How It All Works

Aquaponics Explained

Aquaponics combines aquaculture with hydroponics to create a more innovative method of farming.

Aquaculture + Hydroponics ⇒ Aquaponics

What is hydroponics?

What is aquaculture?

On the other hand, hydroponics is the process of growing plants without soil, but instead in either sand, gravel, or water with added nutrients. This allows farmers to produce food in nearly any environment. Additionally, water used can be filtered and recycled instead of wasted, ultimately reducing the overall water consumption of the whole system.

Aquaculture is the process of breeding, raising, and harvesting fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants. It’s not only a reliable source of food and produce, but is also more environmentally friendly, requiring less land and fresh water than beef, pork, and poultry.


That being said, aquaculture and hydroponics still have their disadvantages. Aquaculture requires constant changing of water due to chemical buildup from the fish waste, whereas Hydroponics requires the addition of chemicals and minerals to sustain plant growth.

However, in aquaponics, symbiosis is achieved where both organisms mutually benefit from each other. The plants clean the water for the fish and use the fish waste to grow, while the fish produce nutrients for the plants.

So how does our system function?

Step 1: The Fish

Firstly, we have to feed our fish–we use food that is high in protein and low in fat in order to keep our koi and carp happy and healthy. Waste that’s produced along with any uneaten food starts to decompose turns into ammonia, which will soon be converted into nutrients needed for our plants.

 

Step 2: The

Bacteria

Next, bacteria in the water convert the ammonia first into nitrite, then into nitrate. While this is happening, water is pumped out of the tank and into the grow beds.

Step 3: The Plants

Once the water is transfered to grow beds, plants absorb the nitrates along with other nutrients in the water as plant food. In combination with sunlight, this gives the plants the necessary resources to grow. The plants we grow include lettuce, tomatoes, and microgreens!

Step 4: Back to the Tank

Lastly, the now clean water is siphoned back into the fish tank to be reused once more. By recycling water, aquaponics systems reduce the overall water consumption when growing produce, making it a more environmentally friendly process.

System Management

It’s important that the tank is kept in the right conditions to ensure the health and safety of both the fish and plants. Read about the important factors we keep track of below!

  • Temperature

    The bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite are dependent on temperature levels; too high and it kills the bacteria, resulting in ammonia spikes; too low and both the bacteria and the fish become less active, slowing down the whole process.

  • Oxygen (O2)

    Oxygen that’s dissolved in the water is absorbed by fish through their gills. Too little oxygen inhibits many cellular functions that animals need to survive. On the other hand, too much oxygen can cause a disease where bubbles form in a fish’s skin and/or around its eyes.

  • pH

    Keeping the pH within a certain range reduces the stress of our fish, and helps fight disease. Going out of this range can cause severe damage to our fish’s skin, gills, and eyes. We regularly test the water in our tank and try to maintain a neutral pH of around 7.

  • Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate

    The ammonia levels should always be at 0ppm. Even the smallest amounts of ammonia can be deadly to fish. Nitrite is mildly less toxic than ammonia, but can still be harmful, so keeping it between 0 and 0.2 is ideal. However nitrate should be relatively high, as it acts as nutrients for our plants.