Important Aquaponics Design Considerations

Tips on aquaponics designs and landscaping

Landscape designers and garden planners are increasingly using Aquaponics in their garden designs.

There are  many benefits to Aquaponics
1.No need to water daily
2.Fast growing organic food
3.No soil and
4. No weeding

This mean that an Aquaponic System can easily be incorporated into any sized garden.

Once you begin researching aquaponics design, you'll discover there are several options.

The design of the aquaponics system will depend on the available space, climate and the type of fish you plan to raise.

Here are several important design considerations to examine and understand before getting started.

Kinds of Aquaponics Design

For a start, you will have to choose the right kind of  design for your garden or backyard.
Media-filled beds are the most popular option. This is the simplest design, as well, which turns it into a great possibility for beginners. The plants are planted on a media-filled grow beds. Water is pumped from the fish tank to the grow beds, providing the plants with nutrients.

Deep water culture is the second design possibility

Floating boards are added to the top of the fish tank. Holes are drilled in them, allowing for the placement of the plant pots. The roots of the plants are then directly submerged into the water. Deep water culture aquaponics designs are most common for commercial uses.

The third possibility is called nutrient film technique

This type of design is more common in the world of hydroponics but it can still be used for an aquaponics system. The water from the fish tank is pumped through small channels. Plants have their roots submerged in these channels. This system is more specialized, thus mainly suitable for growing green leafy vegetables.

Fish Tank Design Considerations

The design and the size of the fish tank will determine the types of species that will be most suitable for the aquaponics system. A general rule of thumb is that one pound of fish needs five gallons of water in the fish tank.

Any container can be used for the fish. Some people start with very small buckets to move on to full sized tanks. The stock density of the fish is the factor that will determine the number of grow beds.
To make the process easier, you can try a shallower fish tank. Traditionally, aquaponics beginners go for a fish tank with a height of 30 inches. Reduced tank height will still provide the fish with enough space and it will make it much easier for you to pump water to the grow beds and to provide the plants with nutrients.

Grow Bed Considerations

As already mentioned, the media-filled beds are the most popular option, especially in the case of DIY backyard aquaponics. If you decide to give this possibility a try, you will have to understand the relationship of the fish tank to the grow beds and the design considerations connected to those.
The grow beds need a solid substrate like clay or gravel.

The solid substrate will make it easier for the fish waste to be broken down. Proper filtration & grow bed are very often the key for success.Click the link to know aquaponics system can support the feeding the hunger program.

Aidan Johnson is the author of the article & he is an expert in Aquaponic Design. Check out his website here: http://aquaponicsexperts.com

Resources on aquaponics design 

1. Visit The Art and Science of Aquaponics to know from their founder David Rosenstein  about bootstrapping a business based on aquaponics.

2. The Aquaponic Gardening Community - is made up of people primarily in the US who are mostly hobbyists.

3. Backyard Aquaponics - is again hobbyists but this is primarily individuals from Australia 

4. I have seen greenhouses running aquaponics systems that are full of flowers....to know more visit best plant to grow in an aquaponics system 

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