Aquaponics
is a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics-- cultivating both
plants and fish by taking advantage of their natural cycles. In
aquaponics,fish produce waste and the fishy waste-water from the tank is
pumped to the grow beds where plants are grown hydroponically (without
soil). The plants absorb the nutrients they need from the fishy
waste-water while their roots filter the water --stripping it from
ammonia, nitrates, nitrites and phosphorus, which is deadly for the
fish.Then, the clean water is pumped back into the fish tank, and the
fish dirty it up again with their waste. This cycle
continues indefinitely.
Aquaponics is environmentally friendly. There are no chemical or fertilizers needed because it is based on natural cycles that convert the fish waste into fertilizer for the plants. Also, aquaponics uses about 10% of the amount of water used in conventional farming, as water is recycled in the aquaponics system through a pump, instead of being continuously sprayed over a field. Furthermore, as aquaponics is a form of back-yard gardening, it decreases the need for imported fish and produce, which decreases the amount of gas used in transporting them. But most rewarding of all is being able to eat and enjoy your very own sustainable produce and fish.
Aquaponics is environmentally friendly. There are no chemical or fertilizers needed because it is based on natural cycles that convert the fish waste into fertilizer for the plants. Also, aquaponics uses about 10% of the amount of water used in conventional farming, as water is recycled in the aquaponics system through a pump, instead of being continuously sprayed over a field. Furthermore, as aquaponics is a form of back-yard gardening, it decreases the need for imported fish and produce, which decreases the amount of gas used in transporting them. But most rewarding of all is being able to eat and enjoy your very own sustainable produce and fish.
Step 1: Materials
Here is a basic list of materials you will need to construct your own aquaponics system.
Tank We used a horse tank that was already in the barn. Other possible things to use for the tank would be IBC crates, barrels, or actual fish tanks.
Pump The most important thing--besides the fish and plants. The pump will pump the water from the fish tank to the grow bed. We obtained our pump from a thrift shop.
Grow beds Again, we used materials that were lying around in the garage. For our grow beds, we used two divided kitchen sinks (with the faucet removed), to provide a total of four grow beds. Also, we drilled holes in the grow beds so that the water would be able to drain back out into the fish tank once it is full.
Siphon The siphon will divide the water from the pump into each of the four grow beds. We simply used a PVC pipe and drilled four holes in it so that the water would flow into each of the grow beds.
Gravel We used drainage gravel (also known as red scoria) as the medium for our grow beds. This is not the same type of gravel as the gravel in the road. It is basically crushed volcanic rock and is reddish in color. It is cheap: about $40.00 per cubic meter (ie. $20.00 for a 6x4 trailer load) and is coarse, so the water drains well. Because the gravel is small and coarse, there is way more surface area for the bacteria and roots, which means there is more room for the good stuff to happen!
Plants Most normal garden vegetables work well with aquaponics, except for root vegetables (like potatoes and carrots). This is because the roots do not have any soil to attach to. Common plants grown in aquaponics are tomatoes, okra, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, herbs, cucumbers, and even flowers.
Fish Tilapia is the most common fish used in aquaponics because they are available year round, they are easy to raise, and they taste delicious! Other fish that you can use are catfish, trout, salmon, and perch. However, you have to make sure you account for the temperature that these fish live in. For example, we could not use tilapia in an outdoors aquaponics system in Kansas during the winter because they cannot survive in water below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. To start our aquaponics system, we are using goldfish, which are really cheap. In our tank, we have about a dozen goldfish. Also, we put some carp that we caught at the lake into the tank. Once the nitrogen cycle levels out and our system is regulated, we will switch over to catfish from the lake so we will be able to eat both the plants and the fish.
Tools You will also need tools to drill holes.
*Note- you may not need all of the listed materials, or you may need additional materials based on your needs. Not every aquaponic system will be alike due to differences in goals, climate, and availability of materials.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-an-Aquaponic-System/
================================
http://www.instructables.com/id/Hydroponic-Drip-Garden-for-Vegetables-Herbs-or-Fl/
The
picture below shows the two hydroponic drip systems I built that are
covered by this instructable. The prototype system was built about 3
weeks prior to the taking of the picture. All the plants currently
residing in the prototype are between 1 and 2 1/2 weeks old. The
prototype has been working so well I build a second system for plant
staging. This instructable chronicles the construction of the second
system, as well as growing progress updates in Step 15.
How the System Works
The hydroponic nutrients are stored in the black plastic box. A water pump inside the box pumps the nutrients up to the drip lines at the top, thus providing nutrient solution to the grow media (clay balls in my case) and plants inside the white plastic pots. The nutrients will drain out the bottom of the plastic pots which is then collected by the recessed yellow lid that the pots sit on. Holes in the lid allow the nutrients to drain back into the black plastic box. I currently have a timer that waters the plants for 15 minutes every hour that the light is on, and then twice more during the night.
Hydroponic Systems; What is best for you?
I have been using two basic hydroponic systems: Raft and Drip. Other hydroponic systems include: Ebb and Flow, Nutrient Film, Aeroponic and Fog.
The raft system works by floating the plants right on top of the nutrient solution. An air pump and air stone are used to aerate the nutrients. The raft system is really good for growing lettuce but most plants thrive better without their roots submerged right in the nutrients.
The drip system works in much the same way that plants normally get watered. Nutrients are provided to the top of the grow media by gravity or a pump which draws much needed oxygen into the media as the nutrients drain out. This method should work well for almost any type of plant. Pump failure and cloged drip lines are the down side of this method.
The Ebb and Flow system is a popular system for home hydroponics. Pots are placed in a tub that is flooded with a couple inches of nutrients using a water pump. This waters the pots from the bottom up. After the tub is flooded, the pump is turned off and the tub drains back into the nutrient reservoir. One downside of this type of system is you need a large reservoir to hold all the nutrients necessary for flooding the tub as well as enough left over so the pump does not run dry. Like the drip system you also have the possibility of pump failure.
The Nutrient Film system works by placing the plant roots on a thin layer of flowing nutrients. From what I have read, these systems are hard to set up and thus not a good place to start for the home hydroponic enthusiast.
The Aeroponic and Fog systems work by atomizing the nutrients which the roots are sprayed with, or suspended in. This can be a very powerful method for growing plants as the atomized solution contains much oxygen, which the roots thrive in. Most of the home bought systems labeled as "Aeroponic" are not really aeroponic system though. These home systems use small fountain pumps and spray nozzles to spray the bottom of net cups and roots. The tiny fountain pumps cannot produce the kind of pressure necessary to atomize the nutrient solution so the gain over a drip or ebb and flow system are questionable. I have avoided these systems as the tiny spray nozzles seem more likely to clog than the larger drip emitters. Fog systems are fairly new and I do not know about the reliability or availability of these systems for the home hydroponic enthusiast.
How the System Works
The hydroponic nutrients are stored in the black plastic box. A water pump inside the box pumps the nutrients up to the drip lines at the top, thus providing nutrient solution to the grow media (clay balls in my case) and plants inside the white plastic pots. The nutrients will drain out the bottom of the plastic pots which is then collected by the recessed yellow lid that the pots sit on. Holes in the lid allow the nutrients to drain back into the black plastic box. I currently have a timer that waters the plants for 15 minutes every hour that the light is on, and then twice more during the night.
Hydroponic Systems; What is best for you?
I have been using two basic hydroponic systems: Raft and Drip. Other hydroponic systems include: Ebb and Flow, Nutrient Film, Aeroponic and Fog.
The raft system works by floating the plants right on top of the nutrient solution. An air pump and air stone are used to aerate the nutrients. The raft system is really good for growing lettuce but most plants thrive better without their roots submerged right in the nutrients.
The drip system works in much the same way that plants normally get watered. Nutrients are provided to the top of the grow media by gravity or a pump which draws much needed oxygen into the media as the nutrients drain out. This method should work well for almost any type of plant. Pump failure and cloged drip lines are the down side of this method.
The Ebb and Flow system is a popular system for home hydroponics. Pots are placed in a tub that is flooded with a couple inches of nutrients using a water pump. This waters the pots from the bottom up. After the tub is flooded, the pump is turned off and the tub drains back into the nutrient reservoir. One downside of this type of system is you need a large reservoir to hold all the nutrients necessary for flooding the tub as well as enough left over so the pump does not run dry. Like the drip system you also have the possibility of pump failure.
The Nutrient Film system works by placing the plant roots on a thin layer of flowing nutrients. From what I have read, these systems are hard to set up and thus not a good place to start for the home hydroponic enthusiast.
The Aeroponic and Fog systems work by atomizing the nutrients which the roots are sprayed with, or suspended in. This can be a very powerful method for growing plants as the atomized solution contains much oxygen, which the roots thrive in. Most of the home bought systems labeled as "Aeroponic" are not really aeroponic system though. These home systems use small fountain pumps and spray nozzles to spray the bottom of net cups and roots. The tiny fountain pumps cannot produce the kind of pressure necessary to atomize the nutrient solution so the gain over a drip or ebb and flow system are questionable. I have avoided these systems as the tiny spray nozzles seem more likely to clog than the larger drip emitters. Fog systems are fairly new and I do not know about the reliability or availability of these systems for the home hydroponic enthusiast.
Step 1: Materials Needed
Here are the items you will need:
1 - 27 gallon heavy duty plastic storage box with recessed plastic lid
10' of 1/2" PVC pipe
5 - 90 deg PVC elbows
3 - PVC T connectors
1 - 3/4" to 1/2" PVC reducer
1 - 3/4" PCV pipe to 3/4" Male Thread connector
4 - 1/2" PVC J-Hook Hangers
1 - Male Quick Disconnect to male 3/4" hose thread
1 - Female Quick Disconnect to female 3/4" hose thread
1 - 1/2" hose barb to female 3/4" hose thread
1 - rubber washer with filter screen
3' of 1/2" flexible rubber hose
1 - Active Aqua PU160 water pump
12' 1/4' O.D. drip line hose
12 - Drip stakes or drip nozzles with tie down stakes
12 - Square Plastic pots sized to fit 3 across top of tote lid
1 - 24 Hr timer with 15 minute on/off timing intervals
The first 11 items on the list were all purchased from Home Depot and can be picked up at most hardware stores. The remaining item were purchased from a local hydroponics store in Billerica MA [www.greenlifegardensupply.com]. I highly recommend them if you are local; If not most items can be picked up via the WEB or at a local garden supply shop. I purchased everything new for a total cost of about $70.
Tools Needed
Miter box and miter saw or hack saw for cutting PVC
Sand paper, small round file, or deburring tool to debur cut PVC
PVC purple primer and cement adhesive
Electric Drill with assorted bits
1" speedbor bit or 1" hole saw
Awl or Nail to place drill starting mark in PVC
Utility knife
Hydroponic Supplies Needed
Your choice of hydroponic nutrients (I'm using Botanicare Pure Blend Pro)
Your choice of grow media (I used about 15 liters of clay balls)
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