Aquaponic Gardening: Growing Fish and Vegetables Together – Mother Earth News - Mother Earth News

What if I told you that you could catch fish for dinner right in your
own backyard? And if you did, what if I told you that right up until you caught
those fish, they were growing the veggies for the rest of your dinner? Would
you believe me? You should! This is all within reach using a new style of
gardening called aquaponics.

Photo by Pixabay

Aquaponics is, at its most basic
level, the marriage of aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (growing
plants in water and without soil) together in one integrated system. The fish
waste provides organic food for the growing plants and the plants naturally
filter the water in which the fish live. The third and fourth critical, yet
invisible actors in this symbiotic world are the beneficial bacteria and
composting red worms. Think of them as the Conversion Team. The beneficial
bacteria exist on every moist surface of an aquaponic system. They convert the
ammonia from the fish waste that is toxic to the fish and useless to the
plants, first into nitrites and then into nitrates. The nitrates are relatively
harmless to the fish and most importantly, they make terrific plant food. At
the same time, the worms convert the solid waste and decaying plant matter in
your aquaponic system into vermicompost. 

 

Any type of fresh water fish works well in an aquaponic system. Tilapia
is perhaps the most widely grown aquaponics fish, but aquaponic gardeners are
also growing catfish, bluegill, trout, and even red-claw crayfish. Not
interested in eating your fish? No problem! Koi, goldfish, and any decorative
fresh-water fish you would purchase from a pet store work as well. In selecting
your fish, however, you do want to pay attention to the temperature at which
they both thrive and survive. Tilapia, for example, can survive down to
temperatures in the low 60s, but they won't thrive until they reach the mid
70's. In contrast, trout will survive up to a maximum temperature of 65, but
won't thrive until their water is in the high 40s to low 50's. 

There are also only a few limits to the types of plants you can grow in
an aquaponics system. In fact, the only categories of plants that won't thrive
in an aquaponics system are plants like blueberries and azaleas that require an
acidic environment to thrive. This is because aquaponic systems stay at a
fairly neutral pH and therefore are a poor environment for plants requiring a
pH of 4.0 – 5.0. 

So can all of this work in any climate? Absolutely…with some protection.
A backyard greenhouse is ideal because not only can you create an ideal
environment for your fish and plants, but the sunlight is free! As an added
bonus, all the water in the fish tank, sump tank and grow beds creates thermal
mass in your greenhouse which helps moderate temperature extremes. If you
aren't fortunate enough to have a backyard greenhouse, you can also grow
inside. Many aquaponics have dedicated their garages and basements to their
aquaponics systems!  

Here is the rest of the good news about aquaponics:

• Aquaponic gardening enables home fish farming. You can now feel good about eating
  fish again.  
• Aquaponic gardening uses 90% less water than soil-based gardening because the water
  is re-circulated and only that which the plants take up or evaporates is
  ever replaced. 
• Aquaponic gardening results in two crops for one input (fish feed). 
• Aquaponic gardening is four to six times as productive on a square foot basis as
  soil-based gardening. This is because with aquaponic gardening, you can
  pack plants about twice as densely as you can in soil and the plants grow
  two to three times as fast as they do in soil. 
• Aquaponic
  systems only require a small amount of energy to run a pump and aeration
  for the fish. This energy can be provided through renewable methods. 
• Aquaponics
  does not rely on the availability of good soil, so it can be set up
  anywhere, including inner city parking lots, abandoned warehouses,
  schools, restaurants, home basements and garages.  
• Aquaponic gardening is free from weeds, watering and fertilizing concerns, and
  because it is done at a waist-high level, there is no back strain. 
• Aquaponic gardening
  is necessarily organic. Natural fish waste provides all the food the
  plants need. Pesticides would be harmful to the fish so they are never
  used. Hormones, antibiotics, and other fish additives would be harmful to
  the plants so they are never used. And the result is every bit as
  flavorful as soil-based organic produce, with the added benefit of fresh
  fish for a safe, healthy source of protein. 
• Aquaponics is
  completely scalable. The same basic principles apply to a system based on
  a 10 gallon aquarium and to a commercial operation. 

Aquaponic gardens are straight forward to set up and operate in your own
backyard or home as long as you follow some basic guidelines. They can even be
constructed using recycled materials, including old bathtubs and commercial
containers used to ship liquid foodstuffs. Or purchase a system kit if you are
not very DIY-inclined. The main point is to set up a system soon and become
fish independent! There is simply no reason to rely on the fish counter
anymore. 

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Sylvia Bernstein has presented at our MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIRS.