aquaponics

Aquaponics is an amazing system of converting fish waste into nutrients plants need to survive. Here on Eleuthera at the Island school we have tanks of tilapias(the type of fish we use), and the water from there tanks gets pumped into the grow beds. where the plants roots will suck up nutrients from the fish waste in the water.

(Tilapia fish)

Tilapia are the ideal fish for our aquaponics system because they are fresh water fish that are adaptable to many different water qualities, parasites, and diseases. Tilapia fish taste amazing so you can harvest them along with the veggies in your aquaponics system.

(The roots of the plants in the aquaponics system)

We usually use coconut fiber grow medium to put in the cups. But the typical method is to use clay balls as a grow medium.

                                                         (Clay ball grow medium)

   Some things you can grow in an Aquaponics system are lettuce tamatos basil and mint. But we have experimented with, and cucumbers, and many other things to.

     I got interested in aquaponics after helping Walter and Csilla who work at the Island school aquaponics system. They believe aquaponics is a sustainable way of agriculture. Aquaponics can also produce tons of food.

      You can get a small aquaponics system for no more than a hungred dollars.The small aquaponics systems require very little money and maintenance, the only two things you need to do are make sure the water is clean and siphon out the solid waste.