Home Aquaponics System https://homeaquaponicssystem.com A Natural & Sustainable Food Production Cycle Sat, 15 Jun 2019 12:27:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.6.13 https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/cropped-favicon-1-32x32.png Home Aquaponics System https://homeaquaponicssystem.com 32 32 49042952 A Quick Tour of How Aquaponic Farming Works https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/basics/quick-tour-aquaponic-farming-works/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=quick-tour-aquaponic-farming-works Sun, 05 Jun 2016 22:00:44 +0000 https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/?p=1329 Aquaponics is plants and fish working together in a synergistic and sustainable system to provide a healthy source of food. Sounds great right? If you’re still unfamiliar with the concept ... Read more

The post A Quick Tour of How Aquaponic Farming Works appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

]]>
How Aquaponic Farming Works

Aquaponics is plants and fish working together in a synergistic and sustainable system to provide a healthy source of food. Sounds great right?

If you’re still unfamiliar with the concept of aquaponic gardening and you want to learn, this short video guide by Mashable breaks it down nicely. The host explains what aquaponics is, how it works, what fish they use, what plants they grow and the benefits of running an aquaponics system.

Most Important Points to Take Away

The host explains how water is used more efficiently in an aquaponics system compared to traditional gardening.

“Even though we’re surrounded by water, aquaponics is 95% more efficient with its water than traditional gardening. If you pour water onto your plants, only about 2 to 5% makes it into that plant. But here in the aquaponics setup, the water flows back and forth, and while we do get evaporation, it’s nothing close to the evaporation you get in soil”.

This is only made possible because of how an aquaponics system functions. To put it simply, fish produce nutrients in the water that the plants proceed to absorb, and in return, the plant roots filter the water back down to the fish and the cycle continues.

Energy Consumption

Anyone who decides to set up a home aquaponics system will have to bear in mind the on going costs of running the system.

“This entire system probably has a few thousand gallons of water and there’s only two 35 watt pumps powering the whole thing. There’s no other electricity involved anywhere.”

One of the biggest costs will be electricity, so it’s important to choose an energy efficient grow light if you’re growing indoors and also a good water pump. With that being said, aquaponic farming is still very cost effective.

Chlorine in Water

If you don’t know much about raising fish or growing plants, it’s quite easy to assume that they can live fine in normal tap water. However, that’s not the case.

“I didn’t realise how much chlorine and other chemicals was in our tap water until I tried to start a [aquaponics] system from scratch. Fish can’t live in our tap water. Plants can’t live in our tap water. Luckily, chlorine evaporates easily off gases so all you have to do is leave a bucket of water out and all the chlorine will eventually evaporate.”

Fish and plants are crucial to an aquaponics system so making sure they are properly taken care of – from having the correct water temperature, ammonia levels, stocking density and so forth – are necessary maintenance issues.

Healthy Eating

One of the biggest reasons why so many people have turned to growing their own food via their own aquaponics system is control over what they’re eating. They know that the food produced in an aquaponics system doesn’t contain all the chemicals that are prevalent in fruits and vegetables sold in supermarkets.

“Because fish are one of the cornerstones of the entire system, and it’s really easy to poison fish, aquaponics is by nature, organic. You can’t use pesticides on the plants because it’ll just seep right into the water and kill all our important fish. So just as a side effect of how the system works, you get some of the cleanest, most nutrient dense food possible.”

You may be thinking how on earth are you supposed to get rid of insects that are harmful to the plants. The answer is by releasing other insects that are not harmful but will do a good job at eating those that are. This is all explained in the video, as is so much other information jam packed into a little over 4 minutes.





To get the most out of your aquaponics system, I highly recommend the following articles, where you can decide from the highest rated and bestselling products for aquaponics.

  • + Easy! DIY Aquaponics (simple guide on how to build a home aquaponics system for cheap)
  • + Aquaponics 4 You (another step-by-step guide on building a low-cost aquaponics system)
  • + Top 5 Best Water Pump For Aquaponics
  • + Top 5 Best Grow Lights
  • + Top 5 Best Aquaponics Grow Media
  • + Top 7 Water & pH Test Kit Best Sellers
  • + Top 5 Best Aquarium Heater Products
  • + Top 10 Best Fish Food
  • divider-leaf


    Click Here Now To Visit Easy! DIY Aquaponics


    The post A Quick Tour of How Aquaponic Farming Works appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    1329
    How a 13 Year Old Runs a Successful Aquaponics Business https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/basics/13-year-old-runs-successful-aquaponics-business/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=13-year-old-runs-successful-aquaponics-business Tue, 03 May 2016 00:36:04 +0000 https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/?p=1324 Here’s a feel good story about a 13 year old girl who runs one of the 4 biggest aquaculture and aquaponics businesses in South Africa. It’s great to see someone ... Read more

    The post How a 13 Year Old Runs a Successful Aquaponics Business appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    Successful Aquaponics Business

    Here’s a feel good story about a 13 year old girl who runs one of the 4 biggest aquaculture and aquaponics businesses in South Africa. It’s great to see someone so young have the drive and ambition to do incredible things.

    As we all know, running a flourishing aquaponics system let alone a business can sometimes be difficult (though not complicated as suggested in the video), but aspiring biologist Rikalize Reinecke’s love for nature and sustainability has accelerated her learning curve.

    Watch the video and hopefully it’ll inspire you to create your own aquaponics system, whether it’s on a commercial scale or just a simple home system.

    Starting Out and Maintaining

    Here’s how Rikalize Reinecke got started.

    “What really inspired me was once I watched the movie Dolphin Tale. Something in my head just went off and it was like an alarmed that screamed “fish, fish, fish!.”

    Of course, Rikalize still has to go to school but she still tends to her aquaponic fish everyday.

    “In the morning before I go to school I usually pop in to see if everything’s fine. If there’s stuff I want the workers to do during the day, I write a list and leave it on the desk and they’ll do it…During the weekends, the routine is very different because then I’m working and I’m cleaning and I have to do the water quality tests.”

    Since Rikalize cannot physically be at her business everyday, she has to delegate tasks to her employees just like any other business. The hardest part of running an aquaponics system is setting it all up but once it’s all up and running, maintaining the system is a formality which can simply be followed.

    Rikalize’s aquaponics business had only been in operated for 18 months but it has already experienced such high growth which is amazing to see.

    It’s slightly irrational to think that Rikalize created her aquaponics business all by herself. It’s likely she had help from her family and maybe other investors.

    As well as being taught on how to operate the business (her father enrolled her in a week long aquaculture course), she may have been chosen to be the face of the business for marketing purposes. However, judging by the video, it’s quite clear that Rikalize is familiar with how the business works.

    The Challenges of Running an Aquaponics System

    Here are some of the challenges Rikalize faced.

    “Some of the challenges I’m facing while running my farm is electricity. Electricity is very expensive so I’m trying to get off the grid by using solar.”

    Cost of electricity is an issue for everyone that decides to start up an aquaponics system. At the end of the day, the whole idea of aquaponics is to help the environment, eat healthy and to save money while doing so.

    This makes it even more important to buy an energy efficient grow light that’s controlled by a timer so it only turns on when necessary.

    “Another challenge is temperature. The fishes optimum temperature is around 27 to 28 degrees.”

    Plants and fish are the lifeline of an aquaponics system. They are synergistic  and you simply cannot have one without the other, so it’s vital that both are well looked other.

    Since fish can be expensive and take more effort to nurture and grow, it’s especially important to maintain water temperature, ammonia levels, stocking density etc. Failure to do any of those will result in the fish dieing.

    All in all, there are no serious challenges to overcome when running a home aquaponics system. It’s only if you decide to expand and operate on a commercial level, that’s when things get a bit more complicated as you’ve added a business aspect to it.

    In any case, I hope Rikalize’s story has inspired you to create your own sustainable farming system in the form of aquaponics.





    To get the most out of your aquaponics system, I highly recommend the following articles, where you can decide from the highest rated and bestselling products for aquaponics.

  • + Easy! DIY Aquaponics (simple guide on how to build a home aquaponics system for cheap)
  • + Aquaponics 4 You (another step-by-step guide on building a low-cost aquaponics system)
  • + Top 5 Best Water Pump For Aquaponics
  • + Top 5 Best Grow Lights
  • + Top 5 Best Aquaponics Grow Media
  • + Top 7 Water & pH Test Kit Best Sellers
  • + Top 5 Best Aquarium Heater Products
  • + Top 10 Best Fish Food
  • divider-leaf


    Click Here Now To Visit Easy! DIY Aquaponics


    The post How a 13 Year Old Runs a Successful Aquaponics Business appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    1324
    TaoTronics TT-GL20 LED Grow Light Review https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/products/taotronics-tt-gl20-led-grow-light-review/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=taotronics-tt-gl20-led-grow-light-review Mon, 05 Oct 2015 23:11:10 +0000 https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/?p=1292 Today more people are starting to take up gardening but not everyone has a garden or greenhouse to grow their plants in nor is there always enough sunlight throughout the ... Read more

    The post TaoTronics TT-GL20 LED Grow Light Review appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    Taotronics TT-GL20 LED Grow LightToday more people are starting to take up gardening but not everyone has a garden or greenhouse to grow their plants in nor is there always enough sunlight throughout the year.

    Many people in urban areas have taken to using LED grow lights to grow their plants in their basement or windowsill.

    The TaoTronics TT-GL20 LED Grow Light is one of the most popular grow lights as it gives great results for such a low price. Many people have successfully grown herbs and vegetables with this light despite the season.

    This article will look at how effective this grow light is in the growth of plants and what plants it is best used for.

    Click Here to See User Reviews & Prices Now

    Build Quality

    Taotronics TT-GL20 LED Grow Light

    In the LED grow light, there are 12 small light bulbs fitted in. Three of them are blue and the other 9 are red. They are quite small as the diameter of the grow light is 4.7 inch and the height of the entire light bulb including the fitting is 5.98 inch.

    The grow light is not very big and as it is a standard E27 fitting, it can fit onto any standard lamp, even a desk lamp.

    It is a screw fixture so all you need to do is screw this on. Its weight is quite light as well at 9 ounces. Users have commented on how sturdy the grow light felt despite its weight.

    Exterior is made with aircraft grade aluminum and designed as a heat-sink style with slits to maximize the release of heat. There are also tiny holes in the heat-sink. It looks like any other LED grow light but users have said it does not feel cheap and plastic like other LED grow lights do.

    Power

    The TaoTronics TT-GL20 LED Grow Light has a wattage power of 12 watts. Each of the 12 LED lights contain 1 watt each so light is evenly distributed to ensure good coverage for your plant.

    The average lifespan of this grow light is around 50,000 hours due to its low power consumption. It also emits less heat than fluorescent lights so it’s more energy efficient. However, the brightness of the grow light will still be as bright as fluorescent lights due its high luminous efficiency.

    Due to the design and material of the grow light, not much heat is generated even after being on for 24 hours so the bulb remains cool throughout. It is important to keep heat off plants as it can affect their growth and dry the soil.

    Growing Effectiveness

    The plants photosynthesis absorbs the lights given off by the LED bulbs. There are 4 peak wavelengths for photosynthesis which is 430, 460, 630 and 660 nanometers.

    The blue LED lights in this grow light hits between 400 – 470 nanometers and the wavelength of the red is between 610 – 720 nanometers which means light can be fully absorbed by the plants.

    About the Blue & Red LED Lights

    The blue LED light encourages growth of the leaves as the chlorophyll pigment absorbs the light to give the leaves their green color. With the blue LED lights, it helps the carotenoids to drive photosynthesis and also protect the chlorophyll pigments.

    The red LED lights are best for leaves to bloom and for plants to grow as it ensures efficient and beneficial sources for photosynthesis.

    Plants that would be ideal for this LED light bulb would be fruits, vegetables, herbs or any indoor plants. This light can be used at any stage of the plant’s growth.

    Taotronics TT-GL20 LED Grow Light

    Plant Coverage Area

    Many people have questioned the plant coverage given from this grow light. After trialing and testing this, users have found that it will cover up to 3 square feet (roughly 30cm) but if a plant is taller than 16 inches, the bottom of the plant will not absorb enough light. Users with short plants have said the lights work best for these.

    It is recommended that the TaoTronics TT-GL20 LED Grow Light should be placed at a height of 1.6 to 5 feet above the plant. Those who have followed this found that their plants did not grow so well and have ended up with pale and stringy plants.

    So instead, users have been putting the lights as close as possible to the tip of their plants as the grow light does not generate much heat.

    Doing this has helped the growth and health of their plants. However, some users have suggested keeping 3 inches between the lights and plants as a rule of thumb as the leaves will get damaged and photobleached if it is too close.

    One user had also tested the effectiveness of the grow light compared to sunlight with the same plants. The result was the plants grew better under the grow light when it was on for 14 hours a day.

    This was still the case with six 3 inch pots but it would need to be rotated. Other users found it was more effective to use one grow light for 3 pots instead though.

    Is This LED Grow Light Right For You?

    Taotronics TT-GL20 LED Grow Light

    Many garden enthusiasts are already using this grow light due to how effective it is. If you only have a few plants to grow, then using the TaoTronics TT-GL20 LED Grow Light would be ideal for you.

    With this grow light, you can control when the plants need light and how long to have the light on for. It’s also a cheap and effective way to successfully grow your plants so it’s good if you’re on a budget.

    For people who grow plants in an aquaponic system, using this grow light would be ideal and beneficial to you if you’re looking to expand your system as you won’t have to wait until a particular season to do this. It saves time and will ensure the successful growth of your plants. However, for the best results, you will need more grow lights installed.

    This grow light is also ideal for anyone growing herbs, fruit and vegetables as you won’t have to wait around for the right season for them to be ready. It can be used at any stage of the plants’ life so there is no need to start from the beginning.

    Click Here to Buy the TaoTronics TT-GL20 LED Grow Light Now!





    To get the most out of your aquaponics system, I highly recommend the following articles, where you can decide from the highest rated and bestselling products for aquaponics.

  • + Easy! DIY Aquaponics (simple guide on how to build a home aquaponics system for cheap)
  • + Aquaponics 4 You (another step-by-step guide on building a low-cost aquaponics system)
  • + Top 5 Best Water Pump For Aquaponics
  • + Top 5 Best Grow Lights
  • + Top 5 Best Aquaponics Grow Media
  • + Top 7 Water & pH Test Kit Best Sellers
  • + Top 5 Best Aquarium Heater Products
  • + Top 10 Best Fish Food
  • divider-leaf


    Click Here Now To Visit Easy! DIY Aquaponics


    The post TaoTronics TT-GL20 LED Grow Light Review appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    1292
    What Is The Right Stocking Density Of Fish? https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/fish/right-stocking-density-fish/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=right-stocking-density-fish Tue, 30 Dec 2014 17:20:08 +0000 https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/?p=1216 Many beginners of aquaponic gardening often wonder how many fishes should be used to maintain an efficient aquaponics system. There isn’t really a simple answer to this question because this ... Read more

    The post What Is The Right Stocking Density Of Fish? appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    fish stocking density

    Many beginners of aquaponic gardening often wonder how many fishes should be used to maintain an efficient aquaponics system.

    There isn’t really a simple answer to this question because this is all relative to the size and type of your system, and your end goals. In this article, I will briefly explain the basis of stocking density of fish.

    Click Here To Check Out 7 Essential Products For Your Fish Tank

    Recommendations

    The recommended stocking density of fish in your aquaponics system can basically be narrowed down to two things – Do you have a large commercial system or a simple home based system?

    If it’s the former, then it may be the case that you have other expensive equipment that would allow you to stock much more fish than the latter. This would usually be ½ lb of fish per gallon of water.

    If your system is a lot simpler, then the general rule of thumb would be 1 inch per gallon of water. Other aquaponics gardeners prefer to use the rule of 1lb of fish per 8-10 gallons of water.

    Aquaponic Fish

    Based on those ratios, in order to get your water environment just the way you want it by altering nitrates, ammonia or pH levels, you have to feed your fish accordingly.

    Now you may have read about how some aquaponics systems can get more fish per gallon of water, that’s generally reserved for more advanced and complex systems. For a simpler system, especially if you’re a beginning, you should keep it simple.

    Just by reducing the stocking density of fish, less equipment such as air pumps is required to oxygenate your water tank. So essentially, this means lower costs on your behalf and a much easier system to operate and maintain. You don’t want to end up running into too many problems to solve.

    You can also get a bit creative with the stocking density to see what suits your purpose the best. Either lower or increase the amount of fish and adjust oxygen levels accordingly. You don’t always have to stick to the guidelines as long as you’re not too out of bounds. At the end of the day, you want your fish to live in a comfortable environment.

    Conclusion

    So to conclude this article, tips for the correct stocking density of fish are:

    • 1″ of fish per gallon of water or 1lb of fish (fully grown) per 8-10 gallons of water.
    • Stock at a ratio of less than the above figure since your fish should be expected to grow to 1lb.
    • Bear in mind that this ratio is for simple home aquaponic systems.




    To get the most out of your aquaponics system, I highly recommend the following articles, where you can decide from the highest rated and bestselling products for aquaponics.

  • + Easy! DIY Aquaponics (simple guide on how to build a home aquaponics system for cheap)
  • + Aquaponics 4 You (another step-by-step guide on building a low-cost aquaponics system)
  • + Top 5 Best Water Pump For Aquaponics
  • + Top 5 Best Grow Lights
  • + Top 5 Best Aquaponics Grow Media
  • + Top 7 Water & pH Test Kit Best Sellers
  • + Top 5 Best Aquarium Heater Products
  • + Top 10 Best Fish Food
  • divider-leaf


    Click Here Now To Visit Easy! DIY Aquaponics


    The post What Is The Right Stocking Density Of Fish? appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    1216
    What To Consider When Choosing Fish For Aquaponics https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/fish/consider-choosing-fish-aquaponics/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=consider-choosing-fish-aquaponics Fri, 31 Oct 2014 16:41:03 +0000 https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/?p=1206 If you’re new to aquaponics and you’re still trying to figure out what fish to use for your system, and also what measures need to be in place to ensure ... Read more

    The post What To Consider When Choosing Fish For Aquaponics appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    Choosing Fish for Aquaponics

    If you’re new to aquaponics and you’re still trying to figure out what fish to use for your system, and also what measures need to be in place to ensure the health of your fish and subsequently, your plants, then read this article where I simply break it down.

    Location & Environment

    The type of fish you have in your aquaponics system really depends on your location and environment. If you’re in a warmer climate such as Australia, then you have the option to have tropical fish and the commonly used tilapia without having to heat up the water.

    If you’re in a cooler climate such as in the United Kingdom or Northern parts of the United States, then fish that are naturally suited to that type of weather such as the trout, will be more appropriate.

    So it’s important to know:

    • The range of temperature that the fish is naturally suited and see if it fits your area.
    • Knowing and having the right feed to feed the fish.

    Once you know those points, then you’ve pretty much got the first part out the way.

    Feeding Your Fish

    feeding-fish

    There are a variety of different feed that you can feed your fish, and that depends on what type of fish you have and the scale of your aquaponics system.

    If you have a large operation, perhaps for commercial purposes, then more often than not, you’ll likely have to use commercialized fish feed since they’re cheaper and more readily available.

    In order to get different results from your system, you have to do a bit of testing such as using fish feed that vary in amounts of protein, then seeing which feed is the most effective at allowing your fish to produce more ammonia. As a result, there’ll be more nitrogen in your system for your plants to absorb.

    Click Here To Check Out The Top 10 Best Fish Food

    At the end of the day, you want to make sure that your plants are as healthy as possible. This means providing them with the nutrients that they need to grow properly, and in order to do that, your fish also needs to be healthy.

    Temperature, Ammonia & Nitrate Levels

    The three aforementioned elements you need to keep a watchful eye on as they directly affect the health of your fish.

    • Temperature – If you have fish in your system that are affected by temperature changes such as tropical fish, then you need to make sure that your water temperature stays within range of the fishes natural element. If it falls out of range, then your fish can potentially die as a result.
    • Ammonia and Nitrates – Fish produces ammonia after they feed and it’s then converted into nitrates by the biofilter for plants to feed off. However, too much ammonia in your system is very toxic to fish so ammonia levels must be kept low. In the case of nitrates, they dissolve pretty quickly once they meet the microbes in your aquaponics system especially at the stage of maturity.

    Click Here To Check Out The Top 7 Best Water Test Kits

    There are water test kits on the market which I highly recommend you to get, and they allow you to test the levels of ammonia and nitrates in your system. Without these test kits, you’ll have to resort to the eye test to see if you notice any strange fish behavior or abnormalities of your plants.





    To get the most out of your aquaponics system, I highly recommend the following articles, where you can decide from the highest rated and bestselling products for aquaponics.

  • + Easy! DIY Aquaponics (simple guide on how to build a home aquaponics system for cheap)
  • + Aquaponics 4 You (another step-by-step guide on building a low-cost aquaponics system)
  • + Top 5 Best Water Pump For Aquaponics
  • + Top 5 Best Grow Lights
  • + Top 5 Best Aquaponics Grow Media
  • + Top 7 Water & pH Test Kit Best Sellers
  • + Top 5 Best Aquarium Heater Products
  • + Top 10 Best Fish Food
  • divider-leaf


    Click Here Now To Visit Easy! DIY Aquaponics


    The post What To Consider When Choosing Fish For Aquaponics appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    1206
    Why Use Fluorescent Grow Lights? https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/basics/fluorescent-grow-lights/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fluorescent-grow-lights Tue, 05 Aug 2014 01:55:12 +0000 https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/?p=1066 Fluorescent grow lights are efficient and inexpensive, making them popular among growers. In this article, I explain the pros and cons of using fluorescents for growing your plants, the different ... Read more

    The post Why Use Fluorescent Grow Lights? appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    fluorescent grow lights

    Fluorescent grow lights are efficient and inexpensive, making them popular among growers. In this article, I explain the pros and cons of using fluorescents for growing your plants, the different types of fluorescents available.

    Here are some of its plus points:

    • They’re not expensive. As a matter of fact, they’re generally the cheapest type of grow light to buy.
    • They’re very energy efficient which means less power wasted and cheaper energy bills.
    • There is a little heat that ejects from the bulbs, therefore they can be placed closer to your plants for better lighting.

    Click Here To Check Out The Top 10 Best Rated Fluorescent Grow Lights For Aquaponic Systems

    Compact Fluorescent Grow Lights

    You’ve likely used this type of fluorescent light before simply because it’s so common for everyday light fixtures around the house. It’s a small and basic bulb that comes in a tube form (sometimes a swirling tube design). However, the ones that you use in your home for lamps wouldn’t be used for growing plants.

    Compact Fluorescents

    You would actually need specific compact fluorescents that have a full spectrum light designed to grow plants. They are larger in size, provide a lot more wattage than your basic household fluorescent and may or may not come with a reflector.

    The good thing about compact fluorescent grow lights is that they can be hung horizontally with the aid of a reflector or just hang it vertically with your plants surrounding it.

    Unfortunately, if you have a large area of plants that needs to be covered with light, these won’t really be suitable for that so you’ll need to opt for a T Bulb fluorescent grow light instead.

    T Bulb Fluorescent Grow Lights

    T5 Fluorescent Grow Lights

    For lighting up a larger grow bed, you’ll need a T Bulb fluorescent which comes in the form of a long straight tube that is available in various sizes – T5, T8 and T12’s. A higher T-number equals a wider bulb diameter.

    So which size should you go for? A smaller size is often better as it tends to be more flexible.

    T5 – The small size of this bulb makes it ideal to fixate several of them onto either a 2 foot or 4 foot wide fixture, and they often provide the lumen output as the larger sizes.

    The thing that you need to think about is the size of the area you’re covering. So if you’re plants cover a 4ft x 4ft grow bed, then you’ll need to get the same size light fixture to cover this area as fluorescents tend not to spread their lighting path outwards, only straight downwards.

    The Downside Of Fluorescents

    Just like with every other grow light, fluorescents have their downsides too. They include the following:

    Frequent Replacement – Throughout your stages of plant growth, you’ll continuously be using the grow light. This means that there will be ‘wear and tear’ on it and generally, you’ll have to replace it every 6 to 9 months depending on how many hours a day you run it.

    You’ll find that its effectiveness for growing plants will dwindle compared to when you first got the bulb (due to cathode decay), despite no changes in its physical appearance or visible light.

    Don’t Cover a Big Area – When compared to other grow lights, fluorescents tend not to cover a widespread area relative to its size simply because they shine their light downwards onto a straight and narrow path rather than outwards.

    Disposal Issues – When it comes time to get rid of your old fluorescent bulbs, be careful of how you dispose of it as they contain small amounts of mercury inside which is hazardous. However, all parts of a fluorescent bulb can be recycled.

    You can check out a comparison of 10 of the best fluorescent grow lights for your aquaponic system here, based on customer feedback and ratings, and value for money.





    To get the most out of your aquaponics system, I highly recommend the following articles, where you can decide from the highest rated and bestselling products for aquaponics.

  • + Easy! DIY Aquaponics (simple guide on how to build a home aquaponics system for cheap)
  • + Aquaponics 4 You (another step-by-step guide on building a low-cost aquaponics system)
  • + Top 5 Best Water Pump For Aquaponics
  • + Top 5 Best Grow Lights
  • + Top 5 Best Aquaponics Grow Media
  • + Top 7 Water & pH Test Kit Best Sellers
  • + Top 5 Best Aquarium Heater Products
  • + Top 10 Best Fish Food
  • divider-leaf


    Click Here Now To Visit Easy! DIY Aquaponics


    The post Why Use Fluorescent Grow Lights? appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    1066
    Why Use LED and Induction Grow Lights? https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/basics/led-induction-grow-lights/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=led-induction-grow-lights Mon, 04 Aug 2014 23:04:12 +0000 https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/?p=1059 You already likely know about LED grow lights due to its popularity with growers. Induction grow lights are also gaining in popularity and although they are less known, they are ... Read more

    The post Why Use LED and Induction Grow Lights? appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    You already likely know about LED grow lights due to its popularity with growers. Induction grow lights are also gaining in popularity and although they are less known, they are just as effective as LEDs.

    Here’s a break down of the differences between the two and talks about which one is better.

    Click Here To Check Out The Top 10 Best Rated LED Grow Lights For Aquaponic Systems

    LED Grow Lights

    Many aquaponic gardeners favour LED grow light fixtures due to their efficiency. When you take a look at an LED light, you’ll notice that there are many small little bulbs (diodes) on it which caters to a different light spectrum for each one, making it very flexible in terms of design.

    LED Grow Light

    How much power does each little bulb need to give off in order to be efficient enough to have a good impact on your plants? Well, very high quality LED bulbs will usually have 3 watts per diode so you should aim for this if you want to cover a good area (most reputable LED grow light manufacturers will tell you how much area their products cover).

    LED light fixtures do well to supplement other lighting which is what many aquaponics gardeners do, but a great quality product can also be used independently to grow plants effectively.

    Induction Grow Light

    Induction Grow Lights

    This type of light fixture is still relatively new and hasn’t reached its full potential yet in terms of technology. It’s similar to fluorescent lights where it takes the form of a tube that has gasses passing through it but with better efficiency, much less heat and an increased lifespan.

    The downside is that most induction fixtures have quite a bulky design, it’s still not as advanced as it can be therefore they tend to be quite expensive to run.

    LED vs Induction Grow Lights

    In a battle between these two light fixtures, which one wins? That depends on what your short and long term uses are for grow lighting.

    Just to recap the above transcript, here are some pointers of both LED and induction grow lights:

    • LED grow lights are flexible in design due to each bulb having a different spectrum.
    • LED grow lights uses less electricity than induction grow lights.
    • Induction grow lights are efficient and let off almost no heat.
    • Induction grow lights are cheaper than LEDs.
    • LED grow lights will work out cheaper over the long term.

    You can check out a comparison of 10 of the best LED grow lights for aquaponic systems here.





    To get the most out of your aquaponics system, I highly recommend the following articles, where you can decide from the highest rated and bestselling products for aquaponics.

  • + Easy! DIY Aquaponics (simple guide on how to build a home aquaponics system for cheap)
  • + Aquaponics 4 You (another step-by-step guide on building a low-cost aquaponics system)
  • + Top 5 Best Water Pump For Aquaponics
  • + Top 5 Best Grow Lights
  • + Top 5 Best Aquaponics Grow Media
  • + Top 7 Water & pH Test Kit Best Sellers
  • + Top 5 Best Aquarium Heater Products
  • + Top 10 Best Fish Food
  • divider-leaf


    Click Here Now To Visit Easy! DIY Aquaponics


    The post Why Use LED and Induction Grow Lights? appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    1059
    How To Choose The Right Grow Lights https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/basics/choose-right-grow-lights/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=choose-right-grow-lights Thu, 26 Jun 2014 16:39:44 +0000 https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/?p=1033 You’re probably confused about which grow light to choose for your aquaponics system. It’s quite a detailed subject that can warrant its own book. For now, I’ll provide a brief ... Read more

    The post How To Choose The Right Grow Lights appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    How to Choose the Right Grow Lights

    You’re probably confused about which grow light to choose for your aquaponics system. It’s quite a detailed subject that can warrant its own book. For now, I’ll provide a brief explanation of what considerations need to be made when selecting a grow light.

    Click Here To Check Out The Top 5 Best Rated Grow Lights For Aquaponic Systems

    When Are Grow Lights Needed?

    The need for grow lighting all really depends on your circumstances in terms of:

    • Climate – You might live in a country that doesn’t have much sun.
    • Space – Perhaps you don’t have a garden where you can grow your plants outside.

    If either of those apply to you, then you’ll likely have to resort to setting up your aquaponics systems somewhere indoors such as a spare room or garage. If that’s the case, that means your plants won’t be getting any direct natural sunlight, so a grow light is essential.

    Grow Light Spectrum

    So which grow light do you need? There are a few different types of them each with their own advantages and disadvantages, but to understand the purpose of a grow light, you need to take a look at its light spectrum. Here’s a graph detailing that.

    Grow Light Spectrum

    What does this colorful diagram mean?

    • White Light – This is directly in the middle between 500 to 600nm. This represents the sun in what is known as solar light, and is what’s considered to be a full spectrum.
    • Blue Light – Necessary for your plant’s green foliage stage.
    • Red Light – Necessary for when your plants begin fruiting.
    • Visible Light – This is what we as human beings can actually see, in what is also known as ‘PAR’ (Photosynthetic Active Radiation). PAR is the most important section on the light spectrum chart because this is what your plants will need.

    It’s better to use a grow light that aims for the PAR light spectrum since you’re likely going to be growing a variety of different plants, as opposed to using blue or red spectrum bulbs that are suited for specific plants at certain stages of growth.

    Grow Light Intensity & Efficiency

    After you’ve got the light spectrum decided upon, you need to focus on the intensity or power of the grow light, which is measured in lumens. A lumen is also known as ‘foot candle’ which is basically how bright the light is when placed one foot away from the source (in this case, your plants).

    1 Foot Candle

    1 lumen = 1 foot-candle falling on one square foot of area.

    You’ll need a grow light with a PAR spectrum combined with plenty of lumens shining down onto your plants in order to provide them with the light they need to grow properly.

    The energy efficiency of a grow light is also important as the more efficient it is, the less power will be lost due to heat generation from the light fixture itself. This means that every ounce of power is directed at your plants in the right way. As a result, your electricity bill will also be cheaper which leads me to my next point.

    Cost Of Grow Lights

    You’ll want to spend your money wisely as grow lights can be expensive, and you also want to make sure that the light fixture you purchase has enough power for your plants to grow.

    In terms of costs, you have to think about:

    • Upfront Cost – How much does it cost to purchase the grow light?
    • Maintenance Cost – How much does it cost for a bulb replacement when your existing bulb has reached the end of its life?
    • Ongoing Cost – How much does it cost for you to run the light fixture? No matter what type of grow light you buy whether it’s LED, fluorescent or HID, you want to aim for around 25 watts per sq. foot otherwise it may not be powerful enough.

    Once you’ve figured out these costs, you can have a bit more peace of mind knowing that you’re not breaking the bank with the lighting bill.





    To get the most out of your aquaponics system, I highly recommend the following articles, where you can decide from the highest rated and bestselling products for aquaponics.

  • + Easy! DIY Aquaponics (simple guide on how to build a home aquaponics system for cheap)
  • + Aquaponics 4 You (another step-by-step guide on building a low-cost aquaponics system)
  • + Top 5 Best Water Pump For Aquaponics
  • + Top 5 Best Grow Lights
  • + Top 5 Best Aquaponics Grow Media
  • + Top 7 Water & pH Test Kit Best Sellers
  • + Top 5 Best Aquarium Heater Products
  • + Top 10 Best Fish Food
  • divider-leaf


    Click Here Now To Visit Easy! DIY Aquaponics


    The post How To Choose The Right Grow Lights appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    1033
    How To Choose The Right Water Pump https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/basics/choose-right-water-pump/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=choose-right-water-pump Thu, 19 Jun 2014 14:51:42 +0000 https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/?p=1002 A good quality water pump and also a suitable one is essential for an aquaponics system. It enables your system to be efficient when transferring water from the tank to ... Read more

    The post How To Choose The Right Water Pump appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    water pump for your aquaponics system

    A good quality water pump and also a suitable one is essential for an aquaponics system. It enables your system to be efficient when transferring water from the tank to the plants and back down again.

    Aquaponics enthusiast Aron Stock has a good explanation of how to choose the right water pump. Read on or scroll down to the bottom to watch the full video.

    Click Here To Check Out The Top 5 Best Rated Water Pumps For Aquaponic Systems

    How Many Watts Does It Use?

    “There’s kind of two considerations. One is, you want to look at the electronic specs for your water pump. Basically what you’re looking for is the wattage. How many watts does it use?”

    “You want to get a water pump that does the job with using the minimum, smallest amount of watts that you can find. The lower the watts, the less money it’s going to cost on your electricity bill because your water pump in most cases, unless you’re on a timer, but in the system I’m doing, the water pump is going to be running 24/7.”

    “So it’s really important to get the smallest wattage that you can to use the least amount of electricity, it’s good for the environment and it’s good for your pockets so you’re not paying a bunch of money to the electric company Also, you have to consider how much the pump costs to buy.”

    How Much Water Can Be Pumped?

    Easy! DIY Aquaponics“The other consideration is how much water can you pump through the pump. One kind of rule of thumb you can go with is if you have a 100 liter set up, you want to be able to pump 100 liters per hour. But, when you get into the details of water pumps, you start looking at what is 100 liters per hour?”

    “Well, the amount of water that can get pumped through a water pump changes for a lot of factors. The horizontal length of how far does the pump have to go, how much hose do you have…the longer the hose length, the less powerful your pump is going to be.”

    “Also, even more so, the vertical height, how far does the water have to get pumped up. That really reduces the pumping capacity of your pump. Hopefully your pump company will have a graph which shows the maximum head, which is how high it could pump, and then it shows you a graph of how many liters per time [per minute or per hour] at different lengths and heights that the pump is able to produce.”

    Analyzing The Graph

    “You need to make sure that your pump is submersible because it will be pumping from underwater. You also need to make sure that it’s rated for pumping water and not some other fluids.”

    Active Aqua company, submersible pump 250. It can pump 250 gallons per hour. Now I’ve got 100 liters of water in my setup, which is about 30 gallons so obviously this is overkill.”

    water pump graph

    “However, if we look at the manual, we’ve got a graph here, and here is the 250, that’s my model and this is the grey line here (refer to the image on the right) so you can see the maximum head, maximum height it can go is about 6 feet.”

    “Once you reach 6 feet in height [pumping the water up 6 feet], that’s where the pump seizes to work. So if you have to pump the water up 6 feet, you’re basically not going to get any water. If you go down to 5 and a half feet, you’re going to get a trickle of water. If you go down to 4 feet, you’re going to get about 30-40 gallons per hour. Now that’s OK for me because my setup needs the pump up about 3 feet. So with this pump, pumping up 3 feet, I’m going to get somewhere around 60GPH, and I only need pump 30GPH because I have a 30 gallon setup (100 liters).”

    “So it’s better to have too much. You need a pump that can overdo it a little bit. Basically, if your pump is a little bit too strong, you can always use some kind of a valve to slow down the water flow or you can divert the extra water and help aerate your fish tank or something.”

    “Make sure your pump is more than capable of doing the job. You don’t want to go overboard and get a humungous pump cos then you’re running too many watts and using up tonnes of electricity, but you want to get a pump that’s good enough, that’s definitely strong enough to handle what you need to do with leftover power to spare.”

    Water Pump Overview

    Hose Fittings

    “Basically, the water gets suck in through these little grates, and there’s kind of a propeller type fan which is essentially blows the water up and out the top fitting. So this top fitting has screw threads, and it comes with some different fittings. They screw into the top, and there’s a couple different fittings for a skinnier hose or a fatter hose.”

    Water Pump Venturi

    “…One really cool aspect of this pump which I can hopefully utilize is that it comes with an attachment here that has a venturi…It’s a way to help aerate your water without using any aerator pumps or any electricity. It’s just a natural plumbing method of increasing the air intake into your water. Basically as the water goes through the pipe, it pulls air in through this air hose, so it mixes a little bit of air in with the water.”

    Water Pump Regulator

    “Most water pumps have some sort of way to regulate the water output that they can do and with my pump, this is one of them. Water gets sucked in through here because the fan (the propeller blades) is pulling the water in and pushing up.”

    “I’ve got this guy here (the regulator fitting) and by twisting here, you can close the gate. So obviously if the doors open, more water can get pulled through, but if you need to lessen the amount of water, you just close it and the water only gets pulled through here (the grate openings on the pump).”

    Water Pump Propeller & Filter

    “When you take it apart, this is the actual pump. Inside here, that’s where the propeller blades spin to pull the water through. It’s got some suction cups (beneath the pump) so you can stick it to the bottom or the sides of your tank, and then you got your filter material.”

    “It’s kind of some spaghetti foam so that none of your big fish solids are going to get stuck inside the propeller fan blades. Once a week or so, you’re going to have to clean this out. It’s going to get gunked up with fish poo.”





    To get the most out of your aquaponics system, I highly recommend the following articles, where you can decide from the highest rated and bestselling products for aquaponics.

  • + Easy! DIY Aquaponics (simple guide on how to build a home aquaponics system for cheap)
  • + Aquaponics 4 You (another step-by-step guide on building a low-cost aquaponics system)
  • + Top 5 Best Water Pump For Aquaponics
  • + Top 5 Best Grow Lights
  • + Top 5 Best Aquaponics Grow Media
  • + Top 7 Water & pH Test Kit Best Sellers
  • + Top 5 Best Aquarium Heater Products
  • + Top 10 Best Fish Food
  • divider-leaf


    Click Here Now To Visit Easy! DIY Aquaponics


    The post How To Choose The Right Water Pump appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    1002
    How To Choose The Right Aquaponics Fish Tank https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/fish/choose-right-aquaponics-fish-tank/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=choose-right-aquaponics-fish-tank Sun, 09 Mar 2014 23:59:41 +0000 https://homeaquaponicssystem.com/?p=964 Choosing a fish tank for your aquaponics system is very different than choosing one for an aquarium. There are special considerations you need to make because of its correlation with ... Read more

    The post How To Choose The Right Aquaponics Fish Tank appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    Large Fish Stock Tank

    Choosing a fish tank for your aquaponics system is very different than choosing one for an aquarium. There are special considerations you need to make because of its correlation with the grow bed, both share many of the same requirements for materials. Here’s a brief guide to help you choose the right aquaponics fish tank.

    Click Here For Suitable Fish Tanks For Your Aquaponics System

    Aquaponics Fish Tank Requirements

    • Must Be Waterproof – It might seem obvious but it’s vital that your fish tank is watertight, meaning that there are no leakages around where the plumbing fittings are inserted. Use rubber gaskets and marine grade silicone to prevent any leakage.
    • Must Be Sturdy – It must be strong enough to hold the total mass weight of water which weights 1kg per liter, plus you have to take into account the added pressure from flowing water.
    • Must Not Be Toxic – It’s essential that your fish tank has no toxic material as it’s the home of your fish which subsequently will provide nutrients for other living organisms in your system including plants, bacteria, worms and other insects.
    • Must Be Insert – Make sure that the material doesn’t affect the chemical balance of your system such as the pH and ammonia levels. It’s not a good idea to use metal containers unless they’re lined because they can corrode and affect the balance.

    Other Considerations

    Grow Bed : Fish Tank Ratio

    Easy! DIY AquaponicsA successful aquaponics system will have a perfect balance between the amount of fish waste and the biofilter’s and plant’s ability to convert that waste into fish food.

    So the ratio of grow bed to fish tank must be right. The total volume of all your grow beds that is connected to a single fish tank should be at least of equal volume of your fish tank. It’s ideal for a beginner to take on a simple 1:1 ratio since it’s the simplest design for a basic Flood and Drain type system.

    However, you can safely increase this to a 2:1 ratio and even more when you’re ready to do so. This will give better filtration in your system and added long-term health benefits for your fish.

    Fish Tank Size

    The size of your fish tank depends on what type of system you have. It also defines the type of fish you can grow and how flexible your system can be.

    A small indoor desktop aquaponics system that’s aquarium based, you’ll be limited to using just aquarium fish. However, if you want to grow larger fish that you can eat such as tilapia then you need a much larger tank.

    If this is the case, then you need to make sure that your fish tank is at least 45cm in depth and is able to hold at least 190 liters of water in order to grow a 30cm plate-sized fish.

    Shape

    The shape of the fish tank isn’t very important but ideally, you would want a round or oval shaped tank simply because the flow system of rounded tanks tends to minimize the likelihood of dead zones, areas within the tank where there’s little water flow and chemical exchange.

    Rubbermaid Oval Stock Tank

    Also, a short and wide fish tank is better than a deep and narrow one due to the fact that they have a much higher water surface area to water volume ratio. This results in more efficient gas exchange for your tank.

    Location

    Be careful where you put your fish tank. It’s common sense not to put it on top of a weak structure as it may collapse, and keep it away from an area where the temperature could change such as in direct sunlight.

    Certain species of fish are more suited to cool environments while others hot, and if you were to change that, then your fish can die. It’s also a good idea to cover up the fish tank so that things cannot fall in and to reduce the amount of light penetrating the tank (fish do not need light to survive).

    Final Thoughts

    Remember that the most important things about your aquaponics fish tank is that it’s strong, non-toxic and watertight. You can purchase large stock tanks to fulfil this purpose but make sure that you invest in a good one. Here are some aquaponics fish tanks that fit all the criteria of above.





    To get the most out of your aquaponics system, I highly recommend the following articles, where you can decide from the highest rated and bestselling products for aquaponics.

  • + Easy! DIY Aquaponics (simple guide on how to build a home aquaponics system for cheap)
  • + Aquaponics 4 You (another step-by-step guide on building a low-cost aquaponics system)
  • + Top 5 Best Water Pump For Aquaponics
  • + Top 5 Best Grow Lights
  • + Top 5 Best Aquaponics Grow Media
  • + Top 7 Water & pH Test Kit Best Sellers
  • + Top 5 Best Aquarium Heater Products
  • + Top 10 Best Fish Food
  • divider-leaf


    Click Here Now To Visit Easy! DIY Aquaponics


    The post How To Choose The Right Aquaponics Fish Tank appeared first on Home Aquaponics System.

    ]]>
    964