It may sound fancy, but aquaponics is a great way to garden. It combines the benefit of raising fish while growing plants. It is an entwining between aquaculture and hydroponics, and the final creation is a beautiful relationship between fish and plants. Its efficiency can be seen in the use of nutrients, water, space and time. Think about a regular aquarium or fish pond. The water becomes filthy periodically, due to the waste produced by the fish. If that water is not cleaned rather often, the water can become very toxic and noxious for the fish, threatening their lives. In an aquaponic system, the dirty water is transmitted to the plants, where bacteria convert the waste into usable nutrients for the plants. Then the clean water is sent back to the fish.
Isn’t that a great way to take care of both problems? Besides, water consumption for both environments are radically reduced. We all know that sustainable farming must be able to decrease the consumption of valuable resources, such as water and nutrients. Because aquaponics is continuously recirculating and reusing the water, water consumption is insignificant. An aquaponic system is 90% more water efficient than traditional farming methods. Aquaponics allows users to grow plants and fish in areas where the soil is low in nutrients or when the climate is too harsh. All you need to take care of is feeding your fish and keeping track of the water’s chemistry.