What is Aquaponics?
A relatively new science
WikipediA defines it as:
Aquaponics has
“a sustainable food production system
that combine a traditional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as
snails, fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks)
with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water)
in a symbiotic environment.”
only started to
yrs
appear in the
mainstream
in the last...
What are the benefits
of Aquaponics?
Food on your plate which hasn’t
travelled across globe.
Not sprayed with pesticides or
chemical fertilisers
Water is recycled;
good for the environment
Once set up, maintenance levels
are very low.
• The purpose of Aquaponics is to produce
your own food in a sustainable and
completely natural system. • The fundamental element is the bacteria
which converts fish waste into a usable
food source for plants. • The plants filter the water and return it
fresh and clean to the fish. This cycle
is a closed loop system that regularly
produces fruit, veg & salad as well as
edible fish (although ornamental fish
can also be grown if preferred).
Aquaponics:
acteria convert ammonia from fish
B
waste nutrients for plants.
acteria converts fish waste into
B
usable food for plants.
lants filter the water and return
P
it fresh and clean to the fish.
Solves the downsides of
Aquaculture and Hydroponics
Aquaponics:
A closed loop
system
Water in Aquaculture needs filtering to
remove nitrates harmful to fish.
In Hydroponics salts and chemicals build
up and become toxic to plants.
© Greens Horticulture |
Tel: +44 (0)117 9713 000 |
Email: [email protected]
|
www.greenshorticulture.co.uk
What plants can I grow?
What type of fish can I grow?
Some Popular plants include:
Essentially you can grow any type of fresh
water fish. Some popular choices are:
Tilapia
• grow fast
• easy to breed
• white fish
• very mild taste
• In the wild Tilapia mostly live in lakes and still water
•q
uite well suited to a tank, however you will need
to use a water heater.
Try wrapping in foil and cooking with some olive oil,
lime and chillies.
• Mint
• Papaya!
• Cucumber
• Basil
Trout
• fast growth rates
• colder water, between 10 and 20 degrees
• need water pumps to ensure a better flow
of water and oxygen around the tank
• unsuitable for the Family Unit
• Greens recommend using Production unit at no
more than 0.5kg per 100 litres of water.
• Melon
NB: Be sure not to mix Trout and Tilapia as
you will end up with far fewer Tilapia!
• Spinach
Perch
• relatively small fish
native to the UK
• carnivorous
• diet can be supplemented
with live feeds such as worms
• considered one of the tastiest freshwater fishes
• preferred temperature range is 4-31°C with an
optimum of 22°C.
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
Carp
• Strawberries
• good choice if you
decide not to heat your system
• able to survive through colder spells
• can survive in low oxygenated water
• carnivorous
• wide ranging diet
• preference for insect larvae and worms
• reach their harvest weight approximately 2-3 times
quicker In a heated system than a cold water system.
These are just a few examples of the plants that
can be grown in an aquaponics system.
© Greens Horticulture |
Tel: +44 (0)117 9713 000 |
Once your system is established you could
also consider adding fresh water Prawns
and fresh water mussels.
Email: [email protected]
|
www.greenshorticulture.co.uk
How many fish should I be stocking?
Fishplant, provide the following guidelines per system.
Family unit: Up to 3.5kg
Production unit: Up to 7kg
We would urge you to consider stocking lower levels to reduce fish stress, and you will still obtain
excellent growth rates in your plants.
How quickly will my fish be ready to eat?
Jan
Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Jul
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Tilapia can reach their harvest size of 500g
within 6 months.
Males are more popular as they tend
to grow faster than Females and sizing
is more consistent.
Trout can hit their market size in 9 months (30-40cm).
‘Pan sized’ fish (about 280-400g), will take about 12-18 months.
Perch take about 10 months to reach their harvest size of 100g.
Females grow 20% faster so will be ready to harvest after 8 months.
Carp can reach 600g - 1kg within 12 months in a heated system.
They will take 2-3 times longer in winter temperatures.
Once your system is up and running you will find that your fish will grow at different rates and as
the larger one’s are removed so the next ones will come through and so on. This will provide you
with a regular supply of fish to eat.
© Greens Horticulture |
Tel: +44 (0)117 9713 000 |
Email: [email protected]
|
www.greenshorticulture.co.uk
What do I feed my Aquaponics Fish?
Green’s Horticulture stock
Fishplant Aquaponic food
Is Aquaponics Organic?
Your system cannot be officially certified
organic unless you use organic fish food.
Suitable for Tilapia, Carp & Goldfish
Fishplant fish food is not certified organic. Green’s
are in the process of sourcing organic fish food
elsewhere. Alternatively Black Fly Larvae or
compost worms are perfect food for Trout & Perch.
However if you want a truly organic system, be sure
to feed the worms and black fly an organic diet.
We also stock food for
Duckweed can be used as a supplement, but be
sure to grow it in a separate tank as it is invasive.
Fingerlings (young fish).
Where should I buy my Fish?
Always use a reputable supplier.
• You can always ask to see paperwork to check where the fish stock originated.
• It is possible to order fish by mail order if it is difficult to pick them up in person.
• Do not eat fish that have been bought for ornamental purposes.
How important is the bacteria & where does it come from?
The bacteria is an essential
part of your Aquaponics
system, without it your
plants would simply die.
There are 100’s of types of bacteria but we
are concerned primarily with: nitrosomonas
& nitrobacter which functions to convert fish
waste into benign nitrates that then fertilize
the plants in the system’s Grow Bed.
© Greens Horticulture |
Tel: +44 (0)117 9713 000 |
Many enthusiasts also like to introduce red worms
into the media bed as they eat excess roots and
help break down waste from fish into a form that
plants are able to use. • The grow bed where the bacteria (and maybe
worms) live is also known as the bio-filter.
• The process of establishing bacteria is called
cycling the system. This can be done with or
without fish depending on your preference.
• Green’s Aquaponics systems all include the
FishPlant starter kit which includes live bacteria
and food to get colonization started.
Email: [email protected]
|
www.greenshorticulture.co.uk
Where can I put my Aquaponic System?
• You will need access to electricity to supply
the pump so take this into consideration.
You can put it where
you like! - within reason.
• some fish will require warmer conditions,
so bear that in mind when deciding which
fish to stock.
Popular places for an Aquaponic
system are:
in the Garden
or Greenhouse
Summary – Key Benefits
So remind me, why should I be interested?
• Grow your own fruit, veg, salad & fish at home
and taste food as it should taste
• Harvest your food when it’s ripe and ready
to eat (compare to supermarket food)
• Enjoy a very healthy, low fat, high protein diet
• Running an Aquaponics system is easy. Setting
up requires a bit of concentration, but once
it’s up and running maintenance is very
straightforward.
• Help the environment and take the strain
off over-stretched food chains
• Be confident where your food comes from
Save
s
• No digging weeds
• It’s educational, a great way for kids to
learn about food and the environment
• It’s fun!
Save money.
To buy, set-up and run a family unit will cost £x* in
the first year, and will become more efficient as
your system stabilizes. Compare this to the cost of
buying just a small organic veg box each week
for a year £13 x 52 = £676
* cost for unit size/type of fish (heated or unheated)
/cost of stocking fish
Where can I learn more?
To get a complete understanding
of Aquaponics, we recommend
the industry bible:
© Greens Horticulture |
Tel: +44 (0)117 9713 000 |
Aquaponic
Gardening’
by Sylvia Bernstein.
Email: [email protected]
|
www.greenshorticulture.co.uk