Aquaponics - Hydroponics, Mother Nature Style
I’ve been meaning to write a post about aquaponics for a little while now. This is a topic that has fascinated me for quite some time. It’s not too surprising given the fact that my post-secondary studies (and personal interests) have focused on both aquatic biology and later waste management. Aquaponics is the perfect marriage of both.
The term aquaponics comes from the combination of aquaculture and hydroponics. A similar term, ‘bioponics’, can be used to describe basically any natural hydroponic system.
In an aquaponic system fish (or some other marketable aquatic organism) are raised in much the same way they would be via aquaculture, but rather than pumping waste effluent down the drain or into the nearest river, this nutrient rich water is fed into a hydroponic system where it is used to grow plants. The filtered water can then be recirculated back into the fish tanks for reuse (thus expensive filtration systems are not needed). It is the ultimate closed, sustainable food production system.
This is obviously an over-simplification of the process (and there are many variations), but you get the idea.
I first learned about aquaponics via S&S Aquafarms and their excellent email list. These days it seems to be less active than it once was, but I highly recommend you sign up, and check out the list archive if this is something you might be interested in learning more about.
Another great resource is The University of the Virgin Islands, where aquaponics research has been conducted for quite a few years now. Their aquaponics website is pretty basic but is full of interesting information and photos. They actually offer a 7 day aquaponics course every year - the ultimate hands-on experience for those interested in starting up their own operations.
If you are looking for an excellent introduction to aquaponics, I VERY highly recommend you have a look at the aquaponics pdf guide put together by ATTRA (National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service). It is an excellent resource, and has some fantastic photos.
You may also want to check out our aquaponics section in the directory if you are still eager to learn more.
Update: For a more up to date and expanded aquaponics resource page, be sure to check out the Compost Guy Aquaponics page.
Technorati Tags: aquaponics, hydroponics, bioponics, UVI, aquaculture, sustainable agriculture, fish farming, recirculating
Written by Bentley on December 1st, 2006 with
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