Many people have an interest in generating their own food supply.
Learning how to get started with home aquaponics is an activity that offers massive potential.
Basically, this is an activity that involves the creation and maintenance of mini-ecosystems, wherein fish and other aquatic species help in supporting, and are at the same time supported by, a selection of plant life.
If you are in search of a reliable and relatively low cost method for growing your own organic vegetables, home based aquaponics may be the best solution.
The system involves a combination of established agricultural practices such as hydroponics (growing plants without soil) and aquaculture (breeding aquatic life for food).
It is a sustainable practice as the waste produced by the fish are used to feed the plants that are being grown, this highly efficient process produces both fish and vegetables which are fit for consumption.
As fish grow they produce a large amount of effluent, in an enclosed system this results in nitrate levels rising to a dangerously high volume.
If the nitrate was to remain in the water, it can cause multiple diseases in the aquatic life and also result in algal blooms.
Nitrate is coincidentally one of the main nutrients that all plants require, if a plant is grown in water rich with fish effluent, they filter the nitrate and allow for clean water to be provided back to the fish.
This is a natural cycle that is a win-win situation, the only outside input that is required to maintain the system is food for the fish.
Virtually any green vegetable can be grown through a home aquaponics set-up, for example cabbage, lettuce, spinach, bok choy, chard, radish, beetroot, beans, peas, tomatoes, and peppers.
Whats more, as each plant would actually be almost floating, with roots in the nutrient rich water, they grow at maximum speed and suffer no mineral deficiency.
Also, there is no weeding or digging required as would be the case when growing vegetables in soil.
To top it off, there is also no need for artificial fertilizers, insecticides, or other potentially toxic compounds to be used, the result is wholly organic and fresh produce on a constant basis.
The type of fish species that can be used are extremely varied, you could choose decorative fish such as goldfish, or even trout, which when mature can be consumed safely.
Though there is the option of buying a ready made kit, it is more desirable, and a lot cheaper, to build your own system, and by doing so you can make sure you have a design that suits your own requirements perfectly.
Getting hold of the equipment that is required is not so difficult, as more people are discovering this fascinating method of sustainable food production, the tanks are popping up for sale both online and offline.
It is important to do a considerable amount of research before investing in the equipment and actual fish, the more knowledge you have the better chance there would be of success.
You will need to invest in two tanks, one deep design for the fish, and another shallow tank which is for the plants.
Another important piece of hardware is a pump, this would be so that water can be moved from the fish tank to the plants, if you are able to position the plant tank above the fish's, gravity can transport the clean water back down.
As you can see, the concept is simple and not overly technical.
One issue that should not be overlooked is temperature, you will need to ensure that the tanks are located in a somewhat warm environment, though not excessively so, as otherwise neither the fish nor the plants will thrive.
The plants will also need light as otherwise they will not be able grow.
Not only is aquaponics a natural process based on the inherent simplicity of an ecosystem, it has a history that stretches back much further than most people realize.
It is now believed that one of the first societies to utilize this practice was the ancient Aztecs, they grew plants on static islands known as chinampas, and drew in waste from a network of small canals to provide nourishment.
In the far east, farmers in countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and china have been using a form of aquaponics by raising fish in rice paddies.
If you are concerned by the industrial farming methods that are now common, getting started with aquaponics can allow you to remove hundreds of potential sources of toxins form your diet.
Also, by growing your own food, you will be reducing your household's carbon footprint, no longer will the dishes you serve be made of vegetables that have been transported halfway across the world.
The amount of resources used in aquaponics is minuscule, it is suggested that most systems only used around two per cent of the volume of water that most outdoor soil based gardening consumes.
This is an important issue and one that can have a profound impact on the natural environment, especially as the world's population continues to grow and the demand on natural systems becomes greater.
Building and maintaining an aquaponics system is not difficult at all, once the tanks and pump are connected, all that would be required is to feed the fish each day.
To reduce the external energy consumption to almost nil, there is even the option of powering the pump with a solar panel, this would ensure that your food is as environmentally sustainable as feasibly possible.
Aquaponics is easy to learn and offers immense growing capacity, the systems are inherently scalable, over time you can increase the size of the tanks to produce a greater amount of food.
Through this sustainable practice you can harness a symbiotic power that will give you a constant supply of healthy vegetables.
Never again will you have to put up with eating the bland tasting produce offered in most supermarkets, you will also end up saving a lot of money.
Learning how to get started with home aquaponics is an activity that offers massive potential.
Basically, this is an activity that involves the creation and maintenance of mini-ecosystems, wherein fish and other aquatic species help in supporting, and are at the same time supported by, a selection of plant life.
If you are in search of a reliable and relatively low cost method for growing your own organic vegetables, home based aquaponics may be the best solution.
The system involves a combination of established agricultural practices such as hydroponics (growing plants without soil) and aquaculture (breeding aquatic life for food).
It is a sustainable practice as the waste produced by the fish are used to feed the plants that are being grown, this highly efficient process produces both fish and vegetables which are fit for consumption.
As fish grow they produce a large amount of effluent, in an enclosed system this results in nitrate levels rising to a dangerously high volume.
If the nitrate was to remain in the water, it can cause multiple diseases in the aquatic life and also result in algal blooms.
Nitrate is coincidentally one of the main nutrients that all plants require, if a plant is grown in water rich with fish effluent, they filter the nitrate and allow for clean water to be provided back to the fish.
This is a natural cycle that is a win-win situation, the only outside input that is required to maintain the system is food for the fish.
Virtually any green vegetable can be grown through a home aquaponics set-up, for example cabbage, lettuce, spinach, bok choy, chard, radish, beetroot, beans, peas, tomatoes, and peppers.
Whats more, as each plant would actually be almost floating, with roots in the nutrient rich water, they grow at maximum speed and suffer no mineral deficiency.
Also, there is no weeding or digging required as would be the case when growing vegetables in soil.
To top it off, there is also no need for artificial fertilizers, insecticides, or other potentially toxic compounds to be used, the result is wholly organic and fresh produce on a constant basis.
The type of fish species that can be used are extremely varied, you could choose decorative fish such as goldfish, or even trout, which when mature can be consumed safely.
Though there is the option of buying a ready made kit, it is more desirable, and a lot cheaper, to build your own system, and by doing so you can make sure you have a design that suits your own requirements perfectly.
Getting hold of the equipment that is required is not so difficult, as more people are discovering this fascinating method of sustainable food production, the tanks are popping up for sale both online and offline.
It is important to do a considerable amount of research before investing in the equipment and actual fish, the more knowledge you have the better chance there would be of success.
You will need to invest in two tanks, one deep design for the fish, and another shallow tank which is for the plants.
Another important piece of hardware is a pump, this would be so that water can be moved from the fish tank to the plants, if you are able to position the plant tank above the fish's, gravity can transport the clean water back down.
As you can see, the concept is simple and not overly technical.
One issue that should not be overlooked is temperature, you will need to ensure that the tanks are located in a somewhat warm environment, though not excessively so, as otherwise neither the fish nor the plants will thrive.
The plants will also need light as otherwise they will not be able grow.
Not only is aquaponics a natural process based on the inherent simplicity of an ecosystem, it has a history that stretches back much further than most people realize.
It is now believed that one of the first societies to utilize this practice was the ancient Aztecs, they grew plants on static islands known as chinampas, and drew in waste from a network of small canals to provide nourishment.
In the far east, farmers in countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and china have been using a form of aquaponics by raising fish in rice paddies.
If you are concerned by the industrial farming methods that are now common, getting started with aquaponics can allow you to remove hundreds of potential sources of toxins form your diet.
Also, by growing your own food, you will be reducing your household's carbon footprint, no longer will the dishes you serve be made of vegetables that have been transported halfway across the world.
The amount of resources used in aquaponics is minuscule, it is suggested that most systems only used around two per cent of the volume of water that most outdoor soil based gardening consumes.
This is an important issue and one that can have a profound impact on the natural environment, especially as the world's population continues to grow and the demand on natural systems becomes greater.
Building and maintaining an aquaponics system is not difficult at all, once the tanks and pump are connected, all that would be required is to feed the fish each day.
To reduce the external energy consumption to almost nil, there is even the option of powering the pump with a solar panel, this would ensure that your food is as environmentally sustainable as feasibly possible.
Aquaponics is easy to learn and offers immense growing capacity, the systems are inherently scalable, over time you can increase the size of the tanks to produce a greater amount of food.
Through this sustainable practice you can harness a symbiotic power that will give you a constant supply of healthy vegetables.
Never again will you have to put up with eating the bland tasting produce offered in most supermarkets, you will also end up saving a lot of money.
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