hydroponics

Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil). Aquaponics combines these two techniques in a recirculating, closed loop system that grows fish and plants simultaneously. Since aquaponics is a closed loop system, no resource is wasted, making it more efficient than aquaculture, hydroponics, and traditional agriculture.

How Aquaponics Works

How does it Work?

In an aquaponics system there are two components: a fish tank and a grow bed.

When the fish are fed, they produce waste in the water of the fish tank. This water containing fish waste is then pumped from the tank to a grow bed. Bacteria that naturally occur in the grow bed convert the waste into plant fertilizer. The plants in the grow bed then use the fertilizer to grow, simultaneously filtering the water of its contents. The clean water then drains or is pumped from the grow bed back into the fish tank. Then the cycle repeats.

Additional information can be found on these sites:

What is Aquaponics?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquaponics

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com

Everything started with hydroponics:

When my good friend and next door neighbor, Seant Allen, brought a hydroponic “top-feeder” system he designed and built at his home in San Diego to Santa Barbara I quickly became fascinated with process of growing plants in a soilless medium.

Hydroponics “Top-Feeder” Built by Seant Allen

Seant, who had learned from a horticulture major, began to explain to me everything he was taught. And we began to grow:

Hydroponics and Compost Tea (front)

We brewed our own compost tea and grew Basil, Corn, and Tomato plants at first… But we quickly expanded operations.

Hydroponic “Top-Feeder” Built by Myself

The green “top-feeder” filled with Romain Lettuce, Red Lettuce, and Strawberries I built myself modeled after his original design. Alas it was the start of winter and studies prevented my friend and I to continue our hydroponic adventure.