There are people all around the globe that are using aquaponic systems to either feed their families or to sell their bountiful harvests for profit. But do you ever wonder why they start aquaponics in the first place?
It's probably the beneficial reasons behind it that get people so hooked.
You Don't Have to Break the Bank to Get Started
Starting an aquaponics system can indeed be very expensive if you buy a pre-made unit, but going the DIY route would be much cheaper. A gardening enthusiast by the name of Scott Coggins on Youtube shares his experience with how he built his system using mostly plywood which could be quite useful if you don't know where to start.
He lives in a small 6,000 square foot home in Nevada in a suburban neighborhood, which shows you don't need thousands of dollars to build your own system.
It's Green and It's Clean
Aquaponics is sustainable so you don't have to worry about depleting any natural resources. Also, if you include fish in which their waste acts as an organic fertilizer, this mutual system is highly effective since the waste water is filtered and recycled by the plants.
One of the earth's biggest concerns is the decreasing fish population, so you'd be serving the environment some good by establishing and conserving an ecological balance.
Organic Means Tastier and Healthier
Because you're growing crops with aquaponics in the means of your own home, it's most likely that your food will be much healthier than the vegetables you usually buy at the grocery store if you take the right steps.
Aquaponics & Earth answer to the commonly believed hoax that aquaponic food isn't safe since the plants grow from fish waste, although the truth is that it is safe for the waste is turned into natural fertilizer through the help of microbes. Microbes play defense and protect us from disease.
You Spend Less Energy, The Earth Will Thank You
The PBS News Hour speaks on how aquaponic systems are great for conserving energy since it uses less water than traditional farming techniques. It's highly favorable considering there's little to no evaporation since water use mainly comes through transpiration, which the plants make use of.
Plants only take up water through their root tips, so compared to soil techniques, water on topsoil ends up getting evaporated faster than the water can reach the plant's roots.
You Won't Have to Wait Long for Your Plants to Grow
Aquaponic plants are known to grow faster than soil plants since there's no weeds that take up all the nutrients. You'll be able to yield up to 20 times more in lesser time, and this fast growth is evident in studies like this USC Project, where even with no fish, the growers saw up to 19 cm in their peas and beans, and six cm in their tomatoes by the 13th day.
You can grow as much lettuce as someone with 100 square feet of space with 10 square feet.
Save Lots on Your Grocery Bill
You can save a great amount of money growing your own food at home. Organic produce can be expensive at the grocery store, and even then, you can't thoroughly trust that the food is completely organic.
If you grow more than enough food, you can even consider selling your produce at a local farmer's market for quite a hefty profit, which is an initiative the government of Barbados encourages their locals to do.
Not A Lot of Elbow Grease Required
You don't need to break your back over operating an aquaponics system for it's pretty simple to manage since it's 95% automatic. The only tasks you need to do is feed the fish daily (if you've included them) and refill the tank every few days because of transpiration, along with replacing some of the tank water with fresh water about once a month.
Other than that, you don't have to bother doing much since it mostly takes care of itself.
You Don't Need Lots of Space to Start
Considering that you're going to start small, not a lot of space is required for your system, and since the plants are more closely packed together, you can even make room for more plants with the space you save.
You can also choose to use fish tanks with plants installed on top of the tank roof which makes drainage and shifting easier, and The Aquaponic Source can help you decide what size is best for your needs.
There's Nothing Like Gaining New Knowledge
Learning about how to build and/or maintain an aquaponics system can be quite enticing and educational, and since aquaponic system technology is constantly improving, gaining new knowledge is inevitable.
With it, you can improve your growing techniques, update your equipment, or grow higher volumes of food. Any future assembly will be easy too since you'll already know how to set up.
Happiness Is The Best Reward
Healthy food can have a positive effect on you both physically and mentally. At the end of the day, you're likely to be satisfied in your hard work and have the great feeling of thoroughly finishing a project.
A continuous supply of home-grown produce is good news for your family and will even make your wallet happy.
A Take Home Note
Aquaponics doesn't cost much to start, and you won't have to worry about your system taking up space since you'll likely start small. You'll do the environment a favor using a sustainable and low energy farming technique, and because it's all natural, you'll grow healthy organic food which leads to a happier you.
Aquaponic plants grow relatively fast, so you can enjoy your tastier and healthier food in no time. It's evident that the benefits outweigh the costs, with a lot of rewarding aspects.
So if you're thinking of starting with aquaponics, start small, and build up to great success!
