Aquaponics growing mediums use media beds filled with medium to hold the plant root system and allow for nitrifying bacteria to grow. Grow beds are a common hydroponic growing technique for aquaponics. Some practitioners think of grow beds as a mechanical filter to trap the fish waste. Although this will cause buildup of waste and … Read more
For aquaponics, you do not need to fix hard water in your fish tank because the calcium and magnesium in hard water can be utilized by plants. Hard water naturally occurs from groundwater as minerals from the rocks dissolve into the water. In general, hard water will not harm your fish and can be utilized … Read more
Bacterial bloom during cycling establishes the necessary bacteria for nitrogen fixation and processing the fish waste for plants to utilize. Cycling starts with the initial introduction of nitrogen into the system in the form of ammonia or urea from fish. This attracts the necessary bacteria for the nitrogen cycle to start. Bacterial bloom in an … Read more
Using rapid rooter plugs with seeds is a common practice for hydroponics farms to start developing roots quickly for transplant of seedlings. Rapid rooter plugs provide the essential conditions for seedlings to have healthy roots when transplanting. There are a variety of different brands of rapid rooter plugs which could be used for aquaponics. Rapid … Read more
The best plants to grow in aquaponics for a small indoor environment take into account the limited amount of sunlight and space available. If you are considering growing aquaponics indoors, we need to be aware of the limiting factors of growth. Aquaponics is a scalable operation that could be done for your home ideally in … Read more
Deciding on what to feed a fish when out of fish food depends on what is readily available or easily prepared beforehand. What you can feed fish other than fish food is determined by the kind of fish. Substituting fish food with their natural diet is a possible alternative if fish food is not relatively … Read more
How many fish you can put in a 5 gallon tank depends on fish stocking density, target weight per fish, filter capacity, and aeration. A smaller space tank constrains the growth of the fish inside and will not be able to develop larger than the tank. Personally I prefer growing with a smaller tank with … Read more
Raising salmon at home using aquaponics is possible given the proper climatic conditions and enough space for the salmon to grow. Salmon spend most of their natural life cycle out in the sea and return to freshwater to spawn. Farming salmon in a freshwater recirculating aquaculture system is a new trend that requires further research. … Read more
When a fluid passes through a constricted space, it undergoes the Venturi effect. A Venturi water pump utilizes this effect for increased water flow. There are many different engineering applications of this effect, for application in aquaponics we are interested in recirculating and aerating water. Before discussing how to make a Venturi water pump for … Read more
