Aquaponics Grow Media

credit to : Farm Tech Mart
link : http://farmtech-mart.com/grow_media

Although there is no soil in a hydroponic garden, the plants must still be anchored. There is a wide range of inert materials which can be used to support plant roots and we call them "growing mediums". Clay Pellets, Perlite, Vermiculite, Coconut Fiber and Rockwool are the most popular media. The hydroponic media that work best are pH neutral, provide ample support for plants, retain moisture, and allow space for good air exchange. The type of media you choose will depend on the size and type of plants you wish to grow, and the type of hydroponic system being used. 

1. Clay Pebbles (LECA) 

Expended Clay Aggregate pebbles (LECA) main use is as a hydroponic growing media in flood and drain and dripper hydroponics systems like the Wilma. Clay pebbles can also be mixed with other hydroponic growing media like Cellmax, Coco or Soil to give better aeration. To create better drainage when growing in pots add a layer of Clay pebbles in the bottom.

Many growers use clay pebbles as a hydroponic growing media because they have excellent aeration and drainage properties. Clay pebbles are a clean, ph stable, and can be reused a couple of times before they need to be replaced.

Flood and drain or a dripper system will deliver the fast growth rates and yields using clay pebbles.

The centre of a clay pebble is honeycomb to make it light weight and the outside of a clay pebble is covered in a thin layer of solid clay making them suitable for use in hydroponics.

Tired of looking at dirty soil on the top of house plants in pots why not use some clay pebbles to make it look more attractive.

2. Perlite

Good old perlite! It's been around for years, mainly for use as a soil additive to increase aeration and draining of the soil. Perlite is a mined material, a form of volcanic glass that when rapidly heated to more than 1600 deg. f. it pops much like popcorn as the water vaporizes and makes countless tiny bubbles.

Perlite is one of the best hydroponic growing mediums around. Used by itself or as a mixture with other mediums. Perlite is commonly used with vermiculite ( a 50 - 50 mix is a very popular medium), and is also one of the major ingredients of soiless mix's. Perlite has good wicking action which makes it a good choice for wick-type hydroponic systems. Perlite is also relatively inexpensive.

The biggest drawback to perlite is that it doesn't retain water well which means that it will dry out quickly between waterings. The dust from perlite is bad for your health so you should wear a dust mask when handling it.

3. Vermiculite 

Vermiculite is another mined material. In it's natural state it resembles mica rock, but when quickly heated it expands due to the generation of interlaminar steam.

Vermiculite is most frequently used in conjunction with perlite as the two complement each other well. Vermiculite retains moisture (about 200% - 300% by weight), and perlite doesn't so you can balance your growing medium so that it retains water and nutrients well but still supplies the roots with plenty of oxygen. A 50/50 mix of vermiculite and perlite is a very popular medium for drip type hydroponic systems as well as ebb and flow systems. Vermiculite is inexpensive.

The major drawback of vermiculite is that it retains too much water to be used by itself. It can suffocate the roots of plants if used straight.

4. Coconut Fiber 

Coconut fiber is rapidly becoming one of the most popular growing mediums in the world. In fact it may soon be THE most popular. It is the first totally "organic" growing medium that offers top performance in hydroponic systems. Coconut fiber is essentially a waste product of the coconut industry, it is the powdered husks of the coconut itself.

There are many advantages - it maintains a larger oxygen capacity than rockwool, yet also has superior water holding ability than rockwool which is a real advantage for hydroponic systems that have intermittent watering cycles.

Coconut fiber is also high in root stimulating hormones and offers some protection against root diseases including fungus infestation. Dutch growers have found that a mixture of 50% coconut fiber and 50% expanded clay pellets is the perfect growing medium.

One word of caution about coconut fiber, you must be careful when you purchase coconut fiber. There is a commonly available, lower grade of coconut fiber that is high in sea-salt and is very fine grained. Lower grade coconut fiber will lead to disappointing results when used in a hydroponic system.

5. Rockwool

Rockwool is a very popular hydroponics growing medium. Rockwool is a porous substance that forms when a mixture of rocks, mostly basalt and dolomite, is melted at high temperature and specially processed. Given the material's neutral nature, it is used to build plant-growing medium granules or slabs, blocks, plugs, cubes, etc.

Rockwool provides roots with a good balance of water/oxygen As rockwool is composed of 97% air, it is easy to control the air/water ratio in it. Its porous quality also enhances root growth.

. Small cubes are used for starting seeds and cuttings, 3" or 4" cubes for small plants or intermediate growth, and slabs for larger plants. Rockwool can be used with continuous drip or flood and drain systems. Although it is possible to sterilize and re-use Rockwool, most often it is used only once.

More than 95% of all greenhouse vegetable production is carried out with the help of Rockwool -and for good reason. Like mentioned before, rockwool allows control over air and water supply, which are essential factors for plant growth. It also provides other feasible conditions to support a great crop, leading to consistency in plant production and yield, which is an important consideration in commercial harvesting.

Another pro is the easy availability of Rockwool products in a variety of shapes and sizes. This promotes the maximum utilization of Rockwool in various types of hydroponic set-ups.

Aquaponics Garden in your house - AquaLibrium

The Aqualibrium Garden is an indoor ecosystem designed to grow fresh herbs, vegetables, and flowering plants in any home.

• Aquaponic and Hydroponic Gardening
• Food Grade, BPA-Free Plastic
• Adjustable for Larger Plants (e.g. Tomatoes)
• Snap-on Aquarium Window Covers and LED Grow Lights Included
• Beautiful Clear Design
• Aquaponic/Hydroponic Instruction Manual Provided

Plants require nutrients to grow. Aquaponics uses a closed loop ecosystem composed of a fish tank and a garden. The fish produce the nutrients that are cycled up to feed the garden. The plant roots then act as a bio-filter by soaking up nutrients. Finally, the water is cycled back down to the aquarium, fresh and clean for the fish. 

All that is needed to grow peppers, kale and eggplants in your Aqualibrium Garden is a few small fish from your local pet store. The Aqualibrium Garden can also be used as a hydroponic system. Hydroponic gardening allows you to use pre-bottled nutrients instead of fish. Sprinkle nutrients in the bottom portion of the Aqualibrium Garden a few times a week and you will have a fresh herbs and flowers in no time!

http://www.aqualibrium.com/

  

What food can be grown in Aquaponics

PLANTS

credit to Endless Food Systems

Naturally, different plants grow under different conditions. Before you get started growing, it’s important to consider which type of growing bed to use. This is determined by the type of root structure that plant tends to have. Plants with no root structure need floating beds, while root vegetables grow better in wicking beds. Most everything else grows best in media beds. 

For plants like lettuce, herbs or leafy greens, floating “raft” style beds are ideal. For root vegetables, wicking beds are a better choice. If you plan to grow tomatoes, peppers, beans or most other types of multiple yield plants, media beds are probably your best option.

Choosing the right environment in which to place your aquaponics farm is another important consideration. The amount of sunlight, ambient temperature, rainfall and wind are all crucial factors in producing a healthy plant. If you decide to grow outdoors, choose varieties of vegetables that will grow best in your climate. In addition, most areas will require the use of a greenhouse, or you can always grow indoors.

It is best to avoid fighting Mother Nature. Even with a greenhouse, it is difficult to control the temperature, and plants thrive better when the temperature ranges match their normal processes. Therefore, in the colder months you should grow cold-weather crops and in the summer, you should grow your warm-weather plants.

It’s important to carefully schedule your planting times. If you’re looking to produce a sustained food supply, you should stagger your projected harvests so that all of your produce doesn’t become ripe at one time. This can lead to wasted food, as well as in-between periods where your aquaponics garden isn’t producing any vegetables. If you plan to grow multiples of the same vegetable, try to stagger growing periods by approximately the amount of time it will take you to consume a batch.

If you are aiming for more variety in your diet, try overlapping the growing times of three or more vegetable types. It can take a while to fine-tune this process to match your own consumption and the decomposition rates of your already picked vegetables. To err on the side of overproduction is never a bad idea, as you can easily donate excess vegetables, share them with friends or preserve them for later by freezing, dehydrating or canning. 

One of the quickest-yield vegetables you can get out of an aquaponics system is lettuce. Reaching peak maturity at around 28 days, lettuce grows ideally in floating beds. It is very forgiving in terms of the minimum and maximum water temperatures and can survive a range from 25-85 degrees Fahrenheit. 

If you’re looking to produce a more nutritious food in a short amount of time, pole, an Italian-style wax bean, can be harvested in around 54 days. Pole grows best in a media bed and is optimal at temperatures between 59 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Beans overall are an excellent investment, as they can be dried and stored for very long periods of time. 

Tomatoes are well worth the wait, taking around three months to reach peak maturity depending on the strain and variety. Like beans, they grow best in a media bed at a temperature of 59-95 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to ensure the highest yield from your tomato plants, be sure to trim off all shoots, leaving just the main vine. This will ensure that the bulk of the plant’s nutrients are delivered to the tomatoes once they begin to form. 

In about 65 days, you can have a full harvest of delicious carrots. They have a very well defined optimal growing temperature, at between 59 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit, although they are capable of growing in extreme temperatures in both directions. Wicking beds provide the perfect growing environment for carrots and other root vegetables.

With an aquaponics system, your ability to grow edible plants is limited only by your own desire to do so. The system does most of the labor that would be required of you in an ordinary in-ground growing operation, so you can spend your time on more pressing issues like scheduling harvests and finding new and interesting applications for your crops. When done correctly, you should be able to maintain a constantly rotating supply of organic, pesticide-free vegetables that can carry on indefinitely in a properly maintained system. 

FISH
credit to Backyard Aquaponics

There are many different species of fish that can be used in an aquaponic system, depending on your local climates and available supplies. Our local climate in Perth, Western Australia, allows us to keep Rainbow Trout through winter, then a warmer species like Barramundi during summer. There are also a few choices for year round fish that we could grow, but they often take a longer time to mature. If you live in a cooler climate you might be looking at growing Trout all year round, or perhaps another locally produced fish species. In warmer areas of Australia people generally grow Barramundi, or Jade Perch year round, in most warm areas throughout the world Tilapia is the fish of choice.

In deciding what is the best species for you to grow, you should take a few factors into account, most importantly is what you want from your system. If you don’t want to eat your fish then you probably won’t want to grow edible fish, or you may want to grow an edible fish that can live year-round in your area, so that you’re not having to harvest fish out seasonally. The second most important factor is ‘What’s available?’ You need to be able to buy fish to stock your system, even with species such as Tilapia that breed readily, you need to get your broodstock in the first place.

Here’s a list of useful aquaponic species with a few details about each

Barramundi: Barramundi are often grown in aquaponic systems through the warmer months of the year. Most growers will buy fairly mature stock so that they can harvest larger fish, at the end of the growing season. Barramundi that is grown in an aquaponic system has an exceptionally clean, crisp taste. Growing your own Barramundi excites guests and is the envy of neighbours. They provide a decent harvest at the end of the season and are one of the more majestic species of edible fish.

Catfish: There are many different species of catfish around the world that are well suited to aquaponics. Channel catfish are the most widely farmed aquaculture species in the United States, and they are available in many areas of Australia. Catfish don’t have scales so they need to be skinned, they are quick growing and have a good food conversion ratio.

Carp: There are many species of carp that could be very well suited to aquaponics, unfortunately because of their reproductive capabilities, their tough nature and ability to readily adapt in many areas of the world, carp have become noxious pests to native waterways and the environment, and as such they are not easily obtainable, and often there are high fines and fees for keeping them. In most western cultures carp also have a fairly poor reputation, as an eating fish, however, carp is still the most widely cultured fish in the world as it’s grown throughout most of Asia.

Goldfish: Although some people may group these with the carp, I’ve decided to cover these seperately as most people refer to them as goldfish, and this is what they will be sold as, at local pet shops or fish suppliers. Goldfish are generally pretty tough and make a great addition to an aquaponic system. In many areas they will breed in a tank, although they generally need plant cover within the tank to breed.

Jade Perch: This Australian fish is worth a special mention here, as it has the highest levels of omega three oils of any fish species in the world. In fact it’s so high in omega three oils that growers are trying to breed the oil out of them, they are trying to breed a less oily fish because they’ve found people don’t like the high oil content. They require warm water and consume an omnivorous diet. Very well suited to an aquaponic system, they grow quickly and fingerlings are readily available in warmer areas.

Koi: Once again, another species of carp, but better known as “Koi” rather than carp. Koi are very common within many Asian communities and they are often found in large ornamental ponds. For those who love Koi, an aquaponic system is a great proposition for stocking the fish.

Murray cod: Murray cod are a magnificent native Australian fish, known to grow to enormous sizes in their native habitats, their tank culture is still in reasonably early days. Murray cod are grown in recirculating aquaculture systems, and can also been grown in aquaponic systems, hopefully this fish will be utilised more over time because they are quick growing, and a great eating fish. One of the downfalls is that they must be kept at high stocking densities, and kept well fed otherwise they cannibalise each other.

Silver perch: Silver perch are a good allround native Australian fish that grow well under a variety of conditions. Perch are omnivorous and will happily eat green scraps as well as Duckweed and Azolla. They grow within a wide temperature range, though they’re not as fast growing as many other fish, taking 12-18 months for fingerlings to grow to plate size.

Tilapia: The second most cultured fish in the world, and extremely popular in Aquaponics systems. They are an ideal species for aquaponics for many reasons. They are easy to breed, fast growing, withstand very poor water conditions, consume an omnivorous diet and are good eating. The only downfall for some people will be that Tilapia require warm water. If you live in a cool area you are far better off growing a fish species that will grow well in your temperature range, rather than trying to heat the water. Tilapia are also a declared pest in many areas.

Trout: Trout are a great fish for aquaponic systems where water temperatures are a little cooler. Trout prefer water temperatures between 10°C and 20°C. They have extremely fast growth rates and excellent food conversion ratios.

Others: There are other fish species which are quite suitable for aquaponics, that might be available in your local area. In Europe many different species of carp are grown, within the United States such species as Bluegill are often available, while in Australia we also have a number of other native species like Sleepy cod which would be suitable.

Other aquatic animals that can be incorporated into an aquaponic system are fresh water mussles, fresh water prawns, and fresh water crayfish. Mussles are a filter-feeder, and do a great job of helping to clean the water, they will happily grow in flooded grow beds, or can be incorporated into fish tanks. Crustaceans make a nice addition to an aquaponic system and there are a few different species available depending on your location and water temperatures.

For those in tropical areas there’s Redclaw, a fast growing  Australian species, and for those in cooler areas there’s Yabbies or Marron.

Yabbies breed readily, given the right environment and the correct water temperature, as well as long daylight hours. They also grow fairly quickly, but they can be prone to fighting and cannibalism when stocked very densely.

  

Aquaponics' Advantages - Commercially

credit to http://centerforaquaponics.com

Aquaponic systems possess many attractive commercial applications, as well as environmental and human health benefits, making them ideal for future use in developing regions of the world. Quantifiable results include:

• Additive water conservation benefits of recirculating aquaculture and hydroponics combined into an integrated waste free system. With uncertainty regarding water supplies and the population carrying capacity of arid regions of the world, water conservation practices may result in aquaponics replacing more traditional forms of food production. Additionally, the plant and microbial remediation of the fish effluent (waste) prevents environmental contamination (eutrophication) common with many forms of aquaculture.

• A controlled-environment greenhouse operation greatly increases the reliability of production while reducing the risk of environmental degradation such as non-native species introduction which is prevalent with other forms of agriculture. Through the prevention of greenhouse pest outbreaks the need for synthetic pesticides has been eliminated.

• Combining aquaculture and hydroponics technologies has demonstrated the potential to exceed the productivity and profitability of independently operated systems for a given resource constraint (land, water, capital).

• Unlike warm blooded food stocks, cultured aquatic species are not considered high probability vectors of zoonotic diseases to humans. They require fewer inputs (feed and time) than other livestock. The feed conversion ratio and carbon footprint for farmed fish is significantly less than other sources for animal protein.

• The technologies employed to run an aquaponics operation can be primitive and produced from a large range of readily available (post-consumer) materials. This lowers the overall environmental footprint of the design and broadens the availability of the technology to poorer regions of the world.

Aqua Vista Topic: Future of Farming #1

Looking at the past and current state of agriculture, we have come to the conclusion that it is failing to provide nutritious foods, it is insufficient to sustain us in the future and the ecological destruction caused my modern farming methods has taken an incredible toll on our planet. 

  

Dr. Despommier's solution is to utilize skyscrapers to grow food hydroponically in the middle of cities. According to Dr. Despommier, the vertical farm has a number of advantages over traditional agricultural methods used currently worldwide.

1. Year-round crop production. By growing crops inside controlled environments, crop production is not dependent upon the seasons. Instead of one season of tomatoes, staggered planted tomatoes can be harvested year round.

2. No Weather-related Crop Failures. By growing foods in controlled environments; droughts, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural phenomena are irrelevant. 

3. New Employment Opportunities. When farming exists in a skyscraper there are plenty of job opportunities created in the cities. In the Vertical Farm, the crops exist in all of these stages all the time, necessitating the need for labour.

4. No Agricultural Runoff. "According to the USDA, Agricultural nonpoint source pollution is the primary cause of pollution in the U.S." - The Vertical Farm. By growing hydroponically in a controlled environment, these toxic chemicals are essentially unnecessary.

5. Allowance for Ecosystem Restoration. By moving agriculture into city skyscrapers, Dr. Despommier argues traditional agriculture won't be necessary and the land can be turned back over to nature for recovery.

6. Animal Feed from Post-harvest Plant Material. You don't eat all parts of a plant and what is leftover can be used as animal feed.

7. No Use of Pesticides, Herbicides, or Fertilizers. Guess what? There are no weeds to pull in hydroponic/aeroponic/aquaponic systems! So there's no water pollution caused by this method of farming.

8. Use of 70-95 percent less water. According to The Vertical Farm, "Today, traditional agriculture uses around 70 percent of all the available freshwater on earth, and in doing so pollutes it." Of all the benefits on this list, this is the most important of them all.

9. Purification of Grey Water to Drinking Water. Grey water reclamation will become an even hotter topic as the scarcity of clean water becomes more desperate. Plants provide a natural (bio) filtration process that can cleans the water.

10. Greatly reduced food miles. A common argument for alternative farming is that the average distance food travels from farm to table is 1500 miles, on average. The Vertical Farm proposes growing food in the centre of cities, drastically cutting this distance down.

11. More Control of Food Safety and Security. The Vertical Farm is designed using the same equipment hospitals use in intensive care units to prevent pathogens and pests from affecting the crops. Security is proposed to prevent people from sabotaging the environment produced.

credit to OHIO AQUAPONICS

Aquaponics Presentation #1

Hi, its been long since I posted. And guess what I found while going through my previous semesters paperwork; an aquaponic presentation I (and a collegue of mine) did back in 2008! Here is some of its content.

INTRODUCTION

Terminology     :  Spelled                      : aqua·pon·ics

                          Pronunciation            : [ak-wuh-pon-iks]

                        : noun (used with a singular verb)

                        : origin: 1996-97; aqua(culture) + (hydro)ponics

                        : symbiotic cultivation of plants and aquatic animals in a recirculating environment

Brief explanation           : 

1. Fish waste accumulates in water as a byproduct of the keeping them in a closed-tank aquaculture system. The waste rich water becomes high in plant nutrients but is toxic to the aquatic animal.

     2.  Plants are grown in a hydroponic system that utilizes the nutrient rich water. The plants in turn digest the nutrients, reducing or eliminating the waters toxicity for the aquatic animal.

3. The water, now clean, is returned to the aquatic animal environment and the cycle continues. Aquaponics systems do not discharge or exchange water.

The systems rely on the natural relationship between the aquatic animals and the plants to maintain the environment.

  

COMPONENTS OF AN AQUAPONICS SYSTEM

     Fish Tank                   Vegetable Plot                 Water Pump

       
      Filter                                 Piping                         Sump

PRODUCTS OF AN AQUAPONICS SYSTEM

              Fresh Fish 

             Fresh Vegetables



***presentation continues into #2, refer older post***