An Aquaponics Explanation
Since most people in this country, and certainly around the world, have never heard of the term, an aquaponics explanation is simply the technique ofthe melding of two completely different methods of farming, brought together to form a symbiotic relationship that is greater than the sum of the two parts.
In other words fish+plants=food created by more productive means.
The term aquaponics actually is a combination of the words hydroponics (the growth of plants in water) and aquaculture (the growth of fish - or other marine creatures - in captivity).
Water flows constantly or semi- constantly through the plant growing beds and recirculates through the fish tanks, causing the plants to be fed naturally by the fish water and waste, and the fish to receive clean, aerated water back from the plants in gratitude.
This creates a sustainable ecosystem that is not only more productive than either method alone, but is very earth friendly, requiring much less space with more productivity and less water loss than conventional dirt farming.
To break it down even more, the fish eat, then excrete nitrogen and broken down fertilizer into the water, the water is then circulated to the plants that use bacteria to utilize the nitrogen and fertilizer, thus filtering the water, cleaning out the impurities for the benefit of the fish.
The water thus becomes completely usable by the fish without adding chemicals or filters of any other kind except the plant roots and nitrogen loving bacteria.
Another thing we all know about plants is that they use CO2 and exchange it for oxygen, another necessity for the health of the fish.
What could be more perfect?There's more! The quantity of usable water on this planet is being slowly lost due to human wastefulness.
The amount of water that is used by a recirculating aquaponics system is actually just 10% of what an outdoor dirt garden uses!In this gardening method, being a perfect ecosystem, it is possible with the right greenhouse conditions and a bit of expertise, to grow as much as 15 times what typical outdoor dirt gardening can produce, keeping in mind the effect of extending the growing season in an indoor greenhouse.
The loss due to pests is also controllable in an enclosed environment, adding another method of increased production.
This method of farming is fairly new to agriculture, its roots only going back to the 1970's.
Until that time the two methods had not been used together to any extent, but with the system becoming more well tested and studied, especially in this time of "going green", this may be the new farming wave of the future.
Since it can be done on a small scale with little space or money required to get started,it may become the way more of our future food is produced.
Which is much healthier for us - and the earth as well!
In other words fish+plants=food created by more productive means.
The term aquaponics actually is a combination of the words hydroponics (the growth of plants in water) and aquaculture (the growth of fish - or other marine creatures - in captivity).
Water flows constantly or semi- constantly through the plant growing beds and recirculates through the fish tanks, causing the plants to be fed naturally by the fish water and waste, and the fish to receive clean, aerated water back from the plants in gratitude.
This creates a sustainable ecosystem that is not only more productive than either method alone, but is very earth friendly, requiring much less space with more productivity and less water loss than conventional dirt farming.
To break it down even more, the fish eat, then excrete nitrogen and broken down fertilizer into the water, the water is then circulated to the plants that use bacteria to utilize the nitrogen and fertilizer, thus filtering the water, cleaning out the impurities for the benefit of the fish.
The water thus becomes completely usable by the fish without adding chemicals or filters of any other kind except the plant roots and nitrogen loving bacteria.
Another thing we all know about plants is that they use CO2 and exchange it for oxygen, another necessity for the health of the fish.
What could be more perfect?There's more! The quantity of usable water on this planet is being slowly lost due to human wastefulness.
The amount of water that is used by a recirculating aquaponics system is actually just 10% of what an outdoor dirt garden uses!In this gardening method, being a perfect ecosystem, it is possible with the right greenhouse conditions and a bit of expertise, to grow as much as 15 times what typical outdoor dirt gardening can produce, keeping in mind the effect of extending the growing season in an indoor greenhouse.
The loss due to pests is also controllable in an enclosed environment, adding another method of increased production.
This method of farming is fairly new to agriculture, its roots only going back to the 1970's.
Until that time the two methods had not been used together to any extent, but with the system becoming more well tested and studied, especially in this time of "going green", this may be the new farming wave of the future.
Since it can be done on a small scale with little space or money required to get started,it may become the way more of our future food is produced.
Which is much healthier for us - and the earth as well!