A great aquaponics design can make you live a better life, improve your health, save the planet, and even earn some money if you do it right. It is a system that grows fish and plants in a continuous and self-sustaining environment, providing a fresh catch and healthy set of greens to the owner.
There are three types of aquaponics systems – Deep-Water Culture or DWC, Nutrient Film Technique or NFT, and media-based. DWC uses a net pot that dips plant roots into a nutrient solution that is continuously aerated.
NFTs use a pump to transfer nutrient-rich water to the grow tray and recycle it once the plants have been soaked. Media-based systems pump water from a fish tank to a bed that is filled with rock medium, which returns to the fish tank as recycled nutrients for the fish.
Nutritional Cycle
Aquaponics is a system that cycles nutrition for both plants and fish. Waste produced by fish shall be transferred to the media as nutrition and filtered by the plants.
The transferred water returns to the fish tank as nutrition, though you can use other containers, provided they are food-safe and have not been in any contact with harmful chemicals recently.
The fish grows bigger and better because the water they are in is positively charged with nutrients. They have two sources of growth, the fish food you give and the nutrients filtered by the plants.
The plants do not need to be watered anymore because water flows in a cycle. But, you need to expose the medium or container of plants to adequate sunlight or else they will die.
Better Life
You do not need to buy vegetables from the market anymore because you can grow a garden in your backyard. The bigger the aquaponics design, the more vegetables and fish you can collect. The system is self-sustaining.
All you need to do is to feed the fish and provide electricity for the water pump to run. You could not transfer water from the medium to the tank and vice versa without a power source. The plants will not have anything to filter if you do not give food to the fish.
Aquaponics saves you money, time, and energy because they enable you to cultivate food. You do not need to buy fish from the market anymore because you have a school at home waiting for you.
It reduces the time you waste in the grocery or market, shortening your list and making way for other essentials to be bought. You spend less time buying and more time appreciating your talent in sustaining a better lifestyle.
Improve Your Health
The nutrition the fish get is the byproduct of the water fed to them from the fish tank. The fertilizer that the plant uses is the waste produced by the fish. You are guaranteed a natural and organic meal, which can be plentiful if the size of your system is very large.
There is no limit to the number of mediums you can create and link to a fish barrel or tank. You can stack up as many as you want if your space permits appropriate accommodation.
This fosters ingenuity and creativity because you can make it a great display for your guests. It is a viable food source if some members of the family are vegan. Even if you are living alone, you can reduce your expenses while increasing the quality of your health.
Save the Planet
Aquaponics can reduce up to 90% of your household’s water consumption, according to Aquaponics Systems Solutions. The water circulates throughout the system, transferring water from the plants to the fish and vice versa. That 90% you save can be used for other purposes like drinking or bathing.
You save the planet by reducing the amount of ill practices applied to plants and fish. Aquaponics lets you grow your own food on your own terms. By not purchasing crops that rely heavily on pesticides, you help reduce their use and demand. Same goes to fishermen who use dynamite or bottom trawling to gather the riches of the sea.
Earn Some Money
An aquaponics system is also a profitable venture if you can make one for other people. You can convince others that this system can save money in the long run because it can grow food naturally. No longer will you need to go to the market to buy fish or vegetables since you can cultivate them yourself.
You can sell aquaponics systems to people who could not build one themselves or afford ready-made sets. If you want to transform your hobby into a business, you can. There are a lot of websites that talk about Do-It-Yourself systems and general information about aquaponics design. Jot down notes whenever you can to start helping others and yourself.
