Commercial Aquaponics: Top Tips

Many start out with Aquaponics as a hobby, and quickly scale up to do it on a commercial scale once they realize how profitable it is. Start up costs are low, because you can build the system yourself using materials found that your local hardware store. Running costs are also minimal, because nutrients and resources (such as water) are recycled between the plant ecosystem and the fish ecosystem, and the two sustain each other. Profits are high, because fresh organic vegetables and fish fetch good prices. Here are our top tips to get you started in commercial Aquaponics:

1. Research the local market. This will dictate what vegetables and fish to grow. You want to choose the ones with a high demand, high price, and possibly low competition. Of course, do not choose a fish/vegetable species that requires climatic conditions that are very different from what you have in the area. For example, tilapia require warm temperatures, and if you live in cold areas you’ll have to spend significantly on heating to grow these; a better option would be trout. In addition, you may consider growing fish to sell them as pets instead of food: in many areas there is a considerable demand for goldfish, for example. Same when it comes to plants: in some areas, you’ll find that it is more profitable to grow herbs instead of vegetables. In addition, it is usually profitable to grow off season produce, but this will require heating (and hence heating costs). It’s all about finding the optimal balance to maximize profits. Do your research properly.

2. Find your customers. If you sell directly to the consumers, you’ll get to keep all your profits, but it can be a hassle. Instead, you can get a deal from a local grocery/fish monger and you can sell all you produce to them. However, you’ll have to give them a lower price than what you’ll give to direct clients. If you are selling fish as pets, consider placing an advertisement in your local newspaper.

3. Start small, think big. No matter how thorough your research, only when you’ll actually start your venture you’ll get to know all the things involved and the profit margin. Therefore, you should start small, as this will give you the flexibility to adapt. It’s also easier to run a smaller system, and if you are new to Aquaponics you’ll have some learning to do to run it efficiently. In addition, when you’re just starting out, things will go wrong and it is easier to fix them on a small scale than if you are running a massive Aquaponics farm.

Learn how to make it BIG with aquaponics farming in Aquaponics plans.

the two main components of an Aquaponics farming system

The aquaponics grow bed is one of the two main components of an Aquaponics farming system, the other being the fish tank. The grow bed houses the plants and the bacteria responsible for breaking down the fish waste and turning them into nutrients for the plants.

In an aquaponics system, water is pumped from the fish tank and into the grow bed. Bacteria breakdown fish waste into nitrogen, which is taken up by the plants and used to grow. The clean water is then returned into the fish tank. Through this process, an Aquaponics system uses just 10% of the water that traditional agriculture requires.

With regards to the ratio of grow bed to fish tank, here’s how you can calculate it. Fish density should be kept at no more than 1 pound of fish per 3 gallons of water. Now, for every 6 gallons of water, you should have about 1 square foot of deep grow bed (about 12 inches deep). This is to ensure an adequate fish waste to plant biomass ratio. Therefore, you will be having about 2 pounds of fish for each square foot of deep grow bed area. However, note that this is a maximum number. If you are just starting out, it is safer to opt for one fish per 5 to 10 gallons of water. As a rule of thumb, use a fish tank to grow bed ratio of 1:1 (by volume).

It is safer to have a higher grow bed: fish tank ratio than the other way round. If you have too little grow bed, there won’t be enough bacteria to break down the fish wastes as they accumulate, and soon enough the fish and plants will start dying. You should use a grow bed that is about 12 inches deep and definitely nothing less than 9 inches.

When setting up your system, the water level in the grow bed should be about 1 inch from the top, as the top of the plants should not be wet. In addition, this will ensure that there is no direct sunlight on the water, which would in turn cause an algae bloom. Therefore with a 12 inch deep grow bed, you will be looking at about 10 to 11 inches of which are submersed.

An important aspect of a healthy grow bed is dissolved oxygen, as oxygen is essential for proper bacteria (and fish) growth. Plants also require good oxygen levels on their roots. Ideal dissolved oxygen levels for an aquaponics system are those above 6 parts per million. To ensure healthy dissolved oxygen levels, you should incorporate water stone aeration and some water jetting action; you can incorporate the latter in the way the water returns back to the fish tank from the grow beds.

Learn all there is to know about setting up an Aquaponics grow bed in Aquaponics plans.

organic Aquaponics plants available to you every day?

How would you like to have freshly, home-grown, organic Aquaponics plants available to you every day? Aquaponics is the most sustainable form of food production, and it allows you to grow vegetables and fish easily, in a small space and for very little costs.

Many vegetables can be grown using aquaponics systems but perhaps the most popular ones are lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes and various herbs. You can grow a number of different vegetables in a single aquaponics system and most people do so.

Lettuce matures in just 40 days and is extremely easy to grow. Its optimal air temperature range is between 60-80 degrees F, while its root (i.e. water) temperature should be between 70-74 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore lettuce combines well with tilapia, as these too prefer warmer waters. To grow lettuce, you can either plant the seeds directly into your hydroponic beds or else you can plant the seeds in a pot and then transfer them to the grow bed when they have grown a few inches. When the time comes for harvesting, you can either pick the whole plant or just take a few leaves at a time – exactly the number of leaves you need for that side salad! Other leafy greens grow just as well in Aquaponics farming, such as spinach, watercress, basil, parsley and mint.

Tomatoes are another very popular Aquaponics plant; however, they do require a high level of nutrients. To achieve this, you will need to have a fairly crowded fish tank, and therefore you will need to choose fish that grow well at dense populations. Tomatoes grow best when they have about 8 to 12 hours of light per day (especially when fruiting) and at temperatures around 68 to 88 degrees F.  Tomatoes should not be seeded directly in the hydroponic bed; instead seed them in a seedling tray and transplant them after about 2 to 6 weeks. For the best taste, allow the tomatoes to fully ripen before picking.

Cucumbers are another plant that is perfect for Aquaponics, especially the variety referred to as the English Cucumber. Cucumbers grow best at air temperatures of 75 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and prefer a humidity level that is below 75%.  English cucumbers mature in just 6 to 8 weeks and are ready to eat when they reach 6 inches in length. Squash, melons, buttercup, watermelon and cantaloupe are very similar to cucumber in requirements and grow well using an Aquaponics set-up.

To discover how to choose the best plants, and how to get the best yields, check out Aquaponics plans

When Will I Harvest My Vegetables?

If this is your first time with aquaponics, then you are probably very exciting to start enjoying the food you have grown yourself. Obviously, vegetables and fish require some time to grow fully, although this will depend on the species of plants and fish you have in your system. Aquaponics is a natural system and no chemicals or additives are used to speed up growth of either vegetables or fish. Hence, they will take up their natural time to grow and mature, ensuring the best quality and taste.

When purchasing plant seeds, check out the information on the package – it will tell you how long the plant normally takes to be ready for harvesting. Now, if this is the first time you are setting up the Aquaponics system, you won’t be able to plant the seeds immediately. This is because the wastes from the fish will need about 3 months to be turned into nutrients by the bacteria. However, if you want to start planting immediately, you can supply the nitrates into the water yourself.

Once you have planted the seeds, the plants will grow at their natural rate. Remember that you will be growing organic vegetables, free of artificial additives. The best-growing plants in an aquaponics system will be the same ones that grow best in your area (depending on the climate, etc…). Of course, you may grow plants which require very different climatic conditions than those in your area (e.g. some plants grow best in the cold or in the heat), however, in this case you will need to heat or cool the area accordingly.

A large number of plants can be grown in an aquaponics farming system, mainly with the exception of root vegetables. However, for most above-ground plants, aquaponics is an ideal set-up to grow these. Very common plants grown in these systems are herbs and green leafy vegetables, as well as plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, chili, red salad onions, celery, broccoli, beans, and cauliflower. Common herbs grown in aquaponics farming include parsley, watercress, basil, sage, and coriander.

If you are running an aquaponics system for profit (i.e. to sell the vegetables and fish), then the species you choose to grow will also depend on the current demand and prices in your area. Most people find that they can charge higher prices for the same foods than those found in supermarkets, because organic home-grown foods attract a premium. Many start out with aquaponics as a hobby, and it ends up being an important source of income!

Discover all the tips and tricks for growing vegetables and herbs using an Aquaponics system in Aquaponics plans.