4 Easy Steps to Set-Up A Backyard Aquaponics System

Whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced aquaponic gardener, there are always new techniques and processes to learn. It's easy to get your backyard aquaponics system producing the food you want with little maintenance and long-lasting sustainability. To get your backyard aquaponic system working properly, you need to do a few things.

Here's where to begin:

• Choose the right container for your aquaponic plants
• Choose the right container for your aquaponic fish
• Select the right aquaponic plants
• Select the right aquaponic fish

Choose the Right Plant Container for your backyard Aquaponic System

Selecting the best plant container for your aquaponic system is an essential first step. Your plant container is where all your plants will be grown and it will hold the bulk of the edible food. The recommended type of bed is a media-based grow bed. There are 3 main types of media that can be used:

• Coconut Coir
• LECA (Hydroton or clay balls)
• Perlite

When choosing your plant container, make sure the material is non-toxic and a safe home for plants, bacteria and worms. It should also be waterproof and strong enough to hold the weight of full grown plants, water and media.

Choose The Right Container for Your Aquaponic Fish

Your choice in fish tank is just as important as your choice of plant container. Consider a few things before making your selection:

• Space: How much space do you have for your backyard aquaponic system?
• Size of Fish: See below for more info about fish selection.

To begin with, you should start with a ration of 1:1 for plant container to fish tank volume. It's the most simple and efficient way to begin. As you get more experienced and your system is more mature, you can increase it to 2:1.

Select the Right Aquaponic Plants

In aquaponics, almost any type of plant can be grown. It's even possible to grow attractive and delicious tropical plants, such as banana trees & papaya. You should steer clear of plants that do best in acidic or soil based media. Also, plants that need a high or low pH level to be sustained are not good choices for a backyard aquaponic system.

Here are a few good choices for plants that require a more neutral pH, which is ideal for aquaponic gardening:

• Bean [wide]
• Broccoli
• Cabbage [wide]
• Cucumber
• Garlic
• Kale 6.0-7.0
• Lettuce
• Parsley [wide]

Plants can be started by seed, cuttings or transplant just like in an ordinary soil based garden, and for plants to thrive, water pH levels must be kept between 6.8-7.0 for optimal nutrient uptake.

Choose the Right Aquaponic Fish

In a backyard aquaponics system, you must be selective about the fish you choose to breed. Think about a few things before you decide:
,
• Do you want to be able to eat the fish you breed?
• What is the temperature of the environment you will breed the fish?
• What is your budget? (Goldfish & Tilapia are inexpensive choices)

Once you get your system set up properly, Aquaponic Fish are as to raise as aquatic fish. Keep it easy by choosing one type of fish and choose fish of similar size.

That's a good starting point to get you ready to start setting up your very own backyard aquaponics system. So, what are you waiting for? Start growing!!

To get more information about aquaponics, click here.





Source: Vertical-gardener.com