DIY aquaponic system
Aquaponics system can be small too. Those are perfect for home or backyard projects. You will need items like a container for the fish, a tiny water pump, a grow bed and growing media, crops, a testing kit for pH and nutrients levels and an air pump to properly oxygenate your fish.
Choose the container for the fish. It can be from plastic or anything that can safely sustain water. If you are planning to set up the system outside, you should probably choose an opaque tank in order to protect your fish from direct sunlight.
Choose a grow bed container that has the same size as the fish tank. This will make things easier when it comes to circulating water. Make a hole in the grow bed container for drainage.
Place in the fish container the gravel. Before doing this, wash it in order to prevent bacteria transfer. It is an important piece of the entire system because it encourages the proper function of the nitrogen cycle.
After setting up in place the fish tank and the growing container, set up the tubes. One for the water that goes to feed the crops and one for the drainage. Set up the water pump and fill the tank with water. Test to see if there are leaks in your fish tank and if the system works correctly.
If everything goes smooth, install the air pump for the fish tank. Choose a good quality one because it is responsible for keeping the right oxygen levels. In other words, this is what will make your fish happy.
Lastly, place the fish in the tank and leave them for 24 hours to adjust to the new environment. It is recommended that you use a smaller stock of fish for the first month. After four weeks you can start placing the plants in the growing container.
Bottom line, this are the basic steps you can do for setting up a small aquaponic system. You can recycle items from your household or you can buy new ones. It is a perfect experiment for newcomers in the field and it helps in understanding how things work. Furthermore, if you do not have enough space for a regular system, a small one may do the work for you.
aquaponics, DIY aquaponic system |