Aquaponics

Aquaponics is the marriage of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil). Aquaponics systems generally circulate water from the fish through whatever is used to support the plant roots, and then back to the fish tank again. Many believe that aquaponics can play an important role in a safer, more socially just, and less environmentally devastating food system.

Aquaponics has been around certainly since the mid-late 20th century, and likely long before that.

These are a few different systems working with the basic functionality of aquaponics:

• In certain parts of the world, (Vietnam and the Phillipines come to mind) tilapia fish are raised in rice paddies when flooded and will fertilize the growing rice.
• North Carolina State University experimental system. Tilapia tanks underground, trickle fish effluent water through planting beds of sand. Growing tomatoes and cucumbers.
• Tom and Paula Sperano systems. Base for much of the hobbyist aquaponic field today. Hydroponic-like beds filled with gravel growing medium. Growing beds alternately flood and drain on a set schedule. Fish tanks aerate simply through the activity of returning water. Focused mostly on premium herbs (basil, etc...) and (flowers?).
• University of the Virgin Islands system. Plants float in fish effluent water, system is focused on high levels of leafy green production. Lettuce, etc...
• Barrel-ponics system. Travis Hughey. Loosely based on the Seprano system. Designed to be more easily reproducible worldwide than other systems. Uses plastic shipping barrels that are widely available because of their use in international shipping of liquid products. Opts for very simple mechanical solutions whenever possible.
• Backyard Aquaponics system. Joel Malcolm. Based on the Sperano system. Plants are grown in a hydroponic medium or in gravel. Fish effluent water is pumped to pant-growing beds that either flood-and-drain or simply flow through.