If you are thinking of setting up your own aquaponic system but are still not very aware of what this presupposes, then here are some things which will help you understand better its requirements.

The first thing you will need to know about this system is that it combines the principles of aquaculture with those of hydroponic gardening, thus resulting a new and highly effective way of growing plants and fish at the same time. With a tank of no more than 20 square feet and some netted pots you will be able to grow enough plants to supply your entire family and sometimes even gift some to your neighbors.

Because this system heavily relies on fishes (they are the ones providing the food for the plants), you will need to take good care of them in order for the system to give proper results. This means that you will need to make sure that the water has the appropriate temperature, PH level, light as well as the necessary amount of oxygen to accommodate the fish in god conditions. Basically, monitoring the water and feeding the fish is all that you will have to do in order to grow plants in the aquaponic garden. It is quite simple and the results are spectacular.

The great thing about this type of gardening is that you will not need to bend to take care of the plants. Placing the fish tank and the netting pots at the waist level will make all activities you need to do in order to take care of the plants and fish easy as a children’s game. You can say goodbye to digging, bending and stretching to reach as larger surface, and crawling on your knees to take the weeds out of the ground. You will have everything you need at your arms’ reach.

The aquaponic system is suitable for any age as well as for people with any type of activity. It requires little time and it gives great results. As long as you take good care of your fish, your plants will grow bigger and bigger, will develop normally and at the end you will harvest the best veggies you have ever tasted!

Are you looking for a way to keep your children busy and make them more responsible or you are a senior trying to find a profitable activity that will not require too much effort? Are you always on the run and you can never get to the market to buy fresh veggies for your meals? Then why not start an aquaponic garden? It is suitable for all the persons listed above and for many more. In fact, everyone will find this activity enjoyable and rewarding.

For children
This is the perfect way to make your children responsible. They will need to feed the fish each and every day and make sure that the air pump is working perfectly so that the fish get enough oxygen. Also, they will have to monitor the state of the vegetables and when they get yellowish they need to announce you. These are not easy tasks, but will give them a sense of responsibility and will know that someone relies on them. Also, they will be able to see how fish and plants grow, which will expand their knowledge about the vegetable and animal world.

For working adults
Vegetables are essential for a good nutrition, yet you can not always find fresh, organic veggies in the market. With an aquaponic garden in your house you will have fish and veggies for your family without depending on the market. Also, you will save some money without investing too much of your precious time.

For retired seniors
When retirement comes, many people seek activities which do not require too much effort. Aquaponic gardening will keep you occupied for a while, yet without getting over your entire day. In addition to that it will spare them of going to the market to buy veggies, it will help them save some money and at the same time will not require too much effort. If they place the system at their waist level they will not need to bend or stretch, which will make this activity far more pleasant.

No matter what age group you are a part of, aquaponics can prove to be rewarding for you. Give it a try and you will never want to live without this system!

This is one of the most common questions around people who first learn about aquaponics. If you do not change the water, nor clean it in any way, what happens with the excrement fish leave behind? Well in order to answer to this question we must go back to the very basic principle on which aquaponics relay.

Aquaponics is a way of taking advantage of the interdependence which can be created between fish and plants. Fish are placed in a tank and left there for a while. The goal is to keep them alive so that they eat and poop in a normal way, as the fish poop will be used as food for the plants. This may sound quite strange at first as the fish excrement contain ammonia, which is toxic for the fish and may endanger their lives.

This problem is solved naturally, as the ammonia is decomposed, in the presence of oxygen, into nitrites and afterwards nitrates, which are beneficial for the plants. When the amount of nitrites reached the appropriate level, seeds are propagated in netting pots. From them plants grow and assimilate the nitrates, thus leaving the water fresh and clean for the fish.

A full cycle takes up to 3 months, this is why it is recommended that the seeds will be propagated after 3 months from the acquisition of the fish. Because this is a continuous cycle, there will not be periods in which the plant will not have enough supplies to grow, unless the fish are not in good condition. Thus, apart from the fact that you grow fish for your meals, you will also need the fish poop to set the aquaponic system as this is the starting point of the entire business.

Great things start indeed from simple things, as you can see! Thus if you hated cleaning your fish tank, this aquaponic system will solve your problem and will give you fresh, healthy and organic veggies for you and your family. With so many advantages, you should really give it a try! It will be easier than keeping only a fish tank in your home and will certainly be more convenient!

Growing your own crops can be a demanding task even for those in loved with gardening. Is a time consuming activity and it requires lots of energy and dedication. In addition to that, a traditional garden requires fertile land which will sustain your efforts of growing some corps. These are the main reasons for which many people give up their dream of growing their own vegetables and switch on organic food. What most people do not know is that there is a way of growing organic food (pesticide and chemical free) in the comfort of your home. Yes, you read it perfectly: inside your house.

This new type of farming is called aquaponics and is the simplest way to become a farmer! The best part is that you will not only grow vegetables, but you will also grow fish, so that you can offer your family a diversified nutrition. It all starts quite simple, with a plain tank filled with water in which you place some fish. You can go for Chinese Catfish, Crappie, Bluegill or Koi, or whatever species of fish you are allowed to grow in your house. Put them in the water, take good care of them and in about a month place the seeds so that they can reach the water and get the nutrients from it. The plants will develop and start growing with the nutrients offered by the fish. In the meantime, the fish will enjoy a clean environment as the plants will act as “maids” for them, cleaning and refreshing their water each and every day.

As you can see this type of farming does not require any type of land, fertilizers or chemical substances. Just set up the system and make sure that the water has the normal PH so that the fish will live comfortably in there. Then, let nature follow its course!

You can grow almost everything you want in the aquaponic farming. Leafy greens, fruity plants and legumes can all be planted in the aquaponic farming. If you have a piece of land where you cultivate ground-based plants (potatoes, carrots, asparagus, onions, garlic and so on) you can use this water to irrigate it and the results will be spectacular!

Nothing can compare to the easiness, safety and great results of the aquaponic farming! You have everything at the reach of your hand without too much effort and what is even more important, without using any chemical additives to your crops.

It has been proved that plants have a positive effect on people. Apart from oxygenating the room in which they are placed, they also have a benefit effect upon people’s mood. This is the reason for which more and more people choose to decorate their apartment with natural plants. Yet, what if you can have more benefits from the plants inside your house?

Aquaponics offers you the possibility to grow your own organic vegetables in your home and at the same time use them for decoration. This way you not only will enjoy the beauty of green plants inside your home, but you will also save some money and enjoy the taste of your freshly harvested crops. In addition to that, you will say goodbye to the ground, which in some cases brought parasites in your house.

The aquaponic system is made up if a fish tank, some specially designed netted pots and some few more accessories which can be assembled in such a way as to look great wherever you choose to place it in your house. The tank is for the fish which will provide your plants bio-nutrients and the netted pots are for the seeds. Once you will place the seeds in their special place you will be able to observe them growing day by day. This will not only give you a good feeling of producing something yourself, but will also guarantee you that you have full control over the quality of your crops. You can plant your seeds at different times of the year, so that you will always have crops ready to be harvested when you need them. The alternation between young and mature plants will look great in your house and you will get to enjoy both their looks and their taste each and every day!

In addition to that, there will be also the fish which will enhance the beauty of your room and will add something special to it. Choose some colorful fish for an even more beautiful aspect. With such a system you will combine the aesthetics with practicality which can only bring you great results and satisfaction.

Aquaponic gardens can give you lots of fresh vegetables and tasty fish, they are great for any type of home as well as for any age and occupation you may have. However, they will not take care of themselves! It is true that they require very little care, but it is essential that you give them those few minutes a day each and every day in order to obtain very good results and keep the farm producing for a long period of time.

The major process in aquaponics is aeration. If the water is properly aerated, then your fish will be happy and your plants will grow normally. On the other hand, if the water is not properly oxygenated, then there are very few chances that your farm will survive for more than a couple of days.

The reasons why aeration is so important are quite simple and easy to understand for everybody. First of all, the dissolved oxygen is necessary for the fish to breathe. Even though the fish live under water they still need to breathe and just like in case of other animals, they need oxygen to survive. When they lack oxygen they die, thus the balance from your aquaponic system is lost and in a matter of days your plants will start to get yellowish and eventually die out.

As this was not enough, the fish excrement are decomposed and transformed from toxic ammonia into useful nitrates in the presence of oxygen. Thus, if the water is not properly aerated the fish poop will not be transformed, the plants will have nothing to eat, while the fish will die intoxicated with ammonia. This is not a very pleasant perspective, isn’t it? This is why you will have to monitor the quality of your water each and every day and have a back-up plan in case the power gets off and the air pumps will no longer be able to function. This is the only way through which you can save your aquaponic system and make it work for a long period of time. Your plants and your fish will thank you for that!

Starting an aquaponic garden can be quite an easy task, especially for those who have already tried the hydroponic system. Yet, many people still have doubts about the effectiveness of such a system. If you are one of them, then you probably want to know more about the aquaponic system and about the way in which it is going to change your life. Well, read on and part of your questions will get their answers.

First of all it must be mentioned that the aquaponic system is not meant in any way at modifying the plants which are going to be put in the netting pot. No substance will speed their growth and no additional, human help will be given for the crops to be available earlier than they would be if cultivated in the ground. What aquaponics does is only to replace the ground with water filled with naturally obtained nutrients from the fish.  Thus, if you are looking for a system which will provide you with tomatoes in just a couple of weeks, then you are definitely in the right place.

The aquaponic system is all natural, which means that the plant will follow the normal stages in its development and will grow as if it were planted in the ground. So, in order to properly estimate the time when you will have the first crops look on the package and see how much time that particular plant needs to grow in the ground as that is the exact time in which you will have your fist crops.

If you start your aquaponic garden now, then you will have to add about 3 month to the date from the seed package, as you will not be able to plant the seeds until the ammonia from the fish excrements will turn into nourishing substances and the process will take about 3 months. No fertilizers or chemical substances which can speed plant growing can be used as this will kill the fish and eventually ruin your aquaponic garden, but you can skip those 3 months by inserting nitrates in the water from the first days you purchase the fish tank.

Vegetables grown in aquaponic gardens need as much time to develop as the ones grown in the ground, which guarantees you tasty and healthy vegetables. So, there is no need to be suspicious or doubtful about the quality of the crops obtained through the aquaponic system. They are as tasty and healthy as can be, sometimes healthier than what you find on the market!

Planting the seeds in your aquaponic garden is much easier than putting them in the ground. You just have to put them on a netting pot and … this is it! Then you just have to wait for them to start vegetating and grow. However, there is one little aspect you must know before placing the seeds and that is – the ideal moment when the seeds should be planted.

Many people purchase the fish, place them in the tank and in the same day they also place the seeds in the pots. This is by far the worst way of approaching aquaponics as the seeds, even though will grow and develop up to a certain point, they will die in a matter of days after they finish their own supplies if there are no nutrients in the water on which they can feed.

Thus, the perfect moment to place the seeds in the pots is when the fish excrement have turned into nutrients. The process through which you can obtain nutrients for your plants is quite simple. After you place the fish into the tanks, they will start freeing excrement into the water. Because the excrement contain ammonia, they are highly toxic for the fish. However, do not worry about that, as this issue is solved by nature itself. There are bacteria which transform the ammonia into nitrites and then into nitrates. In order for your plants to grow you need nitrates, so once the process of decomposing and transforming ammonia is over, the water will be ready to support the plant seeds.

The entire process can take up to 3 months, time in which you should not place any type of seeds in the pots as they will certainly die. There are also ways to speed up the process by inserting nitrates into the water before the fish excrement can transform. However, many people do not like to interfere in nature’s way. However, no matter what way you choose, it is recommended to monitor the amount of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates from the water, so that you can always know the quality of your water for both your fish and your vegetables.

Planting the seeds at the right time is essential if you want good crops and healthy fish, so monitor the quality of your water permanently, before and after planting. It is the only way through which you can obtain good crops.

Aquaponics is a new way of approaching farming. Unlike traditional agriculture where you needed plants to grow vegetables, with aquaponics you need water and fish in order to have healthy food on your table each and every day. Basically, aquaponics relies on the interdependence between fish and plants: the fish produces bio-nutrients for the plants, while the plants clean the water, creating a perfect environment for the fish to grow and develop. It is a blend of aquaculture and hydroponics that has plenty of advantages. If you need some reasons to get your own aquaponic system started, then here are some of the advantages you will get once you assemble it.

First of all you will have fresh organic food on your table each and every day, regardless of the hour when you decide to cook your meals. You simply take your tomato, cucumber of your basil from the aquaponic “field” and use it for your meals. It is as easy as it sounds.

The second best thing about it is that you not only grow vegetables, but you also have plenty of fish. Whether you want them for cooking tasty meals or simply for your décor, they are a great addition in your home! They also have a practical purpose, as you will never have to use chemical fertilizers on your plants, thus obtaining real organic food.

If you ask how difficult is this system to put in practice, the answer is extremely simple. Not only will you be able to assemble it all by yourself, without the help of your family or neighbors, but you can also put it wherever you want. If you move from one house to another, then you simply disassemble the system and take it with you! What can be easier than that?

Another great advantage of the hydroponic farming is that it offers you financial independence and control over your money. You know exactly how much you need to spend on your food and you will no longer depend on the market for your veggies’ supplies.

Last, but not least, it involves no dirty hands and clothes, no bending and digging, no land and little maintenance time, so it will be like your veggies and fish grow all by themselves! Quite an easy to put in practice system, suitable for all types of people, even for busy and impatient ones!

There are plenty advantages that the aquaponic system can offer you! Your health and your comfort will be improved, while your savings will considerably grow with the constant use of the aquaponic type of farming! If this is what you want, then why not give it a try?

Setting up an aquaponic system, although quite an easy task, requires some basic knowledge of aquaponics. If you have decided to install such a system in your house, then you probably know what this is and how it could help you. However, there may still be things which can interest or help you. Below you will find 5 essential things which you should know in order to obtain spectacular results.

Location

The place where you put your aquaponic system is highly important for the way in which the plants and the fish will develop. In order to obtain great results you should make sure that the temperature from the room is not too high, nor too low, that there is enough light for the plants to prepare their food and that no wind or extreme weather conditions will reach them. Also, make sure that no harming chemical substances can get inside the water as this means death for both your fish and your plants.

Oxygenating the water

The happier your fish are, the better your system will work! This is why you need to oxygenate the water on a daily basis and make sure your fish have all the “comfort” they need.

Choosing your fish accordingly

The aquaponic system works well with almost all types of fish. Yet, there are states in which you are not allowed to grow whatever type of fish you want, so you will want to see what types of fish you are allowed to have before starting your aquaponic system as you do not want any problems with the law.

Placing the pots

In order to make the harvest much easier, you should place the pots or the entire system at your waits level. This way you will not have to bend over, making the daily care routine a much easier activity.

Adding additives

There are cases in which your fish may not provide all the nutrients needed for your plants. If the quantity is lower than what the plants need, then you will have to supply them with the respective substances. In most cases you will need to add iron, calcium carbonate or potassium carbonate.

Aquaponics is an easy activity which will provide you with the necessary vegetables and fish in a short amount of time. Just follow the tips mentioned above and you will have great success in your attempt to grow organic food in your home.