A combination of aquaculture and hydroponics, aquaponics systems are an increasingly popular farming practice. Taking all elements from fish farming and soil less farming, it aims to take the eco-benefits of both, whilst minimizing any negative aspects.
Aquaponics systems work, with a view to cultivating both plants and fish, in an environment that hopes to offer be ideal for both.
Grown in containers filled with gravel, the plants are fed with the water from the fish tanks. The fish, in regular tanks of water; are simply fed standard and commercially available food.
Bacteria, which are already present in the plant trays, break down the waste products contained in the fish tank water, which is used by the plants to get all their nutrition. Having been purified, the water cycles back into the fish tanks.
The process seems to be highly beneficial to both plants and the fish, and returns excellent results accordingly.
The fish are healthier; suffering from fewer infections and diseases. They are less stressed than those produced by traditional aquaculture systems; thought to be as a direct result of the lack of pesticides, and other chemicals that leech into the water.
Plants are healthier too; and return increased crops, for much the same reason.
The benefits are far greater than this alone however. The bottom line costs incurred by farmers are significantly reduced from traditional methods; with less food, less fertilizers and the like being necessary. With disease lessened, preventative and curative work is lessened too.
As the world’s population rises, it is going to be necessary to increase food production on a huge scale. It is hoped that aquaponics systems could, at least in part, help with this. It is already being rolled out in the developing world, where food shortages are already increasingly common. Environmentally friendly too, it could be just the answer we have been looking for.
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