plants. Once the fish in the tank start releasing waste, two types of bacteria will begin to grow in the water.
The bacteria in the water helps break down fish waste and chemicals like ammonia. The breakdown of waste material in the water will multiply the amount of useful nutrients available for the plants in the growing beds.
Let’s compare aquaponics with a conventional aquaculture system that houses freshwater fish. A typical aquaculture system will get dirty very quickly. If a holding tank has about 500 gallons of water, about fifty gallons of water has to be removed every day to keep the system reasonably clean.
Can you see the big difference between an aquaponic system and a traditional aquaculture system?
With a traditional aquaculture system, the waste products in the water have no practical use and no place to go, but with an aquaponic system, the waste is used directly by the plants. The more waste the fish tank produces, the more nutrients are accessible for plants.
A single holding tank with 500 gallons of water can support up to four large growing beds. Every six months, this simple system can produce more than 150 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables and more than 80 pounds of edible fish.