Aquaponics (aq·ua·pon·ics) is a system of aquaculture in which the waste produced by farmed fish or other aquatic animals supplies the nutrients for plants grown hydroponically, which in turn purify the water. Thanks to its automatic recirculating system, aquaponics does not require much monitoring or measuring.

With that said, this symbiotic method of combining plant and animal life is easy to achieve and is useful as an addition to your home.

There is no need to think about measurements compared to Hydroponics, since the latter requires external nutrients and other components to balance the condition of the soil and water for the fish.

There are two ways you can make one at home: xone is a small scale system which you can do without a pump and automatic recirculating system; another option is to have a pump that will do the recirculating function.

There are some commercially available small scale Aquaponics systems for your home

Small scale Aquaponics

Small scale systems are commercially available as Aquaponics display cases which you can find online and in some hardware stores. It can be a new gift idea or just a new way to add innovation, creativity and stable nutrient boost for your fish and plants.

Large scale Aquaponics

Creating this system on a larger scale can supply your family with fresh fish and vegetables all-year round. It is a self-sustaining system that can be beneficial for all those that are part of this dynamic.

How to Start

Materials needed:

Aquarium or bowl for your fish

Net or wood frame slightly bigger than the opening of your aquarium/ bowl. This will act as the canopy for the grow bed. It has to be three to eight inches in depth.

For your soil: garden soil, coconut coir or peat, expanded clay pebbles or peat moss to fill the grow bed

Place your system near a window so you will not need any artificial indoor lighting for growing your plants

An aquarium or bowl for the fish

The fish tank can be a glass or plexi-glass aquarium or you can use any other clean container that holds water: for example, a plastic tub, bucket or barrel. Ideally it can hold anything between three to 20 gallons, although, you can go with a larger tank if you have the space. Small, clean plastic amphibian cages, available in most pet shops, make an excellent mini-system.

Stone and gravel bedding for your tank

The gravel serves as a home for the nitrifying bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate, which can be used by the plants. Most pet stores carry natural or colored aquarium gravel. Be sure to wash the gravel thoroughly before using it because it is often dusty.

Grow bed

The grow bed, which sits on top of the tank, must be slightly larger than the length and width of the fish tank. The grow bed is filled with a growing medium that the plants grow in. A plastic container, a garden planter or other container that will sit on top of the tank will work fine. The container should be between three inches to eight inches deep.

Growing medium

A growing medium is a porous, chemically inert material that holds the plant roots and maintains moisture. Examples include: perlite, pebbles, peat moss, pea grave, coconut peat and coconut coir. You need enough to fill your grow bed.

Fish and plants

In an Aquaponics system, the fish provide the nutrients the plants need and the plants purify the water by consuming those nutrients.

For large scale here are the pumps needed:

Water pump and tubing

A small water pump is used to pump the water from the fish tank to the grow bed. After the water is pumped into the grow bed, it gravity-feeds back to the fish tank. You’ll need enough tubing to go from the outlet on the pump to the top of your grow bed and form a circle within it.

Air pump, air stone and tubing

You need an air pump to blow air into the tank water for both the fish and the plants. Tubing connects the air pump to an air stone at the bottom of the tank. The air stone breaks the stream of bubbles coming from the air pump into micro-bubbles, which greatly increase the oxygenation in the water.

How to assemble

1. Thoroughly wash the gravel and place in the bottom of the fish tank.

2. Drill 1/8” or 3/16” holes in the bottom of the grow bed every two square inches so the water can drain into the tank. In one of the back corners of the grow bed, drill a half-inch hole for the tubing from the water pump to pass through.

(**OPTIONAL IF WITH PUMP)

3. Place the water pump in the fish tank then set the grow bed on top of the tank. Feed the tubing from the water pump through the half-inch hole. Leave enough tubing to extend about 3/4 the height of the grow bed and to loop around the inside of the grow bed. Cut off any excess tube and fold the end over. Seal the folded piece with electrical tape.

4. Fill the grow bed with the growing medium to just under the top of the tube.

5. Puncture small holes every two cmmminches in the section of tubing that loops in the grow bed.

6. Cover the loop of tubing with an inch or two of growing medium.

7. Fill the fish tank with water. Plug in the pump to ensure that the water is pumped into the grow bed, trickles down through the growing medium and continuously back into the tank. Adjust the flow according to the size of your tank, grow bed and pump.

8. Connect your air pump to the air stone with the air tubing. Place the air stone in the tank and plug in the air pump. A steady stream of bubbles should rise through the water, providing fresh air.

9. Check the pH of your water using litmus paper, a pH test kit or pH meter. Limtmus paper and inexpensive pH test kits are available in most hardware pool supply stores. The ideal pH is 7.0 for an aquaponics system. If it is higher than 7.2 you should lower it with a “pH down” product and if it is lower than 6.8 you should raise it with a “pH up” product, both of which are available from aquarium stores.

10. Allow the unit to sit for 24 hours to be sure all chlorine has dissipated from the water. If you want to stock your fish right away, you’ll need to add a chlorine remover, which is available from aquarium shops and pet stores.

11. Add your fish to the fish tank. Initially, you should lightly stock your tank with no more than 1/2” of fish per gallon of water. Once your system has been established for over a month you can increase fish density to 1” per gallon of water.

Ideally you should wait approximately weeks to add plants to your system, but if you are eager to plant it, add just a few plants or seeds and increase plant density in a month or so when your system is well established.

Choosing your fish and plants

In selecting your fish,, choose hardy species like goldfish, guppies, angelfish and other common varieties available from your local aquarium or pet store. Most desktop aquaponics gardens do not include food fish because there isn’t enough space to grow them to maturity. If you do want to raise food fish or a local species, be sure to provide adequate water temperature and feed.

A desktop Aquaponics garden will support most varietiesa of house plants, lettuce, spinach and herbs. Ideally, you should start your plants from seed in a grow cube (also called jiffy cubes) or loose in the growing medium in your grow bed. Very small seeds can be sprouted by placing them between two paper towels that are kept warm

and moist. You can also transplant plants from an existing hydroponic system with good results.

If you must transplant from soil, thoroughly wash away all of the dirt surrounding the roots and wash the leaves being sure to remove any pest insects.

You will have the most success with leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach and herbs or houseplants such as anthodium, dracaena, dieffenbachia and philodendron.

You can also plant aquatic plants in the fish tank. They will provide a more natural habitat for the fish and aid in purifying the water.



Nitrification Cycle

Fish excrete ammonia in their wastes and through their gills. In sufficient quantities ammonia is toxic to plants and fish. Nitrifying bacteria, which naturally live in the soil, water and air, convert ammonia first to nitrite and then to nitrate. In your Aquaponics system the nitrifying bacteria will thrive in the gravel in the fish tanks and in the growing medium in the grow bed. Nitrate is used by plants to grow and flourish. The plants readily uptake the nitrate in the water and in consuming it, keep the levels safe for the fish.

System mouaintenance

The only daily input in this system is fish food. With any aquarium, frequent small feedings are better than fewer large feedings. Unless you have a really large tank, a pinch of food is all it takes. You should never feed more than the fish can completely consume in 5 minutes. Most tropical fish will be fine with a dry flake fish food but occasionally varying their diet with brine shrimp or blood worms will definitely keep them healthier and happier.

The water level in the tank will slowly decrease as some water is absorbed by the plants and some evaporate. |

Every few days you should refill the tank to the top. About once a month a 10 to 15 percent of the tank water should be siphoned out and replaced with fresh water.

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