Anyone tried aquaponics?

10 years ago

Hi,
I am discovering the world of Aquaponics but am yet to find anyone who has tried it. Hopefully Houzz can unearth someone...

Definition: Aquaponics is, at its most basic level, the marriage of aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (growing plants in water and without soil) together in one integrated system.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/aquaponic-gardening-growing-fish-vegetables-together.aspx#ixzz3B5BCzQy5

Featured Answer

makanani

10 years ago

Yes. My friend has a Aquaponics system. He had a local company install it and they provided the fish, fish food and plants. Here's a photo of his system.

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Comments (34)

Diane Jernigan
10 years ago
Yes, We had a complete ECO system (right down to we grew the Duck Weed) to feed the fish, who feed the plants that fed us. Wonderful! I had pics on the old puter but haven't transfered over. Great fun and we were teaching the concept to others. Plus growing your own veggies in soil and canning! Great flavor and you know what is in your food. (LIVE food over dead food in grocery stores)! Try it out and also save money. diane jernigan
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Hi, I'm researching doing a small scale hobby aquaponic system in Merced, CA. I've searched a number of garden web forums for posts on aquaponics, and this is the only place where I've seen posts pertaining to my current "concerns." So hope it's appropriate to post here! Anyway... For the fish part of the system, I'm interested in tilapia and redclaw crayfish - neither of which can survive below 50 degrees and don't thrive at high temperatures. While it doesn't freeze too often in Merced it does get cold in the winter and can get very hot in the summer. The system as I envision it (at least for starters) will be in the backyard out in the open. I was thinking that in summer, I would shade the tank and bed, and the winter I would put a solar collector blanket on top of the fish tank (and have an aerator). I don't think these measures would be enough for year-round aquaculture for the tilapia and crayfish so I was wondering about diverting the water through a geothermal ground loop when the weather got extreme. I'm thinking about a 600 or so gallon tank with the sides insulated. Any suggestions on how to set up a ground loop system for this size tank to moderate temperates? Any ideas on how deep I need to place the loop and how many feet of loop might be required? Thanks! Anne
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Your dimensions sound ok but you did not give a depth. It will probably be a challenge at first in getting plants to grow. Be sure to research out what plants are best for this use. Also on the fish use only plant feeding fish, not game fish as game fish will not survive unless they have feeder fish to live off of, the feeders would be plant eating fish. I have done something like this by accident but not using plants to feed off of. What I discovered is that catfish will grow remarkedly large in small pools provided they have abundant plant matter to feed off of. And the pool does not have to be very deep either. Tilpia is what seems to be the preferred fish. Do your research and take your time in working out your system. It won't happen overnight. Probably take a couple of years to really get the hang of it.
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makanani
10 years ago
I like it - but the bugs really love the veggies. We cannot eat it fast enough and stay ahead of the bugs. What do you use to encourage the bugs to go away? I'm looking for something that is organic, natural and not a chemical pesticide? Suggestions please?
PRO
carlygarden landscape design
10 years ago
Try a smaller, kitchen countertop version to start with as experimentation! Click the link for a fun and family-friendly way of getting your feet wet with aquaponics :) https://www.backtotheroots.com/shop/aquafarm
Nevin Koshy
10 years ago
To remove bugs, the most natural way is to spray ground-neem water.
lamiche
10 years ago
Yes in Ste-Agathe, north of Montreal. Done on a commercial level and it works! Fish and lettuce are exquisite... will get their coordinates so you can visitvor inquire...
Diane Jernigan
10 years ago
We grow in florida, a lot of people think you grow in the spring for a summer crop. I think here in florida we have every bug imaginable! We grow in the Fall Winter crop that way the bugs are not plentiful. We have wonderful broccoli, collards, tomatoes, carrots, etc. I also grow herbs on the inside aquaponics. especially mints for teas! dj
Diane Jernigan
10 years ago
ps I don't use any sprays WHATSOEVER! dj
PRO
JH Designs
10 years ago
A friend uses a tower garden that has no soil and water and nutrients are pumped through the plants roots. He keeps it indoors in the winter so he can have fresh vegetables and tomatoes all winter long. I believe he spent $500 for the tower plus $? for all the chemicals. I'm not a farmer so I would rather buy produce from the grocery store or roadside stand.
usedup
10 years ago
http://growdinneraquaponics.com/HandsOnClasses.htm
summery
10 years ago
lamiche - love to know more about the commercial operation in Ste Agathe - gorgeous part of the province.
summery
10 years ago
Neryl - thanks for starting this discussion. I'd never heard of aquaponics - off to do some investigation now. :)
raindancecircle
10 years ago
Hi, We have the Tower Garden which is aeroponic/hydroponic and have grown extremely healthy produce for four years (clinically proven to be healthier and produce more with less space and less water) - no dirt, no weeds, etc. All organic and fanatically clean - tastes better than dirt-grown - and only 2 1/1 feet in diameter ;). There are NO CHEMICALS. Dedigned by EPCOT farmer. Don't have to rely on temperamental fish either. See my website at www.kp.juiceplus.com and click on tower garden t the top for more info. Contact me for more info. if you'd like. Karen
pikipo
10 years ago
I built a deep water aquaponics system that has been cycling for about 3 years now. It's getting better and better as it matures. Bumper crop of okra, tomatoes, mint, and basil this summer. I'm experimenting with growing duckweed in the grow beds to feed to my fish and ducks, and so far so good. Just keep in mind that the larger the system, the more stable it will be. Mine is a 350 gallon fish tank with two 12 x 4 foot grow beds. I would not want to mess with anything smaller than that.
kkirilenko
10 years ago
You might want to try and master hydroponics first as aquaponics is a lot trickier. Check out
http://www.boilingfrogproductions.com/hydroponic-systems.html
PRO
Trilliums Landscaping & Horticulture
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
makanani cover your vegs's with floating row cover (white non-woven fabric) keeps out the bugs without chemicals.

nevenkoshy the neem will kill the fish - not good in an aquaponics system.
Diane Jernigan
10 years ago
My belief is that we should all know how to grow enough food for our own families. So many pesticides and other crap that we don't know what is in it today at the grocery store. Plus the farmers are becoming a dying breed. We all need to get back to nature. Used to be we had enough food here to feed the world. (Not anymore) farms are going away because of what we all call progress. Our fast paced world only seems to give us Cancer, stress and nightmares. Cancers from what we put on our food and stress from getting away from the farms and the hard work but rewarding and challanging time spent on the farm. Sitting on the front porch shucking peas and snapping fresh green beans! I have a half acre and grew enough veggies for the year. Blanched and froze the veggies. Also had free range chickens who kept the snake population and bug population down! Nothing better than happy chickens giving free range chicken eggs which made homemade mayo with and other wonders like Pound cakes! YUMMMMMMMMMM 5 generations for floridians where the roots grow deep just like the south! HAPPY GROWING (NOTHING BETTER)! also work with Vertical gardening!
marsia
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
What I wonder is if the local soil provides more minerals than growing things in water? Does anyone know if the nutrient value is the same with hydroponics or aquaponics?
susankoliver
10 years ago
We have a large aquaponiic system working here in Western Australia for 5 years now. It feeds our family throughout the year, I only have to top up with buying carrots and potatoes. It's the perfect growing system, especially here in Oz where we have limited water, it uses a tenth (water)compared to a soil garden. Bugs love our plants too. I find mixing the plantings, adding a few flowers and letting the plants reseed helps a lot. The fish food we use has a lot of minerals and trace elements and I have topped up with rock dust in the beds a few times. If the nutrient isn't there, the plants don't grow well, and our plants are lush! We have large, fat Silver Perch that we eat from time to time. Have a look around, there are so many different systems that can be made to fit any backyard.
Diane Jernigan
10 years ago
Growing on the land is 95% water used, hydroponics and aquaponices is 2% water used, Areoponics is 1% of the water used! Hence the reason NASA uses Areoponics in space! We need to protect our planet and be responsible with out resources. Getting back to nature where we can appreciate where our food comes from and how its grown! I was going to eat my free range chickens but once I had them I couldn't kill them. If we all had to grow our own food we probably wouldn't eat much meat. However, having said that I love a good steak, but then again I didn't kill the cow either. hahahahahaha dj
marsia
10 years ago
Wow, Diane, do you know if aeroponics is used in places like Africa where if the crops fail, everyone starves? I think I will research this. Really great that technology is finally able to address these types of problems!
Diane Jernigan
10 years ago
They (NASA) IS applying it to using on MARS so I don't believe anything is impossible look up a book called VERTICAL GARDENING! WOW what a eye opener! dj
User
10 years ago
Not an integrated system , but cleaning out our fishpond I always put the water and sludge on the garden, and those plants grew like wildfire.
Diane Jernigan
10 years ago
use Talipa they change there ph to accomodate them. Great fish and good eating also.!
Kat Cheng
10 years ago
Meryl, the guy who built our koi pond (using state of the art bio filters, recycled water, sustainable building technique), Mike Garcia of Enviroscapela, does a lot with aquaponics. He's on Houzz. Search for enviroscapela or Mike Garcia, and his site should come up. He was a driving force in establishing the botanical garden in Manhattan Beach, and is a community advocate for all types of sustainable technology. He'd be a great resource for more information on the topic.
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Kat Cheng
10 years ago
Sorry, my iPad's auto correct changed your name to Meryl! :)
Mike Garcia
10 years ago
Thank Kathryn:) I have built many backyard food growing systems, both soil and soil less. Aeroponic and aquaponics do the job 3X faster than soil gardens. SInce the discussion is on aquaponics, I won't discuss the aeroponic 'tower gardens' since these are NOT aquaponic gardens. They are a food grade plastic (which I like), but the one complaint many have is "They are not pretty". I think Aquaponic systems are best used in a yard when they have an accompanying Koi pond to enjoy. Many are jumping on the bandwagon of putting fish in a huge plastic barrel and attaching pipes to this. I think this is horribly ugly. Build a Koi pond and attach this to your food system. If you must use a tower garden, you may want to do what I have done in this photo, where I plumbed in 3 towers while we were installing the Koi pond. It combines function, beauty, art and non-GMO food into a small backyard. DO NOT forget to include beauty when you are landscaping your yard. Lots of ideas on my website, on how to make these systems look beautiful and incorporate them into the landscape. www.EnviroscapeLA.com
kpappal
10 years ago
Our local school district had an aquaponics system as part of a greenhouse near their high school. Worked very well. The students in the Ag program grew flowers and sold them to employees as well as the public.
Mike Garcia
10 years ago
I want to clarify, the pic on the left is a Koi pond which pumps water into the three towers in the background. The seeds are fed pond water, which is then returned to the pond. It cycles on and off in 15 minute increments. We converted the Aeroponic tower gardens into an Aquaponic system. Tower gardens ARE NOT aquaponic systems unless you convert them to be so. Tower Gardens are sold as Aeroponic systems. A better place to discuss tower gardens would be in the 'Aeroponic" section on Houzz
Neryl Hollingsworth
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you for your great comments and suggestions - it's been very helpful.
Diane Jernigan
10 years ago
Please please don't forget to sign the petition on dr oz's website to save our food from being poisoned by chemicals need signatures so this doesn't pass. We our running out of time and one person can make a differance!
PRO
GreenTowers, LLC
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
We have performed extensive research on small scale aquaponic systems. The biggest thing we have found is that you need to add some supplemental iron every few weeks. We also have some in-home aquaponic systems - let me know what you think! www.interiorecosystems.com/home

Jared
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Diane Jernigan
9 years ago
yes we did a whole eco system. Aquaponics - we grew the duck weed to feed the fish, the fish fed the plants and the plants fed us. it was really great, however when the intense heat of the summer came the fish were in the pond and with no shade. in florida the poor fish cooked and was sad. next time we will have a shaded pond. the water barrel is now inclosed in foam and the water stays cool enough to do hydroponics, we also bought and grew hydroponically in gutter system. way cool. next want to work with areo ponics which is what NASA uses so i've heard. I just love growing our own food. lived on property for 30 years (no pesticides) No chemicals (free range chickens), We all need to be responsible for our planet. Pesticides hurt our environment i.e., bees and other creatures like us! I was raised in the nursery business and used to hate it as a child, but learned to love it and nature and the miracle of herbs and their healing properties. I was taught by and old indian woman when i was young how to gather herb and such, only taking what i needed and to give back to the planet. Also my Uncle who owned his own pharmacy told me every medicine came back to herbs, leaves, roots, tree barks, molds, fungus's. Too many of the people rely on synthetic drugs, (which all started with two really great sales men), that have side effects or are taken wrong. example colds people automatically ask for antibiotic. Which they don't need at the time which cause supperbugs. Now I'm not saying that doctors aren't needed just that you have to have an open mind and look at the other options also! and yes I'M A TREE HUGGER! hahahahahh dj
Denisa-Alexandra Cinca
3 years ago
The best place to go for learning about the different setups for aquaponic systems is YouTube. There are so many videos and some explain how to build a system quite well.
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Anyone tried aquaponics?

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