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AquaponicsAquaponics....

Grow your own everything

Table of Contents2. Introduction4. What is Aquaponics5. PersonalBenefits7. EnvironmentalBenefits8. Systems 10. How to build a home system16. Maintenance

IntroductionAquaponics is a combination of hydroponics and Aquaculture. It uses the idea offishwastetofertilizeplants;thoserootsgoasfarbackasAsianandSouthAmerica.TheAztecsbuiltcanalsandartificialislandstogrowcropsinnutrientrich mud.

TheChinesefollowedintheirfootstepsinwhichcatfish,ducksandplantsgrewtogether,duckswerehousedincagesoverfishpondsthepondsprocessedthewasteandthecatfishlivedonthewastetheflowedfromthefishpond,thewaterwasusedtoirrigatericeandvegetablecrops.

Inthe1980sNorthCarolinagraduatestudentMarkMcMurtyandDoughSandercreatedthefirstknownclosedloopaquaponicssystem.Fishtankswereusedtotrickle-irrigatetomatoesandcucumbersinsandbedsthatfunctionedasfiltersaswell.Asthewaterdrainedfromthesandbedsitwasrecalculatedbackintothefishtanks.

What is Aquaponics ?Aquaponicsconsistsoftwoparts,theaquaculturepartforraisingfishandthehydroponicspartforgrowingplants.Freshwaterfisharethemostcommonaquaticanimalraisedusingaquaponics,althoughfreshwatercrayfishand prawns are also sometimes used. Tilapia is considered the most popular fishforhomethatareintendedtoraiseediblefish.Thefivemaininputstothesystemarewater,oxygen,light,feedgiventotheaquaticanimals,andelectricitytopump,filter,andoxygenatethewater.Intermsofoutputs,anaquaponicssystemmaycontinuallygrowplantssuchasvegetablesgrowninhydroponics,andedibleaquaticspeciesraisedinanaquacultureenvironment.Aquaponicssystemsdonottypicallydischargeorexchangewaterundernormaloperation,butinsteadrecirculateandreusewater

What is Aquaponics ?Aquaponics system is a food production process which combines tradition-al aquaculture with hydroponics. The animals and plants in an aquaponics systemhaveasymbioticrelationship.Effluentsfromaquaticanimalsareusedbyplantsasfood.Intheprocess,theplantspurifywaterforfish.

Aquacultureandhydroponicfarmingtechniquesprovidethebasisforaquaponicssystemsintermsofcomplexity,sizeandthetypesoffoods/plantsgrowninaquaponicssystems.

Plantsproducemorefoodthanplantsthatgrowinagarden.Theyieldcanbeanywhere from 5 to 20 times more food in less time. Vegetablesplantswillgrowfasterthanplantsthataregrowninsoil. Theamountofspaceforaquaponicsismuchlessthanatraditionalgarden.The system is easy to build. They are easy to maintain. Afterthesystemisconstructedthemaintenancebecomesalmostcare-free. Allthematerialandpartsforthesystemareavailableatyourlocalgarden supplyorbuildingsystemstore. Yousavemoneywhenyougrowyourownfish,fruits,andvegetables. The best part. You get to eat healthy, fresh organic food and fresh fish that you grow !

The cost for electricity for a small pump may be less than $15 per month. This cost can be reduced with solar panels or a small wind turbine. Theclosedsystemuseabout80%lesswaterthansoilgardening. Aquaponicgrowingisthatitgrows100%chemicalfree,allnaturalproduce.Ifanychemicalorsyntheticpesticides,herbicides,orfertilizersareused,thefishcoulddie,effectivelykillingyoursystemgenerator! Mostapprovedorganicpesticidescouldkillthefish. Aquaponicsenergyusageisfrom70%to92%lessthanaconventionalgrowing.

SystemsThere are 3 Types of systems

Media Filled Bedsusecontainersfilledwithclayrockmediumorsimilar material.MediaFilledbedsarebasicallythesimplestaquaponicssystems.Fishtankwaterispumpedovermediafilledbedsasplantsgrowinclayrockmedia.Mediafilledbedshavecontinuouswaterflowsystemsorfloodanddrainsystems.

Nutrient Film Technique, water is rich in nutrients and pumped into small enclosedgutters.Plantsaregrowninsmallcupswhichallowrootstoabsorbnutrientsandwater.Itisimportanttounderstandthatthewaterflowingresemblesathinfilmhencethenutrientfilmtechnique.It’salsoimportanttonotethatitisnotsuitableforalltypesofplants.ThebestplantstogrowusingNFTsystemsareleafygreenvegetables.Otherplants,particularlylargerplantshavebigandinvasiverootsystemsthustheyarenotsuitable.

Systems Deep Water Culture involvesgrowingfloatingplants.Thissystemallowsplantrootstohangintowater.DWCisacommonmethodofgrowingplantsincommercial industries. The method can be practiced in many ways such as floatingfoamraftsontopoffishtanksorpumpingwaterfromthefishtanktofloatingraftswithplantsfloatingonwatersurfaces.

How to Build your Home SystemMaterials Tape measureMarkerpen2 ½” hole saw Hand drillPipe wrenchReciprocatingsawSmallsubmersibleaquarium/pondpump2sturdyplasticstoragebinsLocknutpoolfitting(insidescrewthreadsfor1½”threadedpipe-youcangetthisonlineorfromapoolsupplystore.)-½”elbow1½”threadedmaleadapter(toscrewintolocknutfitting)Stryofaomsheetlargeenoughtofloatinsidetheplantcontainer1”x12”x36”

How to Build your Home SystemTracearoundthethreadsofthelocknutfitting(takethewashersandthenutofffirst).Cutaholewiththe2-holesaw

Placethepaperflangeandrubberwasheronthelocknutfittingandpushfittingthroughthehole.

Placetheotherrubberwasheronthebacksideoftheholeoverthelocknutfittingandthenscrewdownthefittingwiththenutprovided.Tightenthenutwith a pipe wrench. Screw the threaded male adapter into the front of the finishedlocknutfitting.

Markthepipesothattheelbowwillprotrudeenoughsothatthewaterwilldrainfromtheplanttankintothefishtank.

Cut the pipe.

How to Build your Home SystemInsertpipeintothemaleadapter.(Thereisnoneedtogluethesepipesand fittingsatthistime).

Press the elbow on the pipe end and face the elbow down. Then place another smallpieceofpipeonthedownfacingendoftheelbow (facingintowhatwillbethefishtank)

Levelthespacethatthetankswillberestingon. (Makesureitislevelinalldirections.)

Placethetanksintheirrespectivepositions (fishtankonbottom,planttankabove).

Prepareyoursubmersiblepumpbyconnectingfittingsandatubetopushwaterfromthefishtankintotheplanttank.

How to Build your Home SystemYoucangetspecificfishtankplastictubingoryoucanuseanoldlaundryhose,bycuttingoffoneoftheends.

Pushthefittingontothehose.

Connectthehoseandfittingtothepump.

Fillthebottomandtoptankswithafewinchesofwatertostartwith. (Donotrunthesubmersiblepumpunlessitisunderwater.)

Placethesubmersiblepumpinthebottomtankofwatersothatitcompletelysubmerged.

Testthepumpbypluggingitintoseeifyourpipeandpumpworktopushthewaterintothetoptank

How to Build your Home SystemGetapieceofStyrofoamandmeasuretheinsideofthetoptank.DrawalinesothatyoucancutoffexcessStyrofoamsothatthepiecewillfloatinsidethetank

Cut the Styrofoam with sharp scissors.

MakesmallholesintheStyrofoamtoholdthestemsofyourplants

YoucantransplantexistingplantsandpushtherootsthroughtheStyrofoam,oryoucangrowyourplantsfromseedandseedlingsasdiscussedinthearticle

Fillthetoptanktothebottomoftheoutlet(locknutfitting)andplaceyourplantsandStyrofoamraftintothetoptank

YoucanplantmultipledifferenttypesofplantsintoeachStyrofoamraft.

How to Build your Home SystemFillyourbottomtanktoanadequatelevelandturnonthepump.(Youcanadjusttheflowofthepumpusingtheswitchonthesideofthepump-soyoucanspeedupthewatercirculation,orslowitdown.)

Nowyouarereadytoinsertthefish.(Makesurethatthefishandthewaterinthetanksareataboutthesametemperaturebeforeplacingthefishintothewa-ter.Youcanshockthemwithabigtemperaturechange.)

nationalgeographic.com/channel/doomsday-preppers/interactives/budget-prep-aqua-ponics-system/

MaintenanceInordertogetthemostoutofyouraquaponicssystem,you’llneedtomakesurethatyou’retakingpropercareofyourfish.Sincetheyarethekeypartofyoursystem,youshoulddoyourbesttoprovidethemwiththethingsthattheyneed.

Whenyou’retryingtodeterminehowtofeedyourfish,youneedtodecidehowmuchyouwillfeedthem,alongwithhowoften.Whenyoufeedyourfish,yourfishshouldbeabletoeatallofthefoodinaroundfiveminutes.

Ifyourfishcannoteatallofthefoodthatyouputin,you’llneedtoremovetheleftoverfood.Youshouldalsoconsiderreducingtheamountthatyouaregivingyourfish.Whenfeedingyourfish,you’llneedtochoosefeedingtimes.

Ifyouhaveasmallamountoffish,youmayneedtofeedyourfishmore frequently so that they will produce the amount of waste that your plants need.Ifyouhavetoomanyfishforyourplants,youcanreducetheamountoftimes that you feed them.

MaintenanceTogetthemostoutofyouraquaponicsfish,youshouldbefeedingwithaqualityfood.Sincethewasteofthefishmakesyourplantsgrow,goodqualityfoodwillprovideyourplantswiththebestnutrientsthattheycanget.Oneoptionoffishfoodiscommercialfishfood.Thisfishfoodiseithercarnivorousor omnivorous.

Thetypeoffishthatyouhavewilldeterminewhichtypeisbetterforyourfish.Commercialfishfoodispackedwithnutrientsthatwillhelpyourfishmature.Thefishfoodismadeupofprotein,carbohydrates,fat,andminerals.

Althoughcommercialfishfeedislikedbymany,otherpeopledecidetogoadifferentroute.Manypeoplegrowtheirownfishfood.Thisoptioncanbeagreatwaytosaveevenmoremoney. Thetypeoffishthatyouhavewilldeterminewhichtypeisbetterforyourfish. Commercialfishfoodispackedwithnutrientsthatwillhelpyourfishmature.Thefishfoodismadeupofprotein,carbohydrates,fat,andminerals.

MaintenanceAlthoughcommercialfishfeedislikedbymany,otherpeopledecidetogoadifferentroute.Manypeoplegrowtheirownfishfood.Thisoptioncanbeagreatwaytosaveeven more money.

Afewofthemostpopularhomemadefishfeedsareduckweed,worms,orlarvae.Duckweedisatypeofplantthatgrowsveryquickly.Thisplanthasalotofprotein thatcanbegreatforyourfish.

Wormscanbeagreatwaytogiveyourfishabitoffood.It’sdifficulttogrowalargeamountofworms,soitcanbeanoccasionalfoodthatyourfishget.Anotheroption,larvaeoftheBlackSoldierFly,canmakeagreatfoodforyourfish.Youcanevenbuya device that will harvest the larvae for you.

Withtheproperknowledge,you’refishwillbethrivinginnotime.Onceyou’velearnedabouthowtofeedyourfish,thetypeoffoodsthattheyneed,andwhentofeedyourfish,you’llsoonseeyourfishmaturingrightbeforeyoureyes.

Sourceshttp://aquaponicsideasonline.com/how-to-care-for-fish-in-an-aquaponic-system

http://www.greenacreaquaponics.com/why-aquaponics/

http://aquaponicsideasonline.com/

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/dooms-day-preppers/interactives/budget-prep-aquaponics-system/