Energy And Sustainability Implications Of Aquaponics
Calculating energy usage is difficult, especially when you are comparing conventional farming with all its energy inputs [Read more…]
How To Have Fun And Make Money With Aquaponics
How To Have Fun And Make Money With Aquaponics
1. Features
- Aquaponics produces fish and vegetables by combining aquaculture and hydroponics. It solves the problems inherent in hydroponics and aquaculture without the costly and unsustainable solutions those methods now use. Our systems use fish tank effluent water as the nutrient solution for an organic hydroponics growing operation. The hydroponics acts as a biofilter for the fish tank water, cleaning and recirculating it so the fish stay healthy.
Aquaponic Inspiration to Get You Moving
Aquaponic Inspiration To Get You Moving
You will build the aquaponic systems that change the way the world grows its food, so that everyone has enough to eat. To do that, you need to understand systems.
[Read more…]
Trough Liner And Construction
Trough Liner And Construction
The original liner material for the troughs that we used in our first systems in 2007 (which is already approved for organic certification by Oregon Tilth) is a 23-mil, 3-layer, 15-year laminated LDPE material [Read more…]
How To Win The War On Bugs, Part 3 (or Aquaponic Pest Control)
How To Win The War On Bugs, Part 3 (or Aquaponic Pest Control)
Insects have lived on the planet Earth for about 350 million years, and have adapted to live just about everywhere, [Read more…]
How To Win The War On Bugs, Part 2 (or Aquaponic Pest Control)
How To Win The War On Bugs, Part 2 (or Aquaponic Pest Control)
When we first started our aquaponics system, I was utterly amazed by the fact there were simply no bugs! I had always heard about how hard it was for organic farmers to fight pests, [Read more…]
Concrete Tanks
Concrete Fish Tank Discussion
Concrete fish tanks (because of their labor and materials costs) usually cost as much or more than solid fiberglass tanks do. However, if you have free gravel and labor, [Read more…]
Fish Tanks
Fish Tank Discussion
We can’t say, “this tank is best”, or “that tank is no good“; because this varies widely depending on what is available locally, local labor costs, climate requirements and other criteria [Read more…]
Growing LOTS Of fish
Growing LOTS Of fish
High Density (HD) Versus Low Density (LD) Systems
Low Density Systems (LD) We developed our LD systems after receiving many requests for an economical, viable, off-grid aquaponics system [Read more…]
So You Still Want To Do An Experiment
So You Still Want To Do An Experiment
This section was all derived from “experiments” done by us or one of our students, with sometimes disastrous results. If it says to not do something in this blog, there is a solid reason behind that recommendation! [Read more…]
How To Do A Useful Experiment In Aquaponics
How To Do A Useful Experiment In Aquaponics
Most people think of “science” as something which involves millions in research funding, and that is only done by PhDs. Not true [Read more…]
Which System For Me?
Which System For Me?
People often ask “what’s the best aquaponics system?”. We wish there was a simple answer for that, such as “Home Depot model 42”. The answer to “what’s the best system for you” is [Read more…]
General Principles of Aquaponics
General Principles of Hydroponics And Aquaponics:
About aquaponics and hydroponics: many people think aquaponics is just a kind of hydroponics. The two systems are VERY different. First, hydroponics systems are quite susceptible to disease outbreaks [Read more…]
What Doesn’t Work
What Doesn’t Work:
Here’s a list of system components, techniques, and ideas for systems that we know don’t work, OR can have serious problems when applied on the commercial level, with some of the reasons why [Read more…]
System Startup And Nitrification Time
System Startup And Inoculation Time
Is when you fill the system with clean water and introduce fish and nitrifying bacteria to begin the nitrification cycle which powers plant growth. Here are three simple ways to do it: [Read more…]