Sufficient Self Forum

I've found many sites which give instruction on how to build an aquaponics system and how it works. That's fine and I'm confident that with all of my newfound knowledge I could build a superior system with very minimal cost. However, I have questions about what to do once the whole thing is up and running. Like what is the ratio of fish to plants? How many plants do you need to filter the water for a dozen fish? In reverse, how many fish would I need to sustain enough vegetation to support my family?

Also, plants mature at a faster rate than do fish. Once my tomatoes (for example) have cycled and it's time for new plants, what will filter the fish water until my seeds have established a good root structure? In reverse, what happens to my plants when I harvest the fish?

It's a system combining aquaculture and hydroponics. You keep fish in a tub where they emit nutrients into the water. This is composed of algae, uneaten food and feces. Sounds yummy, huh? Well, in another container, more shallow but a wider surface area, you place gravel, sand or clay. Then you plant seeds in the medium. These can be anything from lettuce to tomatoes. There is a wide variety of plants that will thrive in this environment. You irrigate these plants with water pumped from the fish tank. The plants suck up all the wonderful nutrients from the water and then it is returned to the fish tank, cleaned and filtered. All you need to do once the whole thing is established is feed the fish. This system allows you to grow fish and edible veggies that use 1/10th of the water required and two to three times faster than earth-based vegetables. So you can grow more in a smaller space. If you set it up in a greenhouse you can continue this process year round. It is also reported that the quality of the veggies is much higher than their in-ground counterparts.

I personally haven't done it yet but I'm planning to just as soon as I can find answers to my questions.

Yes i do have a aquaponics system full of 14 fishes and giving me the results for my hydroponics system. I have developed it for the support of the hydroponics system.