yrs WikipediA defines it as: What is Aquaponics? A relatively new science What are the benefits of Aquaponics? Aquaponics: Aquaponics:

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1 What is Aquaponics? A relatively new science WikipediA defines it as: Aquaponics has only started to appear in the mainstream in the last... yrs a sustainable food production system that combine a traditional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as snails, fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. What are the benefits of Aquaponics? Food on your plate which hasn t travelled across globe. Not sprayed with pesticides or chemical fertilisers Water is recycled; good for the environment Once set up, maintenance levels are very low. The purpose of Aquaponics is to produce your own food in a sustainable and completely natural system. The fundamental element is the bacteria which converts fish waste into a usable food source for plants. The plants filter the water and return it fresh and clean to the fish. This cycle is a closed loop system that regularly produces fruit, veg & salad as well as edible fish (although ornamental fish can also be grown if preferred). Aquaponics: Bacteria convert ammonia from fish waste nutrients for plants. Bacteria converts fish waste into usable food for plants. Plants filter the water and return it fresh and clean to the fish. Solves the downsides of Aquaculture and Hydroponics Aquaponics: A closed loop system Water in Aquaculture needs filtering to remove nitrates harmful to fish. In Hydroponics salts and chemicals build up and become toxic to plants.

2 What plants can I grow? What type of fish can I grow? Some Popular plants include: Essentially you can grow any type of fresh water fish. Some popular choices are: Mint Papaya! Tilapia grow fast easy to breed white fish very mild taste In the wild Tilapia mostly live in lakes and still water quite well suited to a tank, however you will need to use a water heater. Try wrapping in foil and cooking with some olive oil, lime and chillies. Cucumber Spinach Basil Melon Trout fast growth rates colder water, between 10 and 20 degrees need water pumps to ensure a better flow of water and oxygen around the tank unsuitable for the Family Unit Greens recommend using Production unit at no more than 0.5kg per 100 litres of water. NB: Be sure not to mix Trout and Tilapia as you will end up with far fewer Tilapia! Tomatoes Lettuce Perch relatively small fish native to the UK carnivorous diet can be supplemented with live feeds such as worms considered one of the tastiest freshwater fishes preferred temperature range is 4-31 C with an optimum of 22 C. Strawberries Carp good choice if you decide not to heat your system able to survive through colder spells can survive in low oxygenated water carnivorous wide ranging diet preference for insect larvae and worms reach their harvest weight approximately 2-3 times quicker In a heated system than a cold water system. These are just a few examples of the plants that can be grown in an aquaponics system. Once your system is established you could also consider adding fresh water Prawns and fresh water mussels.

3 How many fish should I be stocking? Fishplant, provide the following guidelines per system. Family unit: Up to 3.5kg Production unit: Up to 7kg We would urge you to consider stocking lower levels to reduce fish stress, and you will still obtain excellent growth rates in your plants. How quickly will my fish be ready to eat? Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Tilapia can reach their harvest size of 500g within 6 months. Males are more popular as they tend to grow faster than Females and sizing is more consistent. Trout can hit their market size in 9 months (30-40cm). Pan sized fish (about g), will take about months. Perch take about 10 months to reach their harvest size of 100g. Females grow 20% faster so will be ready to harvest after 8 months. Carp can reach 600g - 1kg within 12 months in a heated system. They will take 2-3 times longer in winter temperatures. Once your system is up and running you will find that your fish will grow at different rates and as the larger one s are removed so the next ones will come through and so on. This will provide you with a regular supply of fish to eat.

4 What do I feed my Aquaponics Fish? Green s Horticulture stock Fishplant Aquaponic food Suitable for Tilapia, Carp & Goldfish We also stock food for Fingerlings (young fish). Is Aquaponics Organic? Your system cannot be officially certified organic unless you use organic fish food. Fishplant fish food is not certified organic. Green s are in the process of sourcing organic fish food elsewhere. Alternatively Black Fly Larvae or compost worms are perfect food for Trout & Perch. However if you want a truly organic system, be sure to feed the worms and black fly an organic diet. Duckweed can be used as a supplement, but be sure to grow it in a separate tank as it is invasive. Where should I buy my Fish? Always use a reputable supplier. You can always ask to see paperwork to check where the fish stock originated. It is possible to order fish by mail order if it is difficult to pick them up in person. Do not eat fish that have been bought for ornamental purposes. How important is the bacteria & where does it come from? The bacteria is an essential part of your Aquaponics system, without it your plants would simply die. There are 100 s of types of bacteria but we are concerned primarily with: nitrosomonas & nitrobacter which functions to convert fish waste into benign nitrates that then fertilize the plants in the system s Grow Bed. Many enthusiasts also like to introduce red worms into the media bed as they eat excess roots and help break down waste from fish into a form that plants are able to use. The grow bed where the bacteria (and maybe worms) live is also known as the bio-filter. The process of establishing bacteria is called cycling the system. This can be done with or without fish depending on your preference. Green s Aquaponics systems all include the FishPlant starter kit which includes live bacteria and food to get colonization started.

5 Where can I put my Aquaponic System? You can put it where you like! - within reason. Popular places for an Aquaponic system are: You will need access to electricity to supply the pump so take this into consideration. some fish will require warmer conditions, so bear that in mind when deciding which fish to stock. in the Garden or Greenhouse Summary Key Benefits So remind me, why should I be interested? Save s Grow your own fruit, veg, salad & fish at home and taste food as it should taste Harvest your food when it s ripe and ready to eat (compare to supermarket food) Enjoy a very healthy, low fat, high protein diet Running an Aquaponics system is easy. Setting up requires a bit of concentration, but once it s up and running maintenance is very straightforward. Help the environment and take the strain off over-stretched food chains Be confident where your food comes from No digging weeds It s educational, a great way for kids to learn about food and the environment It s fun! Save money. To buy, set-up and run a family unit will cost x* in the first year, and will become more efficient as your system stabilizes. Compare this to the cost of buying just a small organic veg box each week for a year 13 x 52 = 676 * cost for unit size/type of fish (heated or unheated) /cost of stocking fish Where can I learn more? To get a complete understanding of Aquaponics, we recommend the industry bible: Aquaponic Gardening by Sylvia Bernstein.