eating for eternity

Eating for Eternity{ Aquaponics, Sustainability and the future of food autonomy}Aquaponics, Sustainability and the Future of Food Autonomy

Fish waste

becomes nitrates Plants are

fertilized

Plants filter

the water

Fish get

fresh water

Aquaponics is a term derived from the conversion of two systems Hydroponics (Growing vegetation without soil) and Aquaculture (fostering and growing fish) to create a symbiotic association where each organism benefits and flourishes with the counterpart.

Aquaponics sAquaponics systems use fish farms alongside vegetables where fish waste is repurposed as nutrients for plants and the plants, in turn filter and clean the water to be placed back in the fish tank.

How does aquaponics work?

Aquaponics mimics every natural waterway on earth. It is used to grow food crops in a concentrated, yet sustainable manner.

The main input to an aquaponic sThe main input to an aquaponic system is fish food. The fish eat the food and excrete waste. More than 50% of the waste produced by fish is in the form of ammonia secreted in the urine and, in small quantities, through the gills. The remainder of the waste, excreted as fecal matter, undergoes a process called mineralization which occurs when heterotrophic bacteria consume fish waste, decaying plant matter and un-eaten food, converting all three to ammonia and other compounds. ammonia and other compounds. In sufficient quantities ammonia is toxic to plants and fish. Nitrifying bacteria, which naturally live in the soil, water and air, convert ammonia first to nitrite and then to nitrate which plants consume. In an aquaponic system the heterotrophic and nitrifying bacteria will attach to the tank walls, underside of the rafts, organic matter, the growing medium (if used) and in the water column. The beneficial bacteria discussed here are natural and will inhinhabit an aquaponic system as soon as ammonia and nitrite are present.

Essentially, you have three crops to keep alive in aquaponcis - the fish, the plants and the beneficial bacteria. These three living entities each rely on the other to live. The bacteria consume the fish waste keeping the water clean for the fish. In the process, the bacteria provide the plants with a usable form of nutrients. In removing these nutrients through plant growth, the plants help to clean the water the fish live in.Aquaponics is a Aquaponics is a very efficient method of growing food that uses a minimum of water and space and utilizes waste, resulting in an end product of organic, healthful fish and vegetables. From a nutritional standpoint, aquaponics provides food in the form of both protein (from the fish) and vegetables.

“It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

- J. Krishnamurti

An Inconvenient Truth

Humans are “eating away at our own life support systems” at a rate unseen in the past 10,000 years by degrading land and freshwater systems, emitting greenhouse gases and releasing vast amounts of agricultural chemicals into the environment, new research has found.Two major new studies by an international team of researchers have pinpointed the key factors that ensure a livable planet for humans, with stark results.

Of nine Of nine worldwide processes that underpin life on Earth, four have exceeded “safe” levels – human-driven climate change, loss of biospherte integrity, land system change and the high level of phosphorus and nitrogen flowing into the oceans due to fertiliser use.Researchers spent five years identifying these core components of a planet suitable for human life, using the long-term average state of each measure to provide a baseline for the analysis.ThThey found that the changes of the last 60 years are unprecedented in the previous 10,000 years, a period in which the world has had a relatively stable climate and human civilisation has advanced significantly.

Carbon dioxide levels, at 395.5 parts per million, are at historic highs, while loss of biosphere integrity is resulting in species becoming extinct at a rate more than 100 times faster than the previous norm.

Since 1950 urban populations have increased seven-fold, primary energy use has soared by a factor of five, while the amount of fertiliser used is now eight times higher. The amount of nitrogen entering the oceans has quadrupled.All of these changes are shifting Earth into a “new state” that is becoming less hospitable to human life, researchers said.

“These indic“These indicators have shot up since 1950 and there are no signs they are slowing down,” said Prof Will Steffen of the Australian National University and the Stockholm Resilience Centre. Steffen is the lead author on both of the studies.

““When economic systems went into overdrive, there was a massive increase in resource use and pollution. It used to be confined to local and regional areas but we’re now seeing this occurring on a global scale. These changes are down to human activity, not natural variability.”

Steffen said direct human influence upon the land was contributing to a loss in pollination and a disruption in the provision of nutrients and fresh water.

““We are clearing land, we are degrading land, we introduce feral animals and take the top predators out, we change the marine ecosystem by overfishing – it’s a death by a thousand cuts,” he said. “That direct impact upon the land is the most important factor right now, even more than climate change.”

TheThere are large variations in conditions around the world, according to the research. For example, land clearing is now concentrated in tropical areas, such as Indonesia and the Amazon, with the practice reversed in parts of Europe. But the overall picture is one of deterioration at a rapid rate.“It’s fairly safe to say that we haven’t seen conditions in the past similar to ones we see today and there is strong evidence that there [are] tipping points we don’t want to cross,” Steffen said.

“If the Ea“If the Earth is going to move to a warmer state, 5-6 degrees celcius warmer, with no ice caps, it will do so and that won’t be good for large mammals like us. People say the world is robust and that’s true, there will be life on Earth, but the Earth won’t be robust for us.”

“Some people s“Some people say we can adapt due to technology, but that’s a belief system, it’s not based on fact. There is no convincing evidence that a large mammal, with a core body temperature of 37C, will be able to evolve that quickly. Insects can, but humans can’t and that’s a problem.”

Steffen said the research showed the economic system was “fundamentally flawed” as it ignored critically important life support systems.

“It’s clear the economic s“It’s clear the economic system is driving us towards an unsustainable future and people of my daughter’s generation will find it increasingly hard to survive,” he said. “History has shown that civilisations have risen, stuck to their core values and then collapsed because they didn’t change. That’s where we are today.”

“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to

play with your hair.“–Kahlil Gibran

The Earth's climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 650,000 years there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the last ice age about 7,000 years ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era — and of human civilization. Most of these climate changes are attributed to very small variations in Earth’s orbit that change the amount of solar energy our planet receives.

“Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal.”- Interg- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The current warming trend is of particular significance because most of it is very likely human-induced and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented in the past 1,300 years.Earth-orbiting satellites and other technological advances have enabled scientists to see the big picture, collecting many different types of information about our planet and its climate on a global scale. Studying these climate data collected over many years reveal the signals of a changing climate.

The heThe heat-trapping nature of carbon dioxide and other gases was demonstrated in the mid-19th century. Their ability to affect the transfer of infrared energy through the atmosphere is the scientific basis of many instruments flown by NASA. There is no question that increased levels of greenhouse gases must cause the Earth to warm in response.

Ice coIce cores drawn from Greenland, Antarctica, and tropical mountain glaciers show that the Earth’s climate responds to changes in greenhouse gas levels. They also show that in the past, large changes in climate have happened very quickly, geologically-speaking: in tens of years, not in millions or even thousands.

How do we know climate change is real?

How does climate change effect us?

The primary impact: Earth's water systems thrown off balance

Emissions of heat-trapping gases from human activity—especially the burning of fossil fuels for energy—cause our atmosphere to heat up.This atmospheric heating unleashes a torrent of rapid changes to the way water systems typically function on our planet.

The increased evaporation of water is like fuel for storms, exacerbating extreme weather events, such as hurricanes.

Rising sea levels make coastal flooding events worse. In more naturally arid

areas, droughts and wildfires intensify.

Weather of all kinds is getting more extreme.

A warmer atmosphere causes the planet's snow A warmer atmosphere causes the planet's snow pack, glaciers and sea and freshwater ice to melt at an accelerated pace. Melting glaciers and polar ice sheets contribute to sea level rise. As the ice melts, it also exposes more dark ocean waters, which absorbs more sunlight than ice, and thus heats the ocean more, triggering a cycle of melting and heating.and heating.

The cryosphere (the frozen water on Earth)is melting.

The oceans are getting hotter, because they The oceans are getting hotter, because they soak up 90% of the extra heat in the atmosphere. This causes the oceans to expand, and this also contributes to higher sea levels. Meanwhile, the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the ocean triggers a chemistry change that makes the water more acidic. The ocean is almost 40% more acidic than it used to ocean is almost 40% more acidic than it used to be.

The oceans are getting hotter, expanding, and becoming more acidic:

As climatic patterns rapidly shift, habitats on land and in the sea are changing, making them inhospitable for some species, while letting others move in and take over. In some cases, entire ecosystems are at risk of collapsing.

The changes to the natural world are vast, but here are three notable and well-documented examples.

As sea ice disappears, ice-dependent mammals like walruses and polar bears struggle to survive. In 2008, the polar bear became the first animal to be added to the Endangered Species Act list of threatened species because of global warming.

Our Arctic creatures need ice, but it's vanishing.

Milder winters and longer summers allow tree-killing insects to thrive. Meanwhile, trees weakened by prolonged drought have lower

defense mechanisms. This cycle of warmer weather, weak trees and thriving insects is likely the culprit

behind the massive die-off of 70,000 square miles of Rocky Mountain conifers.

Forests are more prone to deadly infestations.

Coral reefs are highly sensitive to small changes in ocean temperatures. The heat stresses the algae that nourish the corals and provide their vibrant colors. The algae then leave, and the corals eventually starve, an event known as bleaching. Also, a more acidic ocean affects the normal calcium balance, meaning creatures with calcified shells, such as shellfish and coral, may not have enough calcium to grow.

Coral and shellfish are suffering

A warmer atmosphere increases chemical reactions that form ground-level ozone, also known as smog. Smog is a well-known lung irritant and a major trigger of asthma attacks. Smoke from wildfires

further degrade the air. Extreme summer heat will mean more deaths during heat waves, and warmer freshwater makes it easier for

pathogens to grow and contaminate drinking water.

Warmer, polluted air affects our health.

The toll that climate change takes on agriculture is nearly incalcuable, and as a result, our food security is at risk. All over the world, farmers are struggling to keep up with shifting weather and increasingly unpredictable water supplies. Farmers also must contend with unexpected attacks from weeds, diseases and pests, which affect yield.

Climate change is a major threat to agriculture

A less convenient truth

CarbonDioxide

Methane NitrousOxide

Chickens, turkeys, pigs, and cows are collectively the largest producer of

methane in the U.S.

If 1 person exchanges a regular car for a hybrid, they’ll reduce carbon dioxide

emissions by 1 ton.

20x

1 calorie from animal protein requires 11 times as much fossil fuel as on calorie of plant protein

The diets of meat eaters create 7x the

greenhouse emissions as the diets of vegans

11x

7x

Methane is 20x more powerful at trapping heat in the earth’s atmosphere than

carbon dioxide.

Nitrous Oxide is 300x more powerful at trapping heat in the earth’s atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

300x

If 1 person exchanges eating meat for a vegan diet, they’ll

reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.5 tons

per year

Three primary gasses are responsible for Global Warming

The meat, egg, and dairy industries produce 65% of worldwide nitrous oxide emissions

If every American dropped one serving of chicken per week from their diet, it would save the same amount of CO2 emissions as taking 500,000 cars off of the roadoff of the road

An aquaponics system is a food-growing system that could have zero impact on our environment, especially if the pumps and heaters are powered through renewable energy sources. Except for purely wild food-growing systems, such as the ocean, and most permaculture techniques, no other food system that I know of can make that claim.

On the other hand, On the other hand, traditional agriculture is the single largest contributor of CO2 emissions, while simultaneously contributing to the ongoing shrinking of the earth's CO2 filter through the need for more and more land for growing crops and raising cattle. The main pollutant sources are CO2 emissions from all the petroleum being used in farm production and food transportation, methane from cattle production, and nitrous oxide from over-fertilizing. Aquaponics requires none of these inputs. Petroleum needs in Aquaponics requires none of these inputs. Petroleum needs in aquaponics range from much less to zero. Fish don't produce methane as cattle do, and there is no chance of over-fertilizing an aquaponics system.

Aquaponics vs. Traditional Agriculture

Because there is no soil to till, there is no longer a need to use tractors and gas-powered farm equipment. Commercial aquaponics operations typically employ either a raft method, where the plants float in water until they are harvested, or media. Neither requires the kind of labor that soil-based farming does.

Since there are no weeds in aquaponics, there is Since there are no weeds in aquaponics, there is no need to mechanically remove weeds or spray herbicides. Since the plant nutrients and water are both integral to an aquaponics system, there is no need for petroleum-based fertilizers or truck-mounted irrigators. Since aquaponically grown plants are either growing in waist-high grow beds or in rafts floating in water, they are much easier to harvest than soil-grown plants.


This Land is Our Land

More than 260 million acres of U.S. forest have been cleared to create cropland to grow grain to feed farmed animals.

Scientists estimate that 150-200 species of plant, insect, bird and mammal become extinct every 24 hours.

Livestock Grazing and Deforestation is the number one cause of plant species becoming threatened or going extinct globally

70% of grain and cereals grown in the U.S. are fed to farmed animals. It takes 16 lbs. of grain to produce 1 lb of meat

70%

The Equivalent of 7 football fields of land are bulldozed

every minute to create more room for farmed

animals

Raising animals for food uses 30% of the earth’s land mass.That’s 17 million sq miles roughly the same size as Asia!

The moon has less area than that, at 14.6 million sq miles.

Aquaponic systems can be set up anywhere you have, or can artificially establish, an appropriate climate for the plants. Poor soil? No problem. Aquaponics is particularly well adapted to providing food to local communities that might not otherwise have fertile land available for growing.

Since over half of humanity now lives in our citiesSince over half of humanity now lives in our cities, it is important that food-growing facilities be established where the people are, rather than trucking food in from distant locations. Currently, most of our produce is shipped hundreds, if not thousands of miles. Imagine how much fuel could be saved if we actually grew our food in our city centers.


Perhaps most importantly, aquaponic systems can be started anywhere. So now instead of clearing jungles and forests we can instead focus on our urban centers and begin to think of old factory and warehouse buildings as the farms of our future. While perhaps not suited to growing vast fields of grain, aquaponics can now grow any vegetable and many types of fruit crops, and do it in a way that is even more productive on a square foot basis, even in that is even more productive on a square foot basis, even in an urban setting.

Aquaponics can produce 50,000 pounds of tilapia and 100,000 pounds of vegetables per year in a single acre of space. By contrast, one grass-fed cow requires eight acres of grassland. Another way of looking at it is that over the course of a year, aquaponics will generate about 35,000 pounds of edible flesh per acre, while the grass-fed beef will generate about 75 pounds in the same space.


Nearly half of all water used in the united states goes to raising animals for

food

50%50%

2400gallons

=1 lb. of Beef

it takes 2400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef

it takes 25 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of wheat

vs.25gallons

=1 lb.

of Wheat

You’d save more water by not eating one pound of meat than you would by not taking showers for 6 months

A vegan diet requires300 gallons of water per day vs. meat eating diet which requires 4000 gallons per day

Animals raised for food create 89,000 lbs. of excrement per second, none that benefit from the same treatment has human’s.

Chicken, Hog and Cattle excrement has polluted 35,000

miles of rivers in 22 states

A Thirsty Industry

Modern agricultural methods waste an incredible amount of water. Water is either sprayed or flooded through fields where a huge amount either evaporates into the air on a hot day, or seeps past the plant roots and into the water table, pulling chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides down with it.

Aquaponics, on the other hand, is a closed, Aquaponics, on the other hand, is a closed, recirculating system. The only water that leaves the system is the small amounts taken up by the plants (some of which transpires through the leaves) or that evaporates from the top of the tank. That's it. Aquaponics uses less than a tenth the amount of water a comparable soil-based garden uses.

AAquaponics is even more water thrifty than it's horticultural cousin, hydroponics. Since aquaponics is an organic ecosystem in which the nutrients are balanced naturally, there is never any toxic buildup of nutrients. In fact, because the water in an aquaponics system is so full of healthy biology, I recommend that if possible, you never discharge the water from your fish tank. The only reason why you ever would is if something caused extreme amounts of ammonia to amounts of ammonia to overwhelm your biofilter's ability to convert it and you therefore needed to do a partial water change to dilute the ammonia. An example of this would be a dead, decomposing fish that you were unaware of. Even if such a rare event were to occur, the discharge from your aquaponics system is completely organic and will only btenefit any soil lucky enough to be watered by it.


25 Sq ft can feed one adult forever

One of the best things about aquaponics is that you can setup a system of almost any size, either indoors or outdoors. From a mini garden with gold fish growing vegetables and herbs, to a large backyard farm, or even massive commercial operations.

Scalability

25 Sq Ft =5 x 5 ft

200 Sq Ft =5 x 40 ft

25,000 Sq Ft =Just under 6 acres

Feeds 8 adults forever

Feeds 10,000 people forever

Feeds 1 adult forever

“The most dangerous man, to any government, is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost invariably he comes to the conclusion thatthat the government he lives under is dishonest, insane and intolerable, and so, if he is romantic, he tries to change it. And if he is not romantic personally, he is apt to spread discontent among those who

aare. ”

- HL Mencken

How does aquaponics help solveenvironmental problems?

It is a green process in that, no plowing or disturbing of soil that can lead to erosion is necessary for this completely soil free farming system.

Outdoor pests cannot harm the produce.

Crops are grown with no herbicides or pesticides

Low energy inputs which can be achieved through renewables.

You can plant around 4 times the amount crops in

the same space as traditional crop farming

Plants grow more rapidly, have bigger yields, and can be grown year round.

Weeds cannot grow.

No nitrous oxide, methane, or carbon dioxide emitted

The process is carbon positive.

Crops can be grown with up to 95% less water than traditional farming

“Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.” - N- Native American Proverb

D.I.Y.

Why Build Your Own System?

So why should you DIY (do it yourself) and not simply buy a pre-built one? A So why should you DIY (do it yourself) and not simply buy a pre-built one? A pre-built solution can be an excellent option, in fact you can click here to check out some great ready-made systems that I highly recommend. However there are some distinct advantages to rolling up your sleeves and taking things into your own hands… 1 Cost 2 Knowledge 3 Satisfaction

CostFor many people cost is going to be a For many people cost is going to be a concern and this is one of the primary advantages to going the DIY route: you gain considerable savings by taking things into your own hands. Depending on the scope of your plans you can save 50 to 75% or even more if you get really creative & resourceful with your supplies and & resourceful with your supplies and materials.

KnowledgeThis is my favorite reason for taking this route: the knowledge you gain is invaluable…By planning & designing a system and putting it together yourself, you end up re-enforcing a solid understanding of how an aquaponics system works. And this allows you to take true ownership of your system and its operation. This means that any future work will be a snap because you know your setup intimately because you know your setup intimately and making additions, changes, or repairs will be second nature.

Sweet SatisfactionAnd last but not least, there’s that sweet satisfaction of a job well done. If you’re anything like me then you revel in the feeling of successfully completing a project started from scratch and followed all the way through. Especially one that will provide an abundant supply of healthy organic food for you and your family for organic food for you and your family for years to come.

Planning Your System

You will need a flat, sunny space to set up your aquaponics system. If you’re not building it You will need a flat, sunny space to set up your aquaponics system. If you’re not building it inside a greenhouse, you’ll want to get everything together in early spring, so you can stock the fish as soon as the water temperature hits 70 degrees. Stock the fingerlings first and start seedlings in flats of potting soil at the same time. By the time the seedlings are big enough to transplant, the fish should be producing enough waste to support the growth in the grow beds. Incidentally, the vegetables themselves have very little to do with cleaning the water for the fish—this actually occurs in the growing medium, so the water needs to circulate through the grow beds for the sake of the fish, whether there are plants growing in circulate through the grow beds for the sake of the fish, whether there are plants growing in them or not.

Indoors

The key thing to keep in mind when growing indoors is that you need to choose an area that receives at least 4 to 6 hours of sunlight per day, this is the minimum required for most plants to grow properly. With that said, any place in your home that meets the minimum requirements for sunlight is perfect for setting up a small aquaponics system. And of course you can always use a hydroponic grow light if getting adequate sunlight is a problem.

Common Indoor Locations • Front Room • Kitchen • Basement • Spare Room • Garage

Outdoors

When it comes to outdoor growing, the logical solution for most people is their backyard. When it comes to outdoor growing, the logical solution for most people is their backyard. Not only does this give you privacy and security, but it also provides adequate space for any future expansion. It is not uncommon however to see people with systems at the side of their house or even in their front yard. A lot of it dependson where you can get the right amount of sunlight for your garden.

Common Outdoor Locations • Backyard • Balcony, Porch, or Veranda • Side or Front of House

The possibilities for the size and location of your setup are endless. Small, big, indoors or outdoors… Whatever your current situation, you can definitely get your own aquaponics system up and running!

Aquaponic Nitrogen Cycle

Bell Siphon

Grow Bed.

Fish Tank.

Pump.

The Basics:

Build Your Own System:

If you’re inspired to try out an aquaponic system instead of a vegetable If you’re inspired to try out an aquaponic system instead of a vegetable garden in your backyard this summer, this guide will serve as an overview, giving you all the information necessary to get started. It’s a bit more involved than a typical vegetable garden, but anyone with a little mechanical ingenuity and determination can make it happen. If you feel timid, we suggest starting small to refine your technique before scaling up to a system that can feed the family (if not the neighborhood).

To get a basic DIY aquaponics system setup here is what you will need:

Grow Bed: Here is where your plants will grow. This can be purchased from any hydroponics shop or built on your own(the true DIY way). In the basic setup you will most likely have this filled with grow media(which is clay pebbles or rocks) that replace soil and support the root system of your plants. Other systems, such as a Nutrient Film Technique(NFT) or Deep Water Culture(DWC) are setup differently, depending on your Culture(DWC) are setup differently, depending on your needs.

Bell Siphon: One of the coolest things I learned to make during my first build was the bell siphon. You see with a basic setup, or a media filled bed, if you simply pumped the water up into the grow bed and let it drain back at the same rate the roots would drowned. So what a bell siphon does is lets you filled the grow bed to a certain level, and then using air pressure it automatically kicks in and drains the grow bed at a very automatically kicks in and drains the grow bed at a very quick rate. This allows for the plants to get the water and nutrients, yet also get the air needed to stay alive. We will teach you how to make one of these later.

Fish Tank: This is obviously where the fish will live. It can be anything from a typical fish tank, to a plastic container, to a pond. This is where the fish will live, eat, poop, and generate the nutriets for your plants.

Water Pump: Water Pump: Not a lot of explanation needed here. This is simply a water pump that pushes the water from the fish tank to the grow bed to keep the cycle going strong.

Grow Beds

Your vegetables will need some type of water-resistant container to house the soilless medium that they’ll be grown in. There are many products available for this purpose, but there are just as many DIY approaches. The simplest route is to build shallow wooden boxes (at least 30cm deep), just like ordinary raised beds for vegetables, and line them with pond liner.

Each bed is then filled with an inert growing medium, such as Each bed is then filled with an inert growing medium, such as perlite (which is super light, allowing the beds to be elevated off the ground) or fine gravel from your local landscape supplier (inexpensive, but heavy). Coco coir is the fanciest growing medium available and is often used by professionals for its ability to retain air and moisture simultaneously. A mixture of equal parts of all three products is actually a great formula to try.

You can plan to ferti-gate a growing area up to 10 times the You can plan to ferti-gate a growing area up to 10 times the surface are of your fish tank.

Types of Aquaponics Systems

Media Filled BedsMedia filled beds are the simplest form of aquaponics, Media filled beds are the simplest form of aquaponics, they use containers filled with rock medium of expanded clay or similar. Water from a fish tank is pumped over the media filled beds, and plants grow in the rock media. This style of system can be run two different ways, with a continuous flow of water over the rocks, or by flooding and draining the grow bed, in a flood and drain or ebb and flow cycle.a flood and drain or ebb and flow cycle.

NFT (Nutrient Film Transfer)Nutrient Film Technique is a commonly used hydroponic method, but is not Nutrient Film Technique is a commonly used hydroponic method, but is not as common in aquaponic systems. In NFT systems, nutrient rich water is pumped down small enclosed gutters, the water flowing down the gutter is only a very thin film. Plants sit in small plastic cups allowing their roots to access the water and absorb the nutrients. NFT is only really suitable for certain types of plants, generally leafy green vegetables, larger plants will have root systems that are too big and invasive, or they become too heavy for the lightweight growing gutters.for the lightweight growing gutters.

Raft (Deep Water Culture)Deep Water Culture, works on the idea of floating plants on top of the Deep Water Culture, works on the idea of floating plants on top of the water allowing the roots to hang down into the water. This can be done in a number of ways. This method is one of the more commonly practiced commercial methods. DWC can be done by floating a foam raft on top of the fish tank, however a more common method is to grow the fish in a fish tank and pump the water through a filtration system, and then into long channels where floating rafts filled with plants float on the water surface and extract the nutrients. To avoid root rot in a raft system its best to use and extract the nutrients. To avoid root rot in a raft system its best to use an air pump to keep the water oxygenated.

Aquaponics & Fish

Tilapia are by far the most common species used in small scale aquaculture systems. They’re a tropical species, however, and need the water temperature to stay between 70 and 90 degrees to stay healthy and grow quickly. They’re used for their tolerance of high stocking densities and less-than-perfect water conditions, plus they have a phenomenal growth rate, reaching a harvestable size of one pound in 6 to 8 months. Thus in a temperate climate, it is possible to stock the tank with fingerlings in May and harvest the ‘crop’ in October. with fingerlings in May and harvest the ‘crop’ in October. Catfish are also very amenable to high-density recirculating aquaculture systems and have no problem overwintering in all but the coldest climates, though they only put on growth when the water is warm. Yellow perch are the third most common species used in aquaponics systems, and have the advantage of being able to put on growth in cooler waters. If you don’t plan on consuming the fish you can always use a species like Koi that have long life spans and also eat almost anything.almost anything.

When stocking your fish there is not one specific stocking density of fish that is always applicable. When starting with a D.I.Y. system its always a good bet to allow 8-10 gallons of water per 1 pound of fish.

This ratio is for the established system, which means you will need to This ratio is for the established system, which means you will need to base your initial figure on the approximate weight of full-grown fish. The adjusted ratio of fingerlings to add to the system after cycling works out to 1/10 of a pound of fingerlings per 8-10 gallons of water. When your fish are fully grown out you will have one pound per 8-10 gallons at system maturity.

When you go with a lower ratio like that, you’re able to do circulation When you go with a lower ratio like that, you’re able to do circulation based air ration, so instead of buying air pumps to keep your dissolved oxygen high in your system, there’s few enough fish in there that just gas exchanges with the air and water from your circulatory system and from your pump can fully aerate your tank.

The fish are typically The fish are typically fed as much food as they can consume in 20 minutes three times per day. There are automatic feeders and many other optional components that can streamline and automate the system, which can make the feeding process a lot easier. The key is to start small and simple and to not push the system too hard by overstocking the fish. Overfeeding the fish is the easiest mistake to make and will quickly result in degraded water conditions. Once you have a simple system and an established routine that works for you, have a simple system and an established routine that works for you, build on your success by expanding your system.

eating for eternity

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