With all the problems with food that you see on the news nowadays it's no wonder people are looking at aquaponics plans to see if they can help them grow some organic food at home.
As you may have noticed... aquaponics sounds quite a lot like hydroponics and while they are a little bit similar there are some huge differences.
Hydroponics is quite difficult to maintain while aquaponics is very simple. I'll explain in a little bit more detail. Hydroponics requires you to take measurements of the water, mix up fertilizer solutions and produces produce that tastes watery.
Aquaponics solves that by getting rid of the need to fertilize and instead uses fish to do that job for you. Instead of you doing a ton of work all that you need to do is feed the fish every day, top up the water a couple times a week and pick any veggies that are ready to be picked.
Before getting started with your aquaponics plans be sure to follow these tips and you can be picking organic vegetables in a little less than a month!
The size of your system really depends upon how big your tank is. If it's going to be an indoor system I recommend using an aquarium tank that's 20 Gallons or so.
Don't let yourself think that all you can grow is tomatoes and lettuce! By using different types of beds you can grow any plant under the sun so grow things you've only dreamed about!
There are only a couple mechanical things you need for your aquaponics plans. The first is a submersible pump and the second is some sort of filtering system (any inexpensive one from an aquarium shop rated for your tank size will do).
When building/running your system always ensure that you use materials that are food safe (ie. aquarium safe silicone).
One important factor that is often overlooked is that if you are going away (overnight) always make sure you've made arrangements for someone to check in once a day. Problems are rare, but if a pump dies it's best to replace it right away.
If you're interested in getting started with some aquaponics plans there are several places you can find them online. You'll thank me later because they will teach you how to build it as well as how to maintain your system.
The thing to keep in mind is just because aquaponics sounds like hyrdoponics doesn't mean that aquaponics is by any means difficult. Even if you have no handyman skills you can set up a system. Once it's set up all you need to do is feed the fish and top off the water.
Of course enjoying your organic vegetables that you grow is a given. To your success!
