Aquaponics is the integration of aquaculture and hydroponics, essentially the fish wastes provide a valuable nutrient source for the plants, and in turn the plants filter the water for the fish. Plant off cuts can then be composted in a wormery to provide food for the fish. The system produces fast growing and incredibly succulent vegetable and fruit crops whilst also providing fish either for eating or for interest. Aquaponics is a sustainable, fun and simple way to produce excellent quality food for your kitchen, your friends and family, your community or for sale commercially.
How Aquaponics Works In More Detail
Fish excrete both faeces and urine, but also urea from their gills, this normally toxic form of nitrogen (ammonia) is converted by (friendly) bacteria, Nitrosomas sp. and Nitrobacter sp. to nitrites (still toxic) and finally to nitrates which from the N part of the NPK ratio that plants require.
This harmless form of nitrates is then taken up by the plants are eventually harvested. Due to this natural form of harvestable filtration in the system, water can be reused, recycled and re- circu- lated. This means aquaponics has the potential to be a “closed loop” system, with minimal im- pacts on the environment. Beneficial insects and integrated pest management (IPM) strategies can be used to control pests with mini- mal.
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Prices for food are going up. We are now facing food scare like E-coli. In time we will also have shortage of land for agriculture and water to feed the ever growing population.
Finding alternate source of growing our own food, be healthy and keeping the environment friendly is the only solution.
Aquaponics is the answer.