An aquaponic system is a great way to provide yourself and your family with anything from some fresh lettuce every now and then to a steady supply of fresh vegetables, fruits and even fresh fish for dinner. It’s all a matter of scale. Start with a small system that can support a few fish and a handful of plants just for fun, but if you’re ready to get serious, go with a bigger setup. Size everything in your system, from fish tank to growing beds, accordingly.
In a hydroponic system plants are supported by clay pellets, gravel, perlite or another medium that adds nothing in the way of nutrients. The plants are fed by a mixture of water and nutrients that bathes their roots and provides everything they need to grow. An aquaponic system is a type of hydroponic system in that it uses no soil, but instead of using purchased nutrient concentrate to feed the plants, fish are an integral part of the setup. It is the waste from the fish that feeds the plants while the plants cleanse the water to keep the fish healthy.
How It Works
An aquaponic system is essentially a closed system that is largely self-sustaining. The first element is the fish tank. The fish tank is set below the growing bed, and the water from the fish tank is pumped up into the tray. The process of the plants feeding on the nutrients in the fish waste cleans the water. Once clean, it flows out a spillway and drops back down into the fish tank, where the process is repeated. Food must be added for the fish, but other than that an aquaponic system can provide virtually everything the fish and the plants need.
Growing Bed Tray Essentials
To determine the size of your growing bed tray, consider what you want to grow and how much space you have available in which to set up your system. A small tray can provide you with leafy greens and some herbs, while a larger tray will let you grow just about anything. Fill the tray with a support medium that will hold your plants in place. Perlite makes an excellent lightweight medium for an aquaponic system, but for large, heavy plants sterilized pea gravel or expanded clay pellets will provide better support. Growing trays need to be deep enough to accommodate the root systems of your chosen plants.
Balancing Your System
Your fish tank needs to be large enough to supply your growing tray with adequate water and sufficient waste for the amount of plants you have. Almost any fish will work for a small aquaponic setup. Goldfish require minimal care, are inexpensive and are a common choice for small systems. Tilapia are the fish of choice for many larger systems, since these fish are simple to keep, will eat almost anything and can in turn be eaten by the grower. Tilapia require more space in which to live but consequently can support large growing trays filled with plants.
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