FreeRangeDinosaurs
Sustainable Newbie
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- Apr 12, 2013
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I do not think that aquaponics is the best farming method for all people in all situations by any means. Nor is it the best growing environment for all types of plants. Like any method, it has it's pros and cons. I do not think that ANY system is perfect for everything.
For me, aquaponics is an excellent option. For you it may not be. I do not think it is a matter of better or worse methods, rather a matter of different environments and different overall goals. However, I do not think anyone chooses aquaponics simply because they "don't want to put things in the ground."
I like aquaponics in general because to me it is not just about growing plants but about creating a complete organic ecosystem with no waste -- it is about cultivating an environment and is a beautiful example of biology in action. I am interested both in the result of veggies AND meat but also the science of the compete process. I also like that it allows for a clean and sustainable environment to grow fish compared to commercial fish farming (which is extremely dirty and gross and unhappy) and an alternative to fishing practices that are effecting fish populations and the overall ocean ecosystem. I like having complete control over what it is my water so my fish are going to be raised in mercury and toxin free environment -- better for them and better for me.
If I had the land I would would do traditional soil farming AND do aquaponics as to me they are achieving different things. But, I do not have any land -- which is the other nice thing about aquaponics -- it can be used as an alternative option for people who do not have the land, space, or conditions necessary for traditional soil farming.
I am attempting to grow my own food in an 8 by 14 ft space on concrete. This is the only gardening space available to me at the moment and I just want to make the most of it. I have only one very small dirt area in my yard and I have allocated that for my six hens and my dogs. As I result I have potted plants and trees and am experimenting with both aero and aqua ponics, indoors and out.
I am interested in growing my own vegetables and farming my own meat but in an urban environment I am very limited in what animals that I can farm. Hens, rabbits and fish are basically the only options.
I do not know anything about the aquaponics farmer near you or how well his operation is run or what his end goals are and I would rather not make any assumptions. But, aquaponics, like anything else can be done well or poorly and it all about the research you do and the effort and care that you put into it.
I do not think it is fair to judge aquaponics as a whole on one farming operation that may or may not be a good one. Aqua set ups can range from huge large-scale commercial operations to 1 rubber made tub inside an apartment closet and everything in between. There are also several different methods -- some involve the pants and fish literally living together with the plants growing above the fish living below (sounds like the set up you saw). Others involve the fish and plants living separate with a water flow system cycling between the two. Again, lots of variations on both of these. You can grow indoor or outdoor, covered or uncovered, natural or artificial light. You can also use a wide variety of growing mediums to fit you needs. You have a TON of control of everything that goes into the system. This can be a huge plus.
Indoor growing generally makes smaller plants but they grow much faster and can be grown year round in any weather or conditions for a lot of product in a very small space at a constant rate.
I think that anyone interested should plan on doing a LOT of research.
There is work involved. Most systems need to be PHed and temperature checked and adjusted at the correct, gradual rate and it is critical that a proper balance is maintained. Also, you can not use any pesticides. Even the natural ones. Just about everything will hurt the fish so you need to do bug inspections regularly. If bug problems gets completely out of hand there is not much you can do to save your plants. Predator insects, like ladybugs, can help. Ammonia and Nitrate levels have to be tested weekly, etc. The fish need to be fed. But none of these things take a lot of time.
There is also LESS work involved. Compared to soil farming there is absolutely no weeding, watering or fertilizing. You never need to till or dig or re-pant. Everything is maintained in a cycle and new plants are started then switched out easily from any of the loose medium. Unlike other indoor systems you do no have to dump and replace nutrients on a regular basis, the system will maintain itself if you help keep it balanced..
Most people have a back up generator in case the power goes out. If not the system will be fine for short period of time without power. Pipes are cleaned monthly to prevent any blockages and issues. Humidity can be controlled in a number of ways and good veneration goes a long way. If I go out of town I will pay someone to come to my house and take care of my dogs, hens and do the minimum maintenance on the fish.
The plants are not living solely off fish poop. The system is far more complex than that and if you are interested I highly recommend the book I mentioned in the post above to explain the nutrient process in detail. In a properly maintained system healthy bacteria will be continually propagated and composting red worms are also added along with fish waste. Waste is constantly being broken down and digested by the plants and the bacteria creating different chemical and biological processes that provide the plants with the micro and macro nutrients they need. It really is about creating an ecosystem and not about growing plants and fish. You need to farm the correct bacteria, worms and biomasses. This will all happen naturally if you provide the correct environment. This process is also constantly cleaning the water so the fish are not just swimming is old smelly poop all the time.
Just like raising any animals you have to make sure that you are providing proper living conditions with enough space, healthy food and clean living. Just because the water is not clear does not mean that it is dirty or gross. I do not know what you were looking at or what is happening in the tanks you saw but there are lots of reasons that the water could have looked murky or discolored and still be a good living environment. Fish vision is complex and has little in common with human vision and some fish do not relay very much on their site so I am not sure how you were able to determine whether or not they could see well in their tanks. Lots of kinds of fish have evolved to life in naturally murky or dark water and many are very sensitive to too much light. It is impossible to tell if my fish are happy or if my hens are either but I put a lot of effort into making sure they have the correct environment to thrive.
I would not recommend it for anyone who is not truly interested in the process. The start up cost can be high depending on what you are wanting to do and there are monthly expenses (for me these are much much cheaper than the cost of land in my area). There are ways to start small and slow and cheaper and you can save a lot of money long term if you invest in a solar system.
I would say the biggest downside is the amount of research you need to do before starting out. You can not really just buy some fish and plant seeds and know they will all grow. But, once you are set up and the results can be really impressive and rewarding.
For me, aquaponics is an excellent option. For you it may not be. I do not think it is a matter of better or worse methods, rather a matter of different environments and different overall goals. However, I do not think anyone chooses aquaponics simply because they "don't want to put things in the ground."
I like aquaponics in general because to me it is not just about growing plants but about creating a complete organic ecosystem with no waste -- it is about cultivating an environment and is a beautiful example of biology in action. I am interested both in the result of veggies AND meat but also the science of the compete process. I also like that it allows for a clean and sustainable environment to grow fish compared to commercial fish farming (which is extremely dirty and gross and unhappy) and an alternative to fishing practices that are effecting fish populations and the overall ocean ecosystem. I like having complete control over what it is my water so my fish are going to be raised in mercury and toxin free environment -- better for them and better for me.
If I had the land I would would do traditional soil farming AND do aquaponics as to me they are achieving different things. But, I do not have any land -- which is the other nice thing about aquaponics -- it can be used as an alternative option for people who do not have the land, space, or conditions necessary for traditional soil farming.
I am attempting to grow my own food in an 8 by 14 ft space on concrete. This is the only gardening space available to me at the moment and I just want to make the most of it. I have only one very small dirt area in my yard and I have allocated that for my six hens and my dogs. As I result I have potted plants and trees and am experimenting with both aero and aqua ponics, indoors and out.
I am interested in growing my own vegetables and farming my own meat but in an urban environment I am very limited in what animals that I can farm. Hens, rabbits and fish are basically the only options.
I do not know anything about the aquaponics farmer near you or how well his operation is run or what his end goals are and I would rather not make any assumptions. But, aquaponics, like anything else can be done well or poorly and it all about the research you do and the effort and care that you put into it.
I do not think it is fair to judge aquaponics as a whole on one farming operation that may or may not be a good one. Aqua set ups can range from huge large-scale commercial operations to 1 rubber made tub inside an apartment closet and everything in between. There are also several different methods -- some involve the pants and fish literally living together with the plants growing above the fish living below (sounds like the set up you saw). Others involve the fish and plants living separate with a water flow system cycling between the two. Again, lots of variations on both of these. You can grow indoor or outdoor, covered or uncovered, natural or artificial light. You can also use a wide variety of growing mediums to fit you needs. You have a TON of control of everything that goes into the system. This can be a huge plus.
Indoor growing generally makes smaller plants but they grow much faster and can be grown year round in any weather or conditions for a lot of product in a very small space at a constant rate.
I think that anyone interested should plan on doing a LOT of research.
There is work involved. Most systems need to be PHed and temperature checked and adjusted at the correct, gradual rate and it is critical that a proper balance is maintained. Also, you can not use any pesticides. Even the natural ones. Just about everything will hurt the fish so you need to do bug inspections regularly. If bug problems gets completely out of hand there is not much you can do to save your plants. Predator insects, like ladybugs, can help. Ammonia and Nitrate levels have to be tested weekly, etc. The fish need to be fed. But none of these things take a lot of time.
There is also LESS work involved. Compared to soil farming there is absolutely no weeding, watering or fertilizing. You never need to till or dig or re-pant. Everything is maintained in a cycle and new plants are started then switched out easily from any of the loose medium. Unlike other indoor systems you do no have to dump and replace nutrients on a regular basis, the system will maintain itself if you help keep it balanced..
Most people have a back up generator in case the power goes out. If not the system will be fine for short period of time without power. Pipes are cleaned monthly to prevent any blockages and issues. Humidity can be controlled in a number of ways and good veneration goes a long way. If I go out of town I will pay someone to come to my house and take care of my dogs, hens and do the minimum maintenance on the fish.
The plants are not living solely off fish poop. The system is far more complex than that and if you are interested I highly recommend the book I mentioned in the post above to explain the nutrient process in detail. In a properly maintained system healthy bacteria will be continually propagated and composting red worms are also added along with fish waste. Waste is constantly being broken down and digested by the plants and the bacteria creating different chemical and biological processes that provide the plants with the micro and macro nutrients they need. It really is about creating an ecosystem and not about growing plants and fish. You need to farm the correct bacteria, worms and biomasses. This will all happen naturally if you provide the correct environment. This process is also constantly cleaning the water so the fish are not just swimming is old smelly poop all the time.
Just like raising any animals you have to make sure that you are providing proper living conditions with enough space, healthy food and clean living. Just because the water is not clear does not mean that it is dirty or gross. I do not know what you were looking at or what is happening in the tanks you saw but there are lots of reasons that the water could have looked murky or discolored and still be a good living environment. Fish vision is complex and has little in common with human vision and some fish do not relay very much on their site so I am not sure how you were able to determine whether or not they could see well in their tanks. Lots of kinds of fish have evolved to life in naturally murky or dark water and many are very sensitive to too much light. It is impossible to tell if my fish are happy or if my hens are either but I put a lot of effort into making sure they have the correct environment to thrive.
I would not recommend it for anyone who is not truly interested in the process. The start up cost can be high depending on what you are wanting to do and there are monthly expenses (for me these are much much cheaper than the cost of land in my area). There are ways to start small and slow and cheaper and you can save a lot of money long term if you invest in a solar system.
I would say the biggest downside is the amount of research you need to do before starting out. You can not really just buy some fish and plant seeds and know they will all grow. But, once you are set up and the results can be really impressive and rewarding.
