Home aquaponics is an increasingly popular sustainable farming method that allows you to cultivate both plants and fish simultaneously in one system – perfect for those wanting to become more engaged with gardening independently.
Aquaponic systems work well when growing leafy greens, herbs, and tomatoes. You can even raise ornamental fish such as Koi fish.
How It Works
Home aquaponics can be an exciting and rewarding way to grow fresh produce right in your own living room, offering an environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional farming practices.
Your plants will thrive without soil by being grown in beds or tanks with chemical-neutral growing media (perlite, coco coir and clay pebbles). Plant roots draw water in from below while simultaneously fertilizing it with their waste products – naturally filtering back into the fish tank without ever polluting.
Your aquaponics system offers plenty of fish species options depending on its climate and your desired plants. Trout and tilapia are popular choices because they reproduce quickly, grow fast, produce large amounts of waste to feed your plants quickly, as well as being kept at cooler temperatures to save electricity for heating the water. Catfish, bass or ornamental goldfish and koi should also be considered.
Plants
Aquaponics is an efficient way to grow food. Fish provide natural fertilizer for their host plants by eating and excreting waste, eliminating the need for chemical fertilisers or harmful petrochemicals and making aquaponics an environmentally friendly form of gardening and self-sustainability.
Aquaponic gardens can be great places for growing leafy greens and herbs at home, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers can also thrive when grown successfully in aquaponic systems, while ornamental freshwater fish species like Koi or Goldfish can even be raised as decorative species in aquaponic systems for added enjoyment.
Plant components help keep water clean by acting as filters for fish tanks. A successful aquaponics system design must take account of this factor to ensure both plant life and fish thrive together in harmony.
Fish
Aquaponic gardening relies on fish waste to provide vital nutrients to plants by breaking down ammonia into nitrates, while plants filtering the water return clean, nutritious food back to the fish tank – eliminating the need for soil or chemical fertilizers.
Aquaponic systems can be tailored to grow most vegetables, with leafy greens and herbs faring best in an aquaponic system. When selecting one for yourself and your space needs, be sure to choose an effective system that suits both of these criteria.
Home aquaponics systems can be built from scratch or purchased as complete kits like those offered by Go Green Aquaponics System, which include either single or double grow bed systems, pumps, digital thermometers, Master API water test kits and instructions – plus five hours of short online courses tailored specifically towards beginners – as part of its package.
Aquaponics can accommodate a wide variety of plant production methods, including drip irrigation, flood and drain, deep culture or submersed roots, and the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT). However, until your aquaponic garden has established itself completely it’s wise to refrain from planting plants with high nutrient demands such as tomatoes.
Water
Fish are an effective and healthy way to both provide fresh food while making use of your available water resources. Their waste can be transformed into nitrate that plants can then use as essential nourishment.
By taking advantage of this innovative new method of home gardening, you can grow leafy greens, herbs, and flowers all year long without using soil. Since no soil exists between your plants and you, weeds and diseases are significantly reduced as a result – not to mention saving money by growing food directly in your living room!
If you want to experiment with growing at home, look for kits using the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT). This system is ideal for growers who wish to harvest kale, leafy greens and herbs without needing much support; plants are placed into narrow troughs (such as PVC pipes) which allows their roots to directly access water – this system is easy and quick to set up as well as maintain.