Aquaponics

Acquaponics: Combining Hydroponics and Fish Farming

Water can be used in a greenhouse for supplemental heating and cooling. It's cheap and readily available, and it stores more heat in less space than any other commonly available heat-storage material. Greenhouse water can be recycled to raise edible fish or to do hydroponics gardening. Fish supply the fertilizer for the plants in the form of uneaten food and nitrogen-rich waste by-products and the plants help keep the water clean by absorbing nutrients from the fish water. A shallow stream of nutrient water is circulated through a dense mat of plant roots. The upper roots in the mat are exposed to moist air. This provides both abundant nutrients and oxygen to the plants roots.

I believe this could be tried using only a very small fish tank and adapting the recirculating filter to pump the water through 1" diameter PVC pipe in which plants, especially vine type plants that can do well without soil support, are grown. The plants would be grown above the tank with proper lighting.

Offered by Mary.