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                           - Colin Coogan, Founder and CEO


AQUAPONICS

Aquaponics is based on productive systems as they are found in nature. It can be loosely described as the combination of aquaculture and hydroponics and this is where the name Aquaponics originates. Hydroponic systems rely heavily on the careful application of man-made nutrients for the optimum growth of plants. The nutrients are made from mixing together a concoction of chemicals, salts and trace elements to form the ‘perfect’ balance. Water in hydroponic systems needs to be discharged on periodically, as the salts and chemicals build up in the water which becomes toxic to the plants. Aquaculture systems focus on maximizing growth of fish in tank or pond culture.

The fish are usually heavily stocked in the tanks. The high stocking rates often mean that the tank water becomes polluted with fish effluent which gives off high concentrations of Ammonia. Water has to be discharged at a rate of 10-20% of the total volume in the tank once a day, everyday.

Aquaponics combines both systems, and in doing so cancels out the negative aspects of each. Instead of adding toxic chemical solutions to grow plants, Aquaponics uses highly nutritious fish effluent that contains almost all the required nutrients for optimum growth. Instead of discharging water, Aquaponics uses the plants and the media in which they grow to clean and purify the water, after which it is returned to the fish tank. This water can be reused indefinitely and will only need to be replaced when it is lost through transpiration and evaporation.

Call Green Up Today to discuss Aquaponics further and see what method is best for your project.

Is Aquaponics Difficult to Setup and Maintain

Aquaponics is very easy, pumping nutrient rich fish water past the roots of plants which extract the nutrient from the water. The principle method we deal with here is using grow beds filled with a medium of some kind. Plants are grown in the media filled beds and water is pumped from a fish tank into the grow bed, draining through the gravel, and back into the fish tank.

There are three basic types of Aquaponics as defined below:

Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)

Nutrient Film Technique is a commonly used hydroponic method, but is not as common in Aquaponics systems. In NFT systems, nutrient rich water is pumped down small enclosed gutters. The water flowing down the gutter is only a very thin film. Plants sit in small plastic cups allowing their roots to access the water and absorb the nutrients. NFT is only really suitable for certain types of plants, generally leafy green vegetables, larger plants will have root systems that are too big and invasive, or they become too heavy for the lightweight growing gutters.

Media Filled Beds

Media filled beds are the simplest form of Aquaponics, they use containers filled with medium of expanded clay or similar. Water from a fish tank is pumped over the media filled beds, and plants grow in the rock media. This style of system can be run two different ways, with a continuous flow of water over the rocks, or by flooding and draining the grow bed, in a flood and drain or ebb and flow cycle

Deep Water Culture (DWC)

Deep Water Culture, works on the idea of floating plants on top of the water allowing the roots to hang down into the water. This can be done in a number of ways. This method is one of the more commonly practiced commercial methods. DWC can be done by floating a foam raft on top of the fish tank, however a more common method is to grow the fish in a fish tank and pump the water through a filtration system, and then into long channels where floating rafts filled with plants float on the water surface and extract the nutrients.

Call Green Up Today to discuss Aquaponics further and see what method is best for your project.