Definition | Aquaponics | Futura House

Alliance ofaquaculture andhydroponics, aquaponics is a practice which consists in cultivating plants in symbiosis with Pisces. It is based on a virtuous circle: fish droppings are transformed into nitrates by bacteria, thus serving as nutrients with plants. These will in turn filter the fish water which will return clean in the pool fishes. Aquaponics comes from Asia, where fish farming was associated with rice cultivation. In South America, the Aztecs also practiced aquaponics with the Chinampas for a long time. Since the 1970s, this ancestral practice has been brought up to date among urban residents who wish to grow their own vegetables.

The advantages of aquaponics

  • Grow your own organic vegetables.

  • A yield two to three times higher than a traditional garden.

  • Water savings of around 90%.

  • Reduction in the use of pesticides for plants and aquarium.

  • Low maintenance (no digging, no weeds, no water to change …).

The equipment necessary to start in aquaponics

Thanks to aquaponic kits, you can buy a turnkey system from a hundred euros up to several thousand euros, depending on the size and equipment. Many systems are also offered in aesthetic furniture that is easy to integrate into a room. A kit must contain at least one fish pond, a pump, a filter, a siphon U-shaped and a bed or pots for growing plants. You must add a lighting kit if you grow indoors.

The difficulty of aquaponics is to maintain the balance ofecosystem (water temperature and pH, content of oxygen and in nitrates, concentration of bacteria …). The electrical consumption of the installation must also be taken into account (pump, water heating, lighting, etc.).

Which plants and fish in aquaponics?

In aquaponics, plants generally grow in tubs filled with marblesclays or pebbles. The most suitable plants for this type of culture are leafy vegetables (salad, spinach…) and the aromatic herbs. If we have more space, we can choose the tomato, theeggplant, the cucumber where the peppers. Recommended fish are tilapia, an undemanding Asian fish, the trout, the carp, perch or black-bass.

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