aquaponics system with fish tank 1.true win-win situation 2.environement friendly 3.simply operate aquaponics system with grow lightWelcome To The World Of Aquaponics

The term Aquaponics is derived from a combination of the terms Aquaculture i.e. fish farming and Hydroponics which means the growing of plant without soil. The process of Aquaponics combines fish and plants in a “closed” integrated system and it is one of the most efficient methods of farming yet devised. Because its a closed system – meaning that there is no water loss – aquaponics uses at little as a tenth of the amount of water that traditinal farming requires, meaning that it is especially suitable for hot and arid countries.

The system is a fantastic example of a symbiotic relationship. What I mean by this is that the two components of the system – the fish, and the plants, complement each other prefectly and they both contribute equally to the overall success of the process

Aquaponics In Depth

As I mentioned in my first post, Aquaponics is derived from a combination of two different terms – Hydroponics which is the process of growing plants without soil – usually in a solution of nutrient rich water and Aquaculture which is , basically fish farming. Aquaponics brings the best of these two processes together and the end results is nothing short of spectacular. Let me explain exactly how it works.

First Of All – Hydroponics

In Hydroponics plants are grown by supplying them with a nutrient rich solution which is added to water and then fed directly to the plant’s roots. In some cases the plants roots are not even placed into the water directly – they may be suspended without any growing medium and then the nutrified water sprayed on at pre-determined time intervals. In some hydroponics systems the plants are suspended in a growing medium which helps support them and keeps them moist and aerated. Which ever method is used, however, its important that the system is well balanced with the nutrient, water and external conditions such as exposure to sunlight, temperature and protection from the harsh elements such as cold and frost carefully controlled.

Now Lets Look Briefly At Aquaculture

In Aquaculture, nutrient rich water is used to cultivate fish. A wide variety of fish, crustaceans and molluscs can be farmed using aquaculture and with careful managament , yields can be significantly higher than in the wild. Its not without its problems, however, for the  waste water has to be filtered and/or disposed of in some manner to keep the tank water free of toxic buildups. Aquaculture has received some negative press in recent years, particularly in regions where fish farming is carried out on an industrial scale since it has been shown to cause damage to the surrounding eco systems.

So, Lets Bring Them Together – Aquaponics

Whereas Hydroponics and Aquaponics have their pros and cons, when you combine them together you end up with a system that gains all of the benefits but reall, doesnt suffer from many of the down-sides. In aquaponics,  hydroponics and aquaculture are combined to grow plants and fish together in one completely integrated system. This enables the  nutrient rich water from the fish to be pumped to a hydroponic system to provide a food source for the growing plants and the plants in turn provide a natural filter that removes harmful properties from the water which is then returned to the fish in the aquaculture system. Aquaponics is actually a complete ecosystem unto itself where both plants and fish thrive with no waste being thrown off to pollute the earth’s eco system.

Aquaponics is the ideal answer to aquaculturist’s problem of disposing of nutrient rich water and the hydroponic growers’ whose need for nutrient rich water to raise their plants is made available.