Aquaponics

Growing using aquaponic methods is the dream my father and I are pursuing. What is aquaponics? Aquaponics is defined by Oxford dictionary as "a system of aquaculture in which the waste produced by farmed fish or other aquatic creatures supplies the nutrients for plants grown hydroponically, which in turn purify the water."

The whole idea behind using aquaponics materialized when my father learned about Friendly Aquaponics and how much water is saved, space utilized, and the symbiotic relationship. We are trying to be efficient as possible and using plans for the vertical aquaponic system created by Tim Mann and Susanne Friend. We have hilly terrain on our farm so building a few smaller-medium sized greenhouses is what is feasible on our property. Smaller greenhouses are also cheaper to build, heat and cool for the perfect level of growth for crops.

Growing using aquaponic methods has many benefits. Some of the benefits include: incorporating a commercial operation in a small footprint, saving a quarter to half of your costs in building, heating, and cooling, and two to four times more plants fit in the Verticali systems compared to other conventional growing methods. Last but not least there are no weeds to pull for hours on end during the growing season!

A few of the best types of fish to grow in an aquaponics system are tilapia, trout, perch, sunfish, bluegill crappie, koi, goldfish, hybrid striped bass, carp, tetras, guppies, mosquito fish, cichlids, and not to mention prawns. With each aquaponic system you should take into account the pros and cons of using certain fish or prawns to have to the most rewarding benefits for the produce and fish to grow.