Assembling a Small Scale Aquaponics System

An Aquaponics is the integration of traditional aquaculture with hydroponics. Commercial aquaponics uses methods and equipment from both the hydroponics and aquaculture industries. Effluents from aquatic animals are used by plants as food. In the process, the plants purify water for the aquatic animals. The fish waste provides an organic food source for the plants and the plants act as a natural filter. This nitrogen cycle is at the heart of aquaponics. In hydroponics, special nutrient solutions are have to be constantly introduced for the plants. The resulting salt residues regularly flushed out of the unit. In aquaculture, large amounts of nitrogenous waste are generated by the fish and they have to be removed from the tanks as fast as possible. When the nutrient-rich wastewater from the aquaculture tanks is fed to the plants and plants utilize the nitrogenous waste of fish, effectively cleaning up the water, which can then be recycled. Commercial aquaponics production exists primarily in controlled environments, such as greenhouses or outdoor locations with favourable climates, using methods and equipment that draw from both the hydroponics and aquaculture industries.