Aquaponics Systems

Interested in Fresh Organic vegetables, fruits and healthy fishes at your house?


You are in the right place, welcome to the Aquaponics Systems website.

Why is aquaponics a great and easy solution for a healthier and natural life?

• Aquaponics system gives you the opportunity to consume fresh organic fish and vegetables
• Your system can give you up to 50 kilograms of fish and hundreds of kilograms of vegetables in 6 months time!
• It is an easy job to build up your own aquaponics system
• Your system does not need a big space to establish it
• Aquaponics system is a real money saver in both its building and its maintenance i.e. you will need to use only 1/10 of water compared to classic farming
• You can find aquaponic systems enthusiasts around your own area and around the world. They will be a great help to you when you decide to take your first step
• Αquaponics systems are easily expandable systems. You can adjust them any time you feel like it for example, you can add on to them to increase your harvest

 

Aquaponics Systems the Idea

The Idea of aquaponics systems came from combination of Aquaculture and Hydroponic Systems. It came as the best solution for the negative sides for both Hydroponics and Aquaculture:

Aquaculture Negatives

Aquaculture re-circulating process is about getting the excess nutrients out of the system, this is happening daily in general, by getting percentage of the water out. Then we have water rich in nutrients that need to be disposed and clean fresh water has to replace it.

Hydroponics Negatives

To feed the plants the hydroponic system needs a constant supply of expensive nutrients. Due to flushing the systems on a regular basis a waste disposal issue appears.

The negative aspects do not exist any more!

Aquaponic Systems are the magical solution for the down sides of both aquaculture and hydroponics in the best way, thinking about re-circulating both systems together we will find that the negative aspects of aquaculture “getting the excess nutrients out of the system” is the best solution for the negative aspect of hydroponics “the hydroponic system is in need all the time for expensive nutrients” and no more waste water cause of the periodic flushing of the systems that means no more lost money. And by the magical touch of aquaponic, we will have fresh fish, vegetables and fruits all the time in the in the cheapest and cleanest way.

Aquaponics Systems Design

Aquaponics Systems Stages

• First stage:

  We feed the fishes normally and then the fishes extract ammonia into the water

• Second stage:

  The pump lifts the water from the fish tank up to the grow-bed

• Third stage:

  The water drips down through the porous media bed / filter, passing through the roots of the plants before discharging back into the tank

• Fourth Stage:

  The plant’s roots absorb the water and nutrients that they need to grow, this cleans the water of waste. The fresh and clean water that fish need returns back to the tank

Aquaponics System Nitrogen cycle

Ok, let’s have close look at the roots of the aquaponics plants, are they making use from the fish tank water as it is, or are there hidden secrets behind the aquaponics system success?
The answer is no, there are hidden soldiers working unceasingly backstage for the success of the system so; let me introduce you to the grow-bed bacteria.

I know most of us when we hear “Bacteria” (or “Germs” according to the disinfectant commercials) are meant to be bad, aren’t they? No, like everything else has its good and bad sides, this kind of bacteria is useful and we can call it the main soldier in aquaponics system.

1. Ammonia to nitrite:

   Normally the fish are excreting ammonia and it’s harmful for the fish (big damage to tissues of the kidney and gills, decreased resistance to disease and Weak growth or even death). Decomposing food also creates ammonia. Luckily there on the surface of the grow-bed media there are Nitrosomonas bacteria, which eat the ammonia and get out nitrite (this nitrite has so much less bad effect on the fish than the ammonia, but still the case has some negative aspect that It stops the fish from taking up oxygen)

2. Nitrite to nitrate:

   Luckily there are other good bacteria “Nitro-bacteria”, which eat the nitrite and get out nitrate

3. Plants and nitrate:

   Nitrate happens to be the best food for the plants, which make them grow so fast, so the plants roots absorb the nitrate and water to grow up faster than in any other system

4. Fish and fresh water:

   After plants have absorbed all the nitrates, fresh water is returned to the fish tank. This is what we call “Aquaponics System Nitrogen cycle” which is the real technique, made by the Aquaponics, a real technique for the most efficient System that produces fresh fish and organic (vegetables / fruits) to every house, and can be turned easily into your home business as well

Aquaponics System Grow-bed Media

If you are experienced with hydroponics you are OK. There is no difference between the normal way of growing plants and the Aquaponics System. The grow-beds can be filled with media such as expanded clay pebbles, gravel, vermiculite, perlite and many other things can be used as media to grow the plants, even floating foam rafts that sit on the water surface.

Aquaponics Systems Fish

A high number of fish can be grown in an aquaponics system fish tank. Many kinds of fish can be bred in Aquaponics systems such as Tilapia, White bass, Crappies, Trout and many other species. Generally we can say it is a very productive fish growing system. Choosing the fish you will be growing depends on many factors, in our Aquaponics Fish help guide, you will find all the necessary information.

Aquaponics Systems Plants

A common question that the beginners always ask: Which plants they can cultivate in an aquaponics system? Ok we can say that all the vegetables and herbs can be grown in the aquaponic farming with no exception, many kinds of fruits too, but choosing the vegetables or fruits that you will be growing in your aquaponics system it will be described later in aquaponics gardening area.

Aquaponics Systems forms

Aquaponics systems differ in form from one system to the other, they can be as simple or as complex according to your desires, let’s have a look:

Home Aquaponics

In this size of system we will have small fish tank, little number of fishes and nice amount of vegetables.

Backyard Aquaponics

In the backyard of your house you can build bigger aquaponics system, like the one made from one IBC (Intermediate Bulk Container). We cut the upper part and put it up side down to make it grow bed and we use the down part as fish tank. There are so many other forms, that can be used in the backyard of your house and we will discuss it later.

Commercial aquaponics

In this case, we are talking about huge aquaponics systems with huge sizes of grow-beds, huge amount of growing fishes and great aquaponic food production. We will be discussing every system alone with lots of details inside our site.