To understand the total aquaponic system you must first understand the two elements of the farming method and how they interact with each other to create a much more productive outcome than the individual methods alone. The two methods are, very simply, aquaculture (the growing of fish and other aquatic creatures in controlled situations), and hydroponics (the growing of plants in water with added nutrients). This is the basis for aquaponics.
There are many types of methods in aquaculture, but the system - by definition - is a closed system. This in itself poses a problem - the large amounts of water needed to successfully sustain a healthy colony of aquatic life. When you grow commercial amounts of fish or other aquatic species you must clean the water continuously due to the high amounts of toxins given off by the waste of the crop. This entails constant filtering and water replacement of the system, expending much time and money to keep the crops healthy.
Hydroponics itself poses problems of its own, namely the constant flow of water and addition of nutrients - a costly and time-consuming effort. Water must be constantly monitored for necessary supplementing with food and other components for plant health, and the constant, open circulation of water results in large amounts of evaporation of water that must be replaced continuously.
Enter the research that began in earnest in the 1970's. If the fish needs clean water to survive, and the plants need constant nutrients, why not give each what it needs in a compatible, symbiotic relationship that, when balanced, becomes a complete ecosystem needing just a minimal amount of maintenance? That plan was put into place, and now we have the ever-expanding research of combining the two systems for the greater good, enabling more food to be grown in less space, and less water being used to grow it.
Have you ever studied a large pond or lake that has no maintenance done to it, yet it has a healthy population of fish and plant life around the shore? That is the perfect ecosystem of aquaponics at work. The best part is - it can be copied by anyone!
This is truly a remarkable system, because it works so well. The fish actually supply nutrients to a bed of plants, (called Grow Beds) and plants clean up the water that the fish live in, making a mutual beneficial environment for both. The only external input to the system is food for the fish. The plants grow in a Grow Bed
Both Aquaponics systems compliment each other as a single unit, not as separate units.
The fish water is pumped to the Grow Beds, and is evenly distributed by a simple system of pipes. The fish water feeds the plants, such as tomato's, cucumbers, lettuce and other green leafy vegetables, then filters through the grow bed that is filled with gravel / round river stones, finally returning to the fish tank by gravity or by pump. The water is returned to the fish tank cleaned ready for use by the fish, and so the cycle continues.
So an Aquaponics system is made up of a tank containing the fish of choice, and a series of Grow Beds for vegetable production
Aquaponics is suitable for ornamental fish, Barramundi, Bass, Jade Perch, Golden Perch, Silver Perch, Murray Cod. In Australia we are blessed with a wide choice of Native Fish Species (some listed above) that are perfectly suitable for Aquaponics and are wonderful eating as well.
What is amazing in Aquaponics, once the system is initialised, the water stays Ph balanced and remains crystal clear.
The water is basically recycled, with a small amount of water added weekly to compensate for what is lost by evaporation, and transpiration by the vegetables. Therefore Aquaponics uses only about 10% of the water required for traditional gardening or fish farming. Aquaponics is the future of home gardening and commercial fresh food production for a dry land like Australia.
Aquaponics is a balanced, self-contained eco system that works!! No chemical are added what so ever. It is totally organic. In fact, chemicals cannot be sprayed or added to the vegetable part of the system, because if that happens, the fish will die. Garden pests are kept to a minimum by housing the system in a green house and eventually a natural balance is achieved.
Earthworms can be raised to feed the fish and the earthworm compost is used in other parts of the garden or perhaps planter box gardens. The worm farm is fed on excess vegetable material from the Aquaponic system.
Aquaponics by definition is the combination of aquaculture and hydroponics.....In other words, the sum of the two when combined is greater than the sum of the two individuals.
