Home Aquaponics - You Can Set Up A Homemade Aquaponics System In No Time

It will need to be located in a sunny location, or you will have to supply it with full spectrum lighting. It will also need to be located in an area with a temperature that will be appropriate for the type of fish and plants you will be trying to grow. If the system is outdoors and you have cold winters, this will limit what you will be able to grow in the winter.

Putting the system indoors or in a greenhouse gives you the ability to better control the temperatures. Indoor aquaponic systems open up the possibility for year round gardening in climates that would typically not allow it. The disadvantage of indoor growing is the possible lack of sunlight. This is where a large sunny window or sun room are great.

A great approach is to have more than one system. An indoor system, an outdoor system, and a greenhouse system. This allows you the ability to grow crops in each system that are appropriate to the climate they provide. This situation is not available to many growers, but for those who can do it, it is a great way to experiment and provide diversity in production and growing conditions.

The most important thing is to enjoy the system. With the simplicity and lack of labor involved, this kind of gardening can be a more enjoyable experience than traditional gardening. It eliminates the sometimes frustrating parts of gardening like the back braking work, the weeds and other pests. And the fresh organic fish and vegetables it produces is a great pay off.

It is not difficult to design a basic aquaponic system that can be placed indoors or outdoors. The options you have are to purchase a readymade kit or get the components from your local hardware and hobby supply stores and build the unit yourself.

What are the components of a basic aquaponics system?

1. A fish tank with fish, the size you select will be determined by where you locate it and the scope of your system.


2. A grow bed with plants, there is no limit here in terms of what you can grow, it will depend on your goals, the type of water flow and the space you have dedicated to the aquaponics system.


3. A water pump and filtration system, it is vital that a perfect balance be maintained for healthy plants and fish. It is a symbiotic relationship between the fish and the plants.

There are several different types of water flow and filtration systems, the type you choose will be determined by the scope of your grow project, the room you have dedicated to the aquaponics system and the amount of time you can dedicate to the maintenance of the system.

A very basic system is similar to the a common fish tank you can purchase from a pet store, however since it is a continuous flow system you are limited to growing plants that will thrive in a constant water environment, a good example would be the lettuce plant. Other plants that require more oxygen will develop root rot and not thrive.

There are several considerations before starting a aquaponics system:

1. Check to determine with you will need any special permits for aquaculture.


2. You need to use food grade plastics only and other materials for potable water.


3. Plan for the times you may be out of town.