Hydroponics has become a popular way to grow plants and it has it’s advantages. But there are also some disadvantages that have turned many people off from hydroponics. Aquaponics is quickly becoming an an alternative to conventional hydroponics for growing truly organic food and solving some of the problems associated with hydroponics.
Vegetables grown with hydroponics are often accused of having a watery or chemical taste from the chemical fertilizers. Some of these systems can also be water intensive, needing water to be flushed and and the excess fertilizer in the system disposed of. Aquaponics is the organic alternative to hydroponics. Instead of adding fertilizer, plants are grown in the same water that fish live in, which is full of natural nutrients from the fish wastes.
Fish are a great companion to plants since they deposit their wastes directly into the water. This is unlike terrestrial animals where their manure would have to be manually moved and mixed into soil or dissolved in water for a hydroponics system. Just not a fun job no matter how you look at it. With aquaponics, you take a hydroponics system and add a fish tank to it. The fish supply all the nutrients and the water is cleaned by the natural bacteria in the system and the plant roots.
This type of system recycles the same water over and over. The balance of life forms keeps the water healthy for both the plants and the fish. With aquaponics, you can grow vegetables with only about 2% of the water that it takes with conventional farming. And you produce both fish and vegetables without the waste water to dispose of that is common with hydroponics and aquaculture (fish farming).
With aquaponics, the nutrients they are receiving are organic and usually fairly balanced. Sometimes you may have to add supplemental nutrients if something is lacking, but this can also often be done by increasing the numbers of fish or by adjusting their diet. The main thing you are adding to the system is fish food. This is an expense but it can easily covered by the fish that it produces. Beyond that, the plant fertilizer is all a free bi-product. You can also grow some or all of your fish food to reduce the cost of fish food.
Hydroponics has its place and it can be a productive way to grow plants. But if you really want to supercharge your hydroponics system, add a fish tank to it and simply turn it into an aquaponics system and produce better quality plants and fish all with the same resources.
Learn everything you need to know about aquaponics with this aquaponics guide. Discover how easy it is to set up and maintain a highly productive system.
Aquaponics can be fun, easy to do, and pretty cheap. Be sure to read my in-depth review “Aquaponics 4 You™” guide by clicking here.
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