If the concept of hydroponics with fish excites you, then you’ll want to know more about the equipment involved in the process. These nitrates provide nutrients for the plants.Īs you can see, the nitrogen cycle and its bacteria play a critical role in converting toxic waste products into viable nutrients that the plants can use. Nitrites are then converted by nitrobacteria into nitrates. In summary: Ammonia is converted by naturally occurring Nitrosomonas into nitrites. They can vary in size, complexity, and setup.īut every aquaponic system has three key elements: This continuous, mutually beneficial cycle reduces effort and results in you having healthy fish, happy plants, and minimal water wastage.Ī variety of aquaponic systems exist. In turn, the plants act as biofilters, providing purified water that returns back to the fish tank. In this system, microbes in the water convert ammonia from the fish waste to nitrates which the plants then take up and use to grow. This results in you having to continuously reintroduce a clean water supply to your setup.Īquaponics solves the above issues through a symbiotic relationship between fish and plants. Toxic nutrient accumulation occurs from fish, fish waste, and fish food. This prevents the over-accumulation of fungi, nutrients, and bacteria. In a hydroponic system, you need to replace your aqueous solution every 2/3 weeks. It is therefore easy to see why some may refer to it as hydroponics with fish.īut why would you want/need to use such a system? What Is Hydroponics With Fish? Aquaponic System With Koi FishĪquaponics is a food production system that combines hydroponics (growing plants without the use of soil) and aquaculture (the cultivation of aquatic organisms in controlled aquatic environments).