Aquaponics and you

Aquaponics could help you live a healthier lifestyle.

What is aquaponics?

A system of aquaculture in which the waste produced by farmed fish or other aquatic animals supplies nutrients for plants grown hydroponically, which in turn purifies  the water.

What is hydroponics?

The cultivation of plants by placing the roots in liquid nutrient solutions rather than in soil; soilless growth of plants.

What could aquaponics do for me?
The short answer is, it could allow you to grow a garden or plants indoors, because the space it requires is dependent on how big you want it, scaling from a bamboo plant in a beta bowl to something on a much larger scale.

The long answer.  The meat and potatoes.  The reason you most likely are here reading.  Traditional hydroponics and aquaponics completely redefine farming.  No longer do we need to slave over that patch in the yard that never gets enough sun, or it's always over grown.  Never again must you say you can't have a tomato plant on the 17th floor of a high rise.  We the small people have a way to fight back, a hydroponic garden.

Hydroponics can grow everything faster and uses substantially less water and with a lot less effort.  How?  You may ask.  Shockingly enough it's easier then you may have thought.

First, aquaponics uses substantially less water then almost everything.  There is virtually no water loss except for evaporation.  Second, aquaponics is generally grown in a contained environment, so there is zero weeding to be done.  Ever.  

So with virtually zero water loss and just about the only maintenance you have to do if feed the fish daily(or get a 7+ day auto feeder) and harvest your crops.  With an idea like that it seems crazy not to learn about it.  Now I'm feeling like an infomercial, but I promise I am not selling anything.  Only educating.

I built an aquaponics system for an initial upfront cost of under $200.  $170.06 to be exact.  Now with a few extras over time, mostly for convenience it brings the cost to about $300.  The $170 system included fish, light bulbs, fish food, the tank, media, and seeds.  The $300 system included things like improved lights, a second light fixture, a worm starter kit, and electrical timers etc.

Size, cosmetics, and overall thriftiness will contribute to most of your cost.  For example I saw a set up that used soda bottles(as the grow bed) connected with flex tubing and a sump.  Google search "unique aquaponics setups" and you can easily see some of the budget points in other peoples creations.  Speaking on creations don't be afraid to be creative.

Ok, we haven't really talked about how aquaponics could work for you.  If you live in downtown a yard is the sidewalk.  That doesn't give you much room to start a garden, right?  Wrong!  Honestly possibly one of the very few reasons when being wrong is good.  You can grow tomatoes in that skyrise or cucumbers in your condo.  Deer ate your green beans again, you can have an aquaponics system anywhere.

While I was with my neighbor last night she read my rough draft of this article and she stated something along the lines of "where would I possibly put this".  We started looking on Instagram and Google to see other peoples "small aquaponic setups", this trailed into a conversation of aquaponics vs hydroponics from a running cost perspective which we unanimously agreed that the cost of growing hydro is more expensive then buying fish food.    What we found made my night.  Target sells a beta bowl aquaponics system. Here.  Now that link does not send you directly to Target.  It links to the manufacturer.  I do not support or endorse that product.  Mention of it is for informational and or educational purposes only. 

If anyone wants more information on the aquaponics system I created, check it out on Instagram @Urbangardenman.

I hope you enjoyed the article,  and don't be afraid to garden outside the box.

~Daved1058