Growing your own organic food is a dream that many would love to be able to live. But for most, it never happens. Growing a garden is a lot of work and takes up more time than most people have. Plus many people, especially those in the city, don’t have a fertile plot of land suitable for a garden. Aquaponics is changing this and promises to revolutionize the way many of us grow food.
To help keep the fish in the commercial aquaponics system healthy, their environment must be kept constant. For the best results the temperature of the water must be maintained between 70F and 86F. This is a 16 degree cushion, but that does not mean it can fluctuate between these extremes on a daily basis. For the fish not to go into shock, the daily average of fluctuation should not be more than 2F. This will give them a stable environment to live.
When you set up a new commercial aquaponics garden, you will have to wait a while before you plant your first seeds. It takes time for the ammonia from the fish wastes to be turned into nitrates by bacteria. This can initially take up to three months for the ammonia levels to build up and for bacteria colonies to build up. Without sufficient nitrogen, the plants will not grow well and may even quickly die.
Think carefully before buying an aquaponics tank if the size fits your need. Usually, the probable number of fishes that you want to culture would identify the best size of the tank. Be sure that the fishes will have enough space to move inside the tank otherwise it will be harmful for them. For instance, you are planning to culture around 150-200 fishes, that can be considered a small aquaponics system so opt for the smaller tank. On the other hand, if you wish to have more fishes, then select a bigger tank. Additionally, the tank size would also determine the size of the grow bed so that the balance of the homeostatic system will still be observed.
Today more than ever people fear the looming food crisis aquaponics the continual increase of food costs. Drought, transportation disruptions, fuel shortages, lack of refrigeration plus many other issues have been making aquaponics into a real business. Aquaponics provides organic, locally grown food on a year-round basis and you may not even be aware of it.
If you want to eat food that is truly organic, and without costing a fortune, growing your own can be the best way. For most people this is a dream that has long been out of reach. Although they would love to grow their own food, they may not have the resources or the time to grow a garden. A large plot of land with fertile soil is just out of reach for a large percentage of people in modern times.
A single holding tank with 500 gallons of water can support up to four large growing beds. Every six months, this simple system can produce more than 150 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables and more than 80 pounds of edible fish.