The Benefits of Aquaponics System

The Benefits of Aquaponics System

Growing fish in a tank can be a fun activity. Watching it grows into creatures with unique color patterns which gracefully swim inside the aquarium gives a sense of serenity. So does growing plants. The activity is perfect for us who loves nurturing and watching things grow.

Unfortunately, both of the activities can also be very demanding. Fish does not only swim around prettily, it has by-products such as ammonia and minerals which make cleaning fish tanks is supposed to be a regular activity. Plants would not grow if do not constantly take care of them: water them, fertilizes them, kill the weeds around them. These activities can be tiring because they take too much time and work so we have less leisure time to enjoy. What if there is a way to combine the two and make our work a lot of easier?

The technique is called aquaponics.  Aquaponics is the combination between aquaculture and hydroponics which result in a symbiosis which benefits each other. Aquaculture is the act of fish keeping or fish breeding while hydroponic is the activity of planting without soil as a growing medium. Both techniques, when done separately, still produced byproducts and required constant attention. Yet, when we combine them together, it is just like creating a magic.

Aquaponics uses the constant water flow from fish tanks to plants. The core of the system is to provide the optimum water flow for each commodity with a good recirculation system. With aquaponics, we can ensure that the plants get the nutrition it needs because they absorb the byproducts of fish. On the other hand, it will be easier to get a clean water source which is appropriate for growing fish, especially in a narrow area.

Why aquaponics is better than traditional gardening

Aquaponics is a space and water-efficient method which can be used to plant many kinds of vegetables. Because it saves space, we can do it anywhere. In the cities where the growing space is very limited, planting with the method can be very effective. With the system, food production is no longer limited by space.

Aquaponics is not only good for the plants because fish provides nutrients, but it is also good for the fish. If the water inside the tanks is not passed on, it will be toxic for the fish. The bacteria on the roots of the plants turn fish byproducts into nutrients for plants. The plants then function as a natural filter to degrade toxins into harmless substances for fish.

With aquaponics, we do not have to weed out, do the soil work, and other processes to prepare the media. We do not even need artificial fertilizers to support the growth of the plants. As a result, we can have healthy organic products that we do not even need to water manually every day.

The system is perfect not only to be applied in small scale basis like in our houses or apartments, but can also be good for large scale garden/fish farms.