Aquaponics combines fish and hydroponics

Also you will see that the information here is a bit different from what you might find on other websites. As I have been "learning on the job", you will find my systems less like the professionally crafted ones on other sites. Here is a good site about backyard aquaponics. It has some good information, but you will see what I mean - unlike the carefully designed systems on this site, mine has evolved a piece at a time, often using everyday household items.

I will go through everything here (even my mistakes and stuff-ups), but from the image below you can see it still looks like a bit of a mess. Nevertheless, it works - although it is still very much a work in progress.

My aim has been to develop a system that could be put together on a budget and required only a single air pump as its energy input. In other words, it should had to be one that could be maintained on a budget and without having to become a hydrological techno-geek.

To achieve this, I decided on a strictly ecological approach to develop an integrated polyculture system.

You might think I have lost the plot by saying this, after all I have already said that aquaponic systems are like mini-ecosystem. However, I wanted to go a step or two further - no chemical inputs, no regular volume changes and no complex mechanical filtration and water purification equipment.

The size of the system was the first thing against me since small scale aquaculture has problems that larger systems do not. In short, the smaller the total volume of any ecosystem, the less likely it will be self-sustainable. However, I found a number of factors were essential and my one air pump objective fell short when I needed to add a small UV clarifier, but more of that in a minute.

As the term suggests, Aquaponics is a system of two halves - aquaculture and hydroponics (of a sort), but a proper understanding of this subject must begin with aquaculture. So exactly what is Aquaculture?

Developing Small-scale Systems

This is where plant growth comes into the picture. The basic premise of an aquaponic system is that it should utilize the waste nutrients from fish to support plant growth. So the converse - that plant growth should help maintain water quality - should also be true.

Last, but not least, we need to design and build the system. So what equipment do we need and how can we do it as inexpensively as possible?

One thing is fairly clear from my efforts to date and that is that the system requirements for Holding fish are very different to those for Growing fish. The significantly higher inputs needed to support growth quickly overwhelm my small system.

Although I will soon be going back to buying fish of the required size and using the system to hold and 'purge' them, a significantly enlarged bio-filter capacity is certainly warranted. This is one of the major thing I will be looking at in the next stage of my aquaponics system development. If you click here you can read more about this and my other Food Garden research projects.

To find more information on setting up and running aquaculture and aquaponic systems at home, check out the links to other useful pages at the bottom of this one.

We will also be reporting on new stuff here from time to time, so check bock often. If you would like to hear when such new information is available then why not subscribe to our email newsletter - "The Food Gardener", where all the results of our research will be released first. You can do this easily by completing the form below.

Have A Great Story About Backyard Aquaponics or Aquaculture?

Do you have a great story about keeping Fish or operating an aquaponic system in your food garden? Why not share it with others interested in food gardening!

Here you have the chance to both learn from the experience of others and "pay it forward" by sharing what you have learned with other food gardeners.

Further Reading and Useful Links

Garden ecology
Understanding some basic principles of Ecology (as they relate to home gardens, will be useful in achieving success with aquaponics.

Making a profit from your food garden
There are a few food plants that are not only useful to grow, but can also generate an income as well. Most have not yet been properly developed for gardens (as opposed to commercial production), but we can work through that together.

Other Garden resources
These are some more general garden resources that you may still need here.

Food Garden Photo Blog
Any time you have a problem and need some help (or a success to share), you can post a photo (or video) together with any questions or comments on the Food Garden Photo Blog.