Aquaponics is a combination of Aquaculture - the growing (and optional harvesting) or fish and hydroponics - the growing (and again optional harvesting) of plants in growing media using predominantly water.
Plants are grown within growing media which are irrigated from water from the fish tank. The fish wastes serves as fertiliser for the plants, whilst the plants and growing media act as a filter to cleanse the water before being returned to the fish tank.
One of the great benefits of aquaponics is that vegetables grown using aquaponics require just 10% of the water of vegetables grown using traditional techniques. Add to that the benefit of being able to harvest your own fish, and you can see why aquaponics is a growing practice.
As with anything like this, you can spend more money and install a high-tech system, or you can spend less money and install a low-tech system. FOTE members Alan Evans and Gary Warden have installed systems at both ends of the Spectrum.
High-Tech System
Gary used Joel Malcom and Faye Arcaro from Backyard Aquaponics to install a large aquaponics system adjacent to his house in Piesse Brook. The system consists of six large grow beds, a small sump tank and a large 3000 litre fish tank.
The fish tank is stocked with 150 silver perch which are now plate size and ready to harvets.
Gary and his wife Toni have had success in growing lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, beetroot, spring onions, celery, artichokes and capsicums in the grow beds. The system is large enough to provide a large proportion of their fish and vegetable needs.
The six grow beds. Celery and spring onion in the foreground.
Broccoli and young artichokes doing well.
Succulent cos lettuce and spinach.
The 3,000 litre fish tank, covered to keep children and predators out.
A plate-sized silver perch straight from the system.
Low Tech System
Alan Evans and his wife Clare took a different route and built their own small-scale aquaponics system using largely used and recycled materials. Their fish pond is stocked with goldfish for ornamental, and mosquito reduction purposes.
Goldfish pond and the water feature, which provides additional aeration.
Close-up of the goldfish pond and water feature.
Close-up view of goldfish pond and water feature
Grow beds under the norther window.
Close-up view of the grow beds.