Aquaponics System is an interesting way of doing organic gardening. It involves using the waste of live fish for nutrients for your plants, as they grow in the same water in which the fish live. Hydroponics also uses a lot of water to grow plants, but not with the fish added to the process.
Aquaponics is a self-contained system, unlike hydroponics.
All you need to grow your plants is included between the equipment, fish, water and plants that are used in this process. As you care for the fish, they deposit waste products into the water that feed nutrients to the plants. Hydroponics on the other hand needs a more elaborate setup and the plants still need to be fed fertilizer to grow correctly. This makes hydroponics more expensive at least in this area.
It is always tricky too to get the nutrients at the right level when doing hydroponics. This is one thing that is so easy when gardening is done aquaponically. Because the plants receive all the nutrients, they need naturally from the waste left by the fish on a daily basis. There is no need to add any other nutrients.
Some of the hydroponic systems are quite involved to set up to produce favorable results. You may even have to have a greenhouse to perform the method you have chosen to do. However, when you are combining fish with gardening, it can be easily done outdoors in your backyard without the addition of a greenhouse. You can even set the equipment up on your patio or balcony.
The Systems Require Fewer Resources
Aquaponics systems take fewer resources to operate than a system done hydroponically. This makes it cheaper to grow plants using this method than one that is hydroponically based. This latter method takes a lot more equipment, fertilizer and organization than using one that is based aquaponically for doing gardening.
While you are raising fresh vegetables for your family to eat, you are also raising fresh fish for food. Since you only use organic methods in this endeavor your fish are perfectly fine for your kitchen table, if you so choose. You raise such species of fish like goldfish, koi, catfish, bluegill, largemouth bass and trout. Check with local experts to see the species that will thrive best in your area.
Aquaponics Can Out Produce Hydroponics
Both methods will produce more harvest than traditional or in-soil organic gardening methods. However, aquaponics can out produce hydroponics with plants such as tomatoes, lettuce and many other types of leafy green vegetables because the system naturally provides the plants with more nitrogen.
Neither system has a negative issue as far as what time of the year the method can be performed. With the use of special heaters and possibly other equipment, both methods can be used throughout the year to produce food. They both can be used commercially, but the system that is based aquaponically is easier to set up near the intended market.
These aquaponics systems work on a very simple concept. You feed your fish organic food and their wastewater is channeled into your plants, so they can get the needed nutrients to grow and thrive. Hydroponic systems come in simple and basic forms or very complex setups. You may want to check into aquaponics for gardening that is aquaponically based to see how it will help you increase your harvest today.