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The

Aquaponics Guidebook
VOLUME 1
2nd EDITION

“The ultimate inspiration for “Somewhere between

anyone interested by the idea a multiversity textbook
of producing vegetables and and DIY magic carpet”
Access to Personal Agriculture Sequatchie Valley Institute
raising fish on a micro-scale
and in a sustainable way”
The Ecologist Magazine, London “Hours of reading and
learning are guaranteed!”
Aquaponics Europe

Aquaponics is proven worldwide as the most efficient and

sustainable way to grow food, on any scale.
Now, you can do it, starting today.
Bevan Suits
Contents
Click to advance to selected page.

Dedication

About This Book

Good Reasons for Aquaponics

Aquaponics Gallery

Introducing Aquaponics 1

Aquaponics Models 5
Nitrogen Cycle 6
A Basic Drip System 7
The Ebb & Flow System 8
The Hydroponic Raft System 9
The UVI System 10

Equipment / Media 11
Container Gallery 12 Personal Agribusiness 32
Pump 13 Plant Farming 33
DO = Aeration 14 Thinking Production 34
Heater 15 Planning, Education, Finance 35
Plumbing 16 Grow Sell Eat Local 36
Lights 17
Water, Testing for Quality 18 Scaling Up 37
Roots, Grow Media 19 Sheltering the System 38
Bacteria Rule 20 Outside the Box 39
Technology, Community 40
Growing Fish 21
An Affinity for Fish 22 Culturing the System 41
Choosing Tilapia 24
Other Species 25 Resources 45
Tilapia Wellness 26 Interactive, North America 46
Food, Growth 27 Interactive, Australia, Africa 47
Research Links 48
A Home-built System 28
Getting Started 29 The Last Page 49
System Start-up 30
System Balance 31 Picture Credits 50
Aquaponics Gallery
Click on images to visit websites.

Aquaponics is growing fish and plants in one system, with

fish waste feeding the plants. It works in many variations of
scale and form, though the basic concept does not change:
Fish, bacteria and plants working together in a recirculating,
soil-less system. It resembles a living organism, with a heart
(the pump) and lungs (aeration). The bacteria remove waste
like the kidneys and the liver. It will teach you a lot about
food and this ecosystem we call home.

Build a small system. Then you will want to build a larger

FAST, South Carolina
one., because it’s simple and it works.

Growing Power, Milwaukee Growing Power, Milwaukee Red Heeler, Australia

FAST, South Carolina

FAST, Kenya University of the Virgin Islands

Sustainable Design Group, Atlanta Nelson & Pade, Montello, WI Murray Hallam, Queensland, Australia
Introducing Aquaponics
The Aquaponics Guidebook

R
Contents
eplace an aquarium filter with a pot of gravel. Put a plant in the pot. Let it
drain back into the aquarium. That’s aquaponics, boiled down to its simplest
form.
Now, consider it on a bigger scale: An above-ground swimming pool with 3000
gallons of water. 4-foot wide grow bed trenches and lined with rubber, stretching
100 feet. Out of this system a staggering amount of vegetables and fish protein can
be produced, to be consumed, traded or sold. Inputs are fish food, electricity and a
modest amount of maintenance.
Or how about this: Water from a fish pond is pumped up hill and filtered down
through gravel grow beds. The clean water trickles back into the pond. Nothing is
wasted. The excess nutrients provide a valuable crop.
Aquaponics is simple and it works.
It’s also curious that it hasn’t caught on in a bigger way, for all the clear and imme-
diate benefits it provides.

Consider the Benefits:

Personal agriculture
Aquaponics is a highly efficient organic food growing system that produces a com- is very important for
plete diet and requires no expensive or complex equipment.
shaping our future
• With a clear understanding of how the components fit together, you can economy and environ-
start putting a system together quickly.

• It begins to deliver produce in just a few short weeks.

ment. We used to have
• Only a modest amount of fresh water is needed, as the water for the plants an economy based on
is continuously circulated. Only water lost to evaporation is replaced.
food production.
• You can provide your own fish food supply in the form of worms, insects
and aquatic duckweed (for tilapia).

• Tilapia are the preferred aquaculture species worldwide. They taste

great, grow fast, are very hardy and tolerate crowding. They grow from
tiny fingerlings to one-pounders in about 8 months. A 500 gallon tank
can produce 250 pounds of live fish, which go for about $5 per pound,
retail.

• Greens such as basil and lettuce will grow from seedlings to harvest in
about 6 weeks. In a southern, 6 month growing season, that’s about 4 easy
harvests. Basil wholesales for about $10 per pound.

•
If you add a greenhouse or other indoor growing environment with
supplemental grow lights, you can grow year-round.

1
A Basic Drip System
The Aquaponics Guidebook
Each component of an aquaponic system can be grouped as a:

• Container Fish Tank, Grow Bed

Contents

• Connector Tubing, Valves, Pumps, Filters, Bulkheads

• Medium Water, Gravel (for plants & bacteria) You could add Heat and Light as
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS and
• Organism People, Plants, Fish, Bacteria Electricity as POWER SOURCE.

• Nutrient Fish Food, Fish Waste, Nitrogen, Oxygen, CO2

This system is basic drip

irrigation, with 1/8” holes
drilled into the tube. . A
mesh pump bag will help
prevent clogging. ORGANISM CONNECTOR ORGANISM
Alternately you can add Plant Tubing You
emitters, which are valves
on a stick, that bring the
water to each plant.

ORGANISM
Bacteria

NUTRIENT
Fish Food

CONTAINER
Grow tray

MEDIUM
Gravel

PUMP
CONNECTOR
Valve & Bulkhead

MEDIUM
Water

NUTRIENT
Air

ORGANISM NUTRIENT CONTAINER CONNECTOR

Fish Waste Fish Tank Pump

7
 Pump The Aquaponics Guidebook
The Heart of Your System
Contents
Aquaponics relies on a pump. If the pump fails, the fish could die quickly, so plan
to have a battery-powered backup aerator at all times (shown on page 14). The
aerator will help to oxidize the ammonia until the power returns. The need for
this increases as your system grows.

You need to move a certain amount of water through your tank each hour.
Pumps are measured according to their GPH (Gallons per Hour) or GPM (Gallons
per Minute). The pressure they produce at certain height above the pump is the
“head”. The higher the water is pumped, the lower the pressure. Head pressure is A submersible pump sits on the
measured in PSI (Pounds per Square Inch). bottom of your tank. The screen
prevents small fish from getting
Pump types include submersible, (at the bottom of the tank), or in-line which stuck to the inlet and dying.
sits outside the tank, the water line coming in and going out.

Water Pump Performance Curves A pump performace chart tells you

how much water you can pump to
what height. This chart compares
three different pumps. The height of
With the outlet at 12 feet, this An in-line pump connects to the
the outlet is called ‘head’.
pump can move 0 gallons of water tubing between the fish tank and
per hour. 12 feet is the limit of this the grow bed. It is more powerful
pump. but costs more money.

12’

11’ With the outlet at 10

feet, this pump will
10’ move about 600 gal-
lons of water per hour.
9’

8’
TOTAL HEAD

7’

6’

5’

4’ With the outlet at the same

level as the pump (a total head
3’ of 0), this pump will move
about 1350 gallons per hour.
2’

1’

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400

GALLONS PER HOUR (GPH)

13
 Roots Grow Media
The Aquaponics Guidebook
A good mix of grow media allows nitrification to take place, where
the ammonia from fish waste is converted by bacteria into useful Contents
nitrogen.
Permatil by Stalite is
expanded slate. It is used as a
soil additive for gardens but
is an excellent grow medium
for aquaponics because of its
light weight, high surface area
and relatively low cost. Mix
it 50/50 with low-cost pea
gravel.
Expanded clay, such as Hydroton,
Actual Size
Viastone and other brands, are used
in soilless systems for their ability to
hold roots and provide a good home
for bacteria. The pebbles are porous
and light. They allow plenty of Actual Size
water, air and nutrients to reach the
roots. A large bag costs about $35,
so it is most cost-effective when
mixed with less expensive gravel.

Actual Size

Kaldnes, from Norway, is designed

for wastewater treatment as an ideal
environment for bacteria. It is an
excellent biomedia for your biofilter.
Though somewhat expensive, it
provides maximum surface area for
microbial growth while still allowing
space for air and water to flow. At
the same time, bacteria is protected
from abrasive action as the plastic
pieces are circulated in water.

In theory, just about

any clean, inert and
Extending from roots are root hairs. This micro-
environment is where everything comes together, the loose material can
biochemical soup converting into plant flesh. The roots be a grow media.
benefit from the large amount of air and nutrients that Shredded tires and
flow through a soilless system. This enables greens such packing peanuts are
as basil and lettuce grow from seedling to harvest in as being studied.
little as 4 weeks.

If you use municipal water in your

system, remember that it contains
chlorine that kills beneficial bacteria..
19
An Affinity for Fish
The Aquaponics Guidebook

Fish as Livestock Contents

O ne hundred years ago, growing food was part of our culture. Now you can
help bring it back with an aquaponics system. The fish of choice is tilapia.

Aquaponics is eco-technology on a backyard scale, a living, breathing machine

with its own heart, lungs, kidneys and liver. It begins and ends with the fish. The “Hunger caused
fish of choice is tilapia.
by climate change
Learning to raise fish for food is one of the most sustainable or “green” things we
can do, beyond buying a hybrid vehicle, because it represents a cultural shift in the
right direction, back to self-reliance and productivity.
may be the defin-
Grow system technologies also bring communities together. The abundance of ing human tragedy
food produced will help open doors in neighborhoods. A garden may have admir-
ers, but a growing system will draw a crowd. A fish harvest festival may be the best of this century.”
reward of all.
- OXFAM
Once you decide to create a small aquaponics system of 100 fish or less, you can go
online and discover vast amounts of information: Hobbyists, breeders, researchers,
recipes, equipment dealers, economic statistics, etc. This is because farmed fish, June 2009
especially tilapia, are a driving force of the world’s food economy. They are easy to
raise, grow fast and taste great. You can do it.

There is both art and science to raising fish. The art is in the intuitive nurtur-
ing that we know as gardeners, pet owners and parents. There is a lot of creative
freedom in putting your system together and making it fit your space, conducting
experiments out of curiosity. The fish are beautiful to watch. Seeing plants grow
so quickly is encouraging. Hearing the splash of flowing water is relaxing. This is
technology that feels right, a model of an ecosystem.

The science is in observing, measuring and controlling the many variables that keep
your system in balance. The good news is that in starting small, the critical numbers
are fewer and easier to manage. Once you have the feel and experience of a working
system, scaling up becomes more feasible.

Before long your system will be in balance and thriving. Young fish need several
feedings per day, so you many need an automated fish feeder.

As the fish grow, you will want to divide the fish tank or add extra tanks for differ-
ent sized fish to separate the larger ones, giving the smaller stock a chance to grow.
Your fish will start to grow quickly and you’ll be planning what to do with them
and looking ahead to starting a new batch, learning to stagger their production.
Your success will give you confidence.

After you grow succesfully with aquaponics, you may feel like an expert, but it’s

22
System Balance
The Aquaponics Guidebook
Understanding Key Ratios Helps You to Troubleshoot
Contents
BALANCE

A Balanced System
Here you have many fish producing a good amount of
ammonia. The biomedia in filter and grow bed is adequate to
convert it to nitrates. There are enough plants to absorb all
the nitrates. Water returns clean to the fish tank.
Enough biomedia
Enough fish
Enough plants

LESS MEDIA /
Not Enough Biomedia / Grow Media MANY FISH
Here is the same amount of fish with a small amount of
biomedia to convert ammonia to nitrates. The water is
mostly unfiltered, so too much ammonia returns to the tank.

Solution: Add a biofilter or more grow media so the bacteria

can do its work. Remember that it takes time for bacteria Too little media
culture to develop on new media. Per volume of fish...
Too much ammonia
returns to fish

FEW PLANTS /
MANY FISH
Not Enough Plants
The same amount of fish with adequte biomedia but too few
plants to take up the nitrates. Too much nitrate returns to the
fish tank. Not dangerous but unhealthy.

Solution: Add more plants to soak up the extra nitrates. Too few plants
Per volume of fish...
Too much nitrate returns
to fish

FEW FISH /
MANY PLANTS
Not Enough Fish or Too Much Water
A small amount of fish, or too much water, with enough
biomedia and enough plants. There is not enough ammonia
being produced for the plants to grow well.

Solution: Add more fish or grow fewer plants. Not enough ammonia
to nourish plants

31
Thinking Production
Your Produce Has a Dollar Value The Aquaponics Guidebook
What if you could make steady income with aquaponics and even finance your
equipment? Contents

We have been a consumer culture for so long that most of us

have forgotten that growing is a business. If you can deliver a
steady volume of quality produce, you can count on selling it,
which greatly affects how to think about aquaponics.

On page 10 you can see a spreadsheet for a large-scale

operation that brought in a lot of money from a few thousand
square feet of growing space. Even if you only have a fraction
of that space, you should know what sells, at what price, and at
what time of year. Eggplant, for example, wholesales in some
markets today for around $18 per bushel. The price is higher in
cold months.

In the spreadsheet below you can see that a 10’ x 10’ basil bed has the potential
to generate up to $1500 per month, at $10 per pound and ideal growing
conditions.
Pro Forma Basil Revenue

Typical Wholesale Net Revenue per 100

Crop Pounds per Grow Period
Price per Pound Square Ft
Square Foot
Basil 1 - 1.5 4 - 6 weeks $10 $1000 - $1500 Growing Edge Magazine,
Basil Stats
Source: Growing Edge Magazine

Of course if everyone is growing basil the price starts to drop and you have to
find another crop, which is simple agricultural economics. Hobby gardeners
tend to forget this because we are conditioned to think of a single five-month
growing period, a harvest in September, with dozens of tomatoes and squash
eaten, given away or left to rot. With aquaponics you gain so much efficiency Local Harvest Network
over traditional gardening that someone with even a modest amount of growing
space can become a reliable supplier to wholesalers, restaurants, groceries and
co-ops. There may also be emerging crop markets for (legal) medicinal herbs for
Asian communities and other groups. There are likely other valuable markets
remaining to be discovered or even created. Who will get there first and cash in?

How to Do It

You don’t need an MBA to become an aquaponics business person. Just find
out who wants what, how much they want and what they are willing to pay.
You can do it like a CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture), recruiting families
to subscribe. Or you can talk to owners of high-end restaurants and restaurant
chains, grocery stores and wholesale distributors. Make some calls, promote
yourself. Being the first one in is very important.

USDA Organic 1
The Word on Organic

The USDA jury is still out on organic certification for hydroponics/aquaponics.

If you feed your fish certified organic fish food, duckweed, earthworms, without
any antibiotics or hormones, it may be technically organic but you can’t sell it USDA Organic 2
as such until you get the stamp. The links on the right provide more in-depth
information. A decision is likely in November of 2009.
34
Interactive Tour Page
North America
The Aquaponics Guidebook

Contents

This PDF edition features hyperlinks.

By clicking the names, the websites of these featured aquaponics
specialists will open in your browser.

Floating Gardens

Crop Diversification
Nelson & Pade

Vancouver Island U
Growing Power

Kirby Peak Ocean Arks

Flying Fish
Freshwater Institute

Portable Farms FAST

Grow Foods Morning Star Fishermen

S&S Aqua Farm UVI

Acuaponia

Auburn ALEARN

Friendly Aquaponics

42
Research Links
The Aquaponics Guidebook

Contents
USDA Defines Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education
Alternative Farming Systems Information Center
Cooperative State Research, Education & Extension Service
Western Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable Urban Gardens
Denver Urban Gardens
Milwaukee Urban Gardens
Philadelphia Urban Gardens
Urban Habitat Chicago
Urban Gardens Los Angeles
Seattle Tilth

Atlanta’s Farmer D
Just Food in New York City
Urban Gardens DC
Growing Edge Magazine
Farmer John’s CSA, Angelic Organics
Urban Garden Magazine

Food Inc, The Movie

ALEARN, Auburn University Aquaculture Extension
American Tilapia Association
The Fish Site, Aquaculture Stats on Tilapia
Mississippi State, Stats on Tilapia
Whole Foods Corporate Values
Slow Food Movement
Local Harvest Network
Food Routes, Knowing Where Food Comes From
National Family Farm Coalition

44