Basic

The Definition
Aquaponics is based on productive systems as they are found in nature. It can be loosely
described as the combination of aquaculture and hydroponics and this is where the name
aqua-ponics originates.
Hydroponic systems rely
heavily on the careful
application of man-made
nutrients for the optimum
growth of plants. The
nutrients are made from
mixing together a
concoction of chemicals,
salts and trace elements to
form the perfect balance.
Water in hydroponic
systems needs to be
discharged on periodically,
as the salts and chemicals
build up in the water which
becomes toxic to the plants.
Aquaculture systems focus
on maximising growth of
fish in tank or pond culture.
The fish are usually heavily stocked in the tanks often, 10kg in 100L of water. The high
stocking rates often mean that the tank water becomes polluted with fish effluent which gives
off high concentrations of Ammonia. Water has to be discharged at a rate of 10-20% of the
total volume in the tank once a day, everyday. This water is often pumped into open streams
where it pollutes and destroys waterways.
Aquaponics combines both systems, and in doing so cancels out the negative aspects of each.
Instead of adding toxic chemical solutions to grow plants, aquaponics uses highly nutritious
fish effluent that contains almost all the required nutrients for optimum growth. Instead of
discharging water, aquaponics uses the plants and the media in which they grow to clean and
purify the water, after which it is returned to the fish tank. This water can be reused
indefinitely and will only need to be replaced when it is lost through transpiration and
evaporation.

Is Aquaponics
Complicated?
It's as simple as it seems,
pumping nutrient rich fish
water past the roots of
plants which extract the
nutrient from the water. The
principle method we deal
with here is using grow
beds filled with a medium,
whether thats gravel,
riverstone, crushed basalt,
or expanded clay. Plants are
grown in the media filled
beds and water is pumped
from a fish tank into the
grow bed, draining through
the gravel, and back into
the fish tank.
Experimenting with aquaponics can be as simple or as complicated as you like, it could be as
simple as an aquarium on a sunny windowsill with some goldfish, with water pumped into
some gravel filled pots above it, draining through the gravel back into the aquarium. Once
you have tried something simple you can progress up to a system with multiple grow beds
and high stocking densities of fish.
There are three basic styles of aquaponic systems, which we discuss below in a little more
detail.

Media filled beds

Media filled beds are the simplest form of
aquaponics, they use containers filled with
medium of expanded clay or similar.
Water from a fish tank is pumped over the
media filled beds, and plants grow in the
rock media. This style of system can be
run two different ways, with a continuous
flow of water over the rocks, or by
flooding and draining the grow bed, in a
flood and drain or ebb and flow cycle.

NFT or Nutrient Film

Technique
Nutrient Film Technique is a commonly
used hydroponic method, but is not as
common in aquaponic systems. In NFT
systems, nutrient rich water is pumped
down small enclosed gutters, the water
flowing down the gutter is only a very thin
film. Plants sit in small plastic cups
allowing their roots to access the water
and absorb the nutrients. NFT is only
really suitable for certain types of plants,
generally leafy green vegetables, larger
plants will have root systems that are too
big and invasive, or they become too
heavy for the lightweight growing gutters.

DWC or Deep Water

Culture
Deep Water Culture, works on the idea of
floating plants on top of the water
allowing the roots to hang down into the
water. This can be done in a number of
ways. This method is one of the more
commonly practiced commercial methods.
DWC can be done by floating a foam raft
on top of the fish tank, however a more
common method is to grow the fish in a
fish tank and pump the water through a
filtration system, and then into long
channels where floating rafts filled with
plants float on the water surface and
extract the nutrients.

Which style is best for me?

So there are the basics of aquaponics, it really can be as simple or as complicated as you like,
if you want to start off small and simple take a piece of polystyrene, cut some holes in it,
stick some mint cuttings or water cress cuttings through the holes, and float it on the surface
of an aquarium or pond, within no time you'll end up with a mass of floating herbs, and you'll
have cleaner water for your fish. Through lots of experimenting over the years, and through
the trials of members on the online discussion forum, the flood and drain media based
system, has been found to be the most reliable and the simplest method of aquaponics,
especially for beginners. It can be done very simply using a wide range of different
containers. The flood and drain media bed system, also requires minimal maintenance.

The Nitrogen Cycle

One essential unseen element

to an aquaponic system is the
benefitial bacteria. The
bacteria flourish in the dark
moist gravel filled grow
beds, and break down
elements in the water into a
form which the plants can
absorb and use. An
aquaponic system is organic
due to it's very own nature.
Synthetic fertilisers can't be
fed to the plants or it will
adversely affect the fish and
the beneficial bacteria, the
system has to be kept natural.
There are two different
bacteria that break down
wastes from the fish, the first
is Nitrosomonas, which
converts Ammonia into
Nitrites. These Nitrites are
then converted into Nitrates
by Nitrobacter bacteria, the
plants can then consume the
nitrates to grow.

One interesting aspect of aquaponics is that it's a self balancing system to a great extent. As
more nutrient becomes available through increased feeding of the fish, plant growth rates will
increase to consume the extra nutrient. When fish are smaller or if the fish aren't being fed as
much feed growth rates of the plants will slow down accordingly.

Recycled materials
Recycled containers like IBC International
Bulk Containers, as well as second hand
plastic drums and other similar equipment
are commonly used by people to build
aquaponic systems. This is done for many
reasons, recycled materials can generally
be found around the home, or sourced
from salvage outlets fairly cheap, so you
can build quite a large system for very
little initial cost. Just be careful when
using second hand materials, it's useful to
know what has been stored in containers
before you decide to use them.

But really, there's no excuse not to give

aquaponics a go, if you feel a little unsure
about starting and you want to make sure
you get the best head start, then you can
look at starting off with a kit system.
If you're a handy person who prefers trying to build something from scratch, then keep your
eyes peeled on refuge collections and at salvage retailers, bathtubs are ideal for aquaponic
growbeds, and they have drain fittings preinstalled.
Many aquaponic styles are possible, it can be as simple as a pond with floating vegetation,
through to incredibly complex systems with very high stocking densities of fish.
Here we discuss the different designs of aquaponic systems based on media filled grow beds.
There are a few basic styles that have been adopted and trialled by many different people
around the world, each of these styles has their own unique advantages and disadvantages
associated with them.

Design
Continuous Flow

Firstly there's two methods of applying

water to the grow beds where the plants
grow, firstly the continuous flow method,
where water is pumped from the fish tank
up to the surface of the grow bed. It then
trickles down through the media and back
into the fish tank. This is one of the
simplest methods of aquaponics, however
it does have a few disadvantages. The
irrigated water tends to flow straight down
through the media and then along the base
of the grow bed to the outlet, without
depositing all of the nutrients into the
grow bed. To counter this a grid of
irrigation pipes arcoss the surface of the
grow bed should be used, so that more of
the media gets wet and plant roots can
make the most of the water and nutrients.
If there is no irrigation grid them most of
the media will remain dry and will neither
function as a biofilter or growing area for
plants.
One of the means of overcoming this problem is to have the outlet back to the fish tank at a
higher point and to keep the grow bed permanently flooded to a certain level. This improves

the situation but it's still not ideal, plant roots can become waterlogged, areas of the grow bed
can become stagnant and anaerobic, as the flow of fresh water through the bed moves around
any blockages. Ideal the media filled grow beds should be moist 90% of the time to take
advantage of greater biofilter properties, which enables a stronger bacteria colony, as well as
greater growing area for plants, while also keeping as much of the media filled bed flowing
as freely as possible without any blockages.
Flood and Drain (Ebb and Flow)

By mimicking the natural cycle similar to waves or tidal surges, we can gain the benefits of
having the media filled beds flood and drain completely, allowing oxygen into the root zones
of the plants, while also limiting the build up of solids within the grow bed, because of the
constant surging action of the water as it floods and drains within the media beds. With the
beds flooding regularly, it has more potential for plant growth throughout the entire bed,
while reducing the requirement for extensive irrigation grids across the surface of the grow
bed.
During trials of numerous systems by many enthusiasts, including various people across the
world it has been found that, the advantages of flood and drain aquaponic systems, outweigh
any advantages of a continuous flow system. This doesn't mean that continuous flow systems
don't work. Joel Malcolms oldest system is a continuous flow system, at the time of doing
this website the system is about 7-8 years old and still working very well.
CHIFT PIST

Constant Height In Fish Tank - Pump In

Sump Tank
This style of system uses a pump in the
sump tank that pumps water into the fish
tank, the overflow pipe causes the water to
flow out of the fish tank, when it exceeds a
certain height, and into a grow bed where
it drains back into the sump tank. A simple
version of this system can be seen on the
left, the black pipe pumps water into the
fish tank, while water flows out of the
white PVC pipe into the the grow bed
before draining back into the sump. This
system was run with a timer on the pump
and a restricted outlet on the drain, this
allowed for a flooding and draining action
in the grow bed.
CHIFT PIST systems have many advantages over other methods, and they have a few
disadvantages. The main advantage of a CHIFT PIST system, is that it means there is no
pump in the fish tank, the fish tank stays at a fairly constant height, and if there's ever a pump
failure or blackout the fish tank will stay full. Disadvantages are that you need a sump tank
with a large volume and a short height, to hold the water and you also need a tall or raised

fish tank.

Simple Flood and Drain

This is possibly the most simple method of

setting up a flood and drain system. The
grow bed sits above the fish tank, water is
pumped from the fish tank into the grow
bed, then the water drains straight back
into the fish tank below. The ultimate in
simplicity. If there's a problem with the
pump or power supply the water drains
straight back into the fish tank. This style
of system is compact and has very few
disadvantages, the only minor
disadvantage is that the water level in the
fish tank fluctuates when flooding the
beds. Also the pump is in the fish tank so
if it's only a small pump with limited solid
pumping capacity, solid wastes may clog
up the pump, requiring periodic
maintenance.

Sump Tank Two Pump

A two pump sump tank system works by pumping

water from the fish tank into the grow beds, the
water then drains from the grow beds into a sump
tank. Within the sump tank is a pump operated by a
float valve, as the water level in the sump tank rises
the pump switches on, pumping water back into the
main fish tank. The float valve switches the pump
within the sump tank on and off, the hieght that it
turns on can be set so that the sump tank retains a
good volume of water, allowing a second species of
fish, or young fingerlings to be stocked in the sump
tank.
There are some disadvantages and
advantages of having a sump tank
incorporated in an aquaponic system.
Generally having a sump tank means that
water is pumped back numerous times per
hour to the fish tank supplying freshly
oxygenated water to the fish. It allows quite

a large system to be built without having to

dig or bury any tanks into the ground, and it
allows for the
stocking of fingerlings or other species within the sump tank. The disadvantages
of this system is that it requires two pumps and, if there's a power failure, and
the grow beds all happen to be full then there's a chance that the sump tank
may overflow, losing water from the system.

There are a few of simple ways to flood and drain an aquaponic system, firstly a timer can be
used to regulate the pump that's filling the grow beds. A simple way to do this is by using
stand pipes, stand pipes set the maximum water level in a grow bed, and excess water that is
pumped into the bed goes straight over the top of the stand pipe and down the drain. When
the pump turns off water drains slowly from the bed through small holes in the base of the
standpipe.
Another method of creating a flood and drain cycle within a grow bed, is by using an
'autosiphon'. Autosiphons rely on a constant, relatively slow flow of water, into the grow bed.
When the grow bed water level gets to a certain height it prompts the autosiphon to drain the
bed, because of the change in pressure around the autosiphon. This drains the bed quickly of
the water. Autosiphons can be a little fiddly and can be prone to failures on occasion but they
are fun to experiment with.
Conclusion

Really there's no end to the different ways that you can design an aquaponic system, it's best
to begin with a simple system, so that you can get a feel for aquaponics and how it works,
before trying more complex methods. Flood and drain methods definitely hold more
advantages than continuous flow methods, and the stand pipe / timer method is the most
simple to start with as nothing major can go wrong. To see a wide range of BYAP system
layouts click here.
Design your own Aquaponics System

Have you got a great idea for an aquaponic system? Want to design your own system or see
how one of our BYAP systems will look in your area? We have designed 3D components of
our systems so that you can easily design, modify and create your own personalised layout of
a BYAP system to suit your specific area.

Google Sketchup is a fantastic tool to use for simple 3D design, and almost anyone can use it
without after just a few minutes experimenting. Below are some links to tutorials that will get
you started and familar with Google Sketchup.
Download Google Sketchup
After installing and running through a quick tutorial you can open the BYAP components link
below and use the components to design your very own Backyard Aquaponics system to suit
your own yard.

FISH

Importance of fish
Fish are the power house of an aquaponics system, they provide the nutrients for the plants
and if your growing edible fish, then they also provide protein for yourself. Keeping fish may
be a little daunting to some, especially those without any prior experience, however you
shouldn't be discouraged. Keeping fish in an aquaponic system is more simple than keeping
aquarium fish, so long as you follow simple guidelines then growing fish from fingerling
size, to ready to eat fish can be extremely simple.

Choosing a fish species

There are many different species of fish that can be used in an aquaponic system, depending
on your local climates and available supplies. Our local climate in Perth, Western Australia,
allows us to keep Rainbow Trout through winter, then a warmer species like Barramundi
during summer. There are also a few choices for year round fish that we could grow, but they
often take a longer time to mature. If you live in a cooler climate you might be looking at
growing Trout all year round, or perhaps another locally produced fish species. In warmer
areas of Australia people generally grow Barramundi, or Jade Perch year round, in most
warm areas throughout the world Tilapia is the fish of choice.
In deciding what is the best species for you to grow, you should take a few factors into
account, most importantly is what you want from your system. If you don't want to eat your
fish then you probably won't want to grow edible fish, or you may want to grow an edible
fish that can live year-round in your area, so that you're not having to harvest fish out
seasonally. The second most important factor is 'What's available?' You need to be able to buy
fish to stock your system, even with species such as Tilapia that breed readily, you need to get
your broodstock in the first place.
Here's a list of useful aquaponic species with a few details about each

Barramundi
Barramundi are often grown in aquaponic
systems through the warmer months of the
year. Most growers will buy fairly mature
stock so that they can harvest larger fish,
at the end of the growing season.
Barramundi that is grown in an aquaponic
system has an exceptionally clean, crisp
taste. Growing your own Barramundi
excites guests and is the envy of
neighbours. They provide a decent harvest
at the end of the season and are one of the
more majestic species of edible fish.

Catfish
There are many different species of catfish
around the world that are well suited to
aquaponics. Channel catfish are the most
widely farmed aquaculture species in the
United States, and they are available in
many areas of Australia. Catfish don't have
scales so they need to be skinned, they are
quick growing and have a good food
conversion ratio.

Carp
There are many species of carp that could
be very well suited to aquaponics,
unfortunately because of their
reproductive capabilities, their tough
nature and ability to readily adapt in many
areas of the world, carp have become
noxious pests to native waterways and the
environment, and as such they are not
easily obtainable, and often there are high
fines and fees for keeping them. In most
western cultures carp also have a fairly
poor reputation, as an eating fish,
however, carp is still the most widely
cultured fish in the world as it's grown
throughout most of Asia.

Goldfish
Although some people may group these
with the carp, I've decided to cover these
seperately as most people refer to them as
goldfish, and this is what they will be sold
as, at local pet shops or fish suppliers.
Goldfish are generally pretty tough and
make a great addition to an aquaponic
system. In many areas they will breed in a
tank, although they generally need plant
cover within the tank to breed.

Jade Perch
This native Australian fish i's worth a
special mention here, as it has the highest
levels of omega three oils of any fish
species in the world. In fact it's so high in
omega three oils that growers are trying to
breed the oil out of them, they are trying to
breed a less oily fish because they've
found people don't like the high oil
content.
They require warm water and consume an
omnivorous diet. Very well suited to an
aquaponic system, they grow quickly and
fingerlings are readily available in warmer
areas.

Koi
Once again, another species of carp, but
better known as "Koi" rather than carp.
Koi are very common within many Asian
communities and they are often found in
large ornamental ponds. For those who
love Koi, an aquaponic system is a great
proposition for stocking the fish.

Murray cod
Murray cod are a magnificent native
Australian fish, known to grow to
enormous sizes in their native habitats,
their tank culture is still in reasonably
early days. Murray cod are grown in
recirculating aquaculture systems, and can
also been grown in aquaponic systems,
hopefully this fish will be utilised more
over time because they are quick growing,
and a great eating fish. One of the
downfalls is that they must be kept at high
stocking densities, and kept well fed
otherwise they cannibalise each other.

Silver perch
Silver perch are a good allround native
Australian fish that grow well under a
variety of conditions. Perch are
omnivorous and will happily eat green
scraps as well as Duckweed and Azolla.
They grow within a wide temperature
range, though they're not as fast growing
as many other fish, taking 12-18 months
for fingerlings to grow to plate size.

Tilapia
The second most cultured fish in the
world, and extremely popular in
Aquaponics systems. They are an ideal
species for aquaponics for many reasons.
They are easy to breed, fast growing,
withstand very poor water conditions,
consume an omnivorous diet and are good
eating. The only downfall for some people
will be that Tilapia require warm water. If
you live in a cool area you are far better
off growing a fish species that will grow
well in your temperature range, rather than
trying to heat the water. Tilapia are also a
declared pest in many areas.

Trout
Trout are a great fish for aquaponic
systems where water temperatures are a
little cooler. Trout prefer water
temperatures between 10C and 20C.
They have extremely fast growth rates and
excellent food conversion ratios.

Other Species
There are other fish species which are quite suitable for aquaponics, that might be available in
your local area. In Europe many different species of carp are grown, within the United States
such species as Bluegill are often available, while in Australia we also have a number of other
native species like Sleepy cod which would be suitable.

Other aquatic animals that can be

incorporated into an aquaponic system are fresh water mussles, fresh water prawns, and fresh
water crayfish. Mussles are a filter-feeder, and do a great job of helping to clean the water,
they will happily grow in flooded grow beds, or can be incorporated into fish tanks.
Crustaceans make a nice addition to an aquaponic system and there are a few different
species available depending on your location and water temperatures.
For those in tropical areas there's Redclaw, a fast growing native Australian species, and for
those in cooler areas there's Yabbies or Marron.
Yabbies breed readily, given the right environment and the correct water temperature, as well
as long daylight hours. They also grow fairly quickly, but they can be prone to fighting and
cannibalism when stocked very densely. The Yabby is also a attractive crustacean as seen
from this picture to the left.

Numbers of Fish
This can be quite a hot topic of debate amongst people who practice aquaponics. Stocking
levels of fish within a system can be as high as many intensive recirculating aquaculture
systems, however the higher the stocking density the higher the likelihood of things going
wrong. In very heavy stocking densities you need to keep a constant eye on all water
parameters to be sure that conditions are kept at the optimum.
If you lower the stocking levels of fish then you lower your levels of risk and stress. Growth
rates of plants in lightly stocked systems can still be very impressive, this eight bed system
was stocked with only 70 fish, thats less than 9 fish per growbed.The fish tank is 5000L and
there's a 1000L sump on the system. The fish in the system at the time of taking this photo
were trout and they were around 300 - 400g. The plant growth in the eight beds was fantastic.
A wide mixture of plants were grown in the beds.

Plant species
We are often asked which plants grow well in an
aquaponics system and it seems that most herbs and
vegetables adapt well to aquaponics. Of course some
plants won't do as well when using different methods,
media filled beds seem to be the most successful for
growing a large range of plants, and you can grow just
about anything.
We often hear people say "But isn't aquaponics only good
for leafy green plants?" This is a fallacy that has
perpetuated for quite some time, but as you will see from
the list at the bottom of this page, aquaponics will grow
just about anything. This Habanero chilli plant on the right
grew a fantastic crop of super hot chillies, and a single
tomato plant in a nearby grow bed produced well over 30
kg of tomatoes. Some other fruiting varieties that perform
well are; eggplant (aubergine), capsicum (bell peper),
bean, peas and many more.

Root crops?
What about root crops? No problem,
although you are probably better off
growing potatoes in the ground, they will
still grow successfully in an aquaponic
grow bed. Carrots are another great root
crop in media beds, carrots harvested from
grow beds have no sand on them and
although you might wonder, how they
grow in a bed filled with gravel they do a
surprisingly good job.
Beetroot are another winner, we grow a lot
of fresh beetroot and they grow to a
fantastic size if you let them go for long
enough, the beetroot on the left was over
1kg.

What about deficiencies?

Just as with all gardening you may get some deficiencies in your plants, but generally this can
be dealt with very simply. Seaweed extracts are a great way to supplement almost all minerals
that might be lacking in an aquaponic system, seaweed extracts come in many different
forms, and consideration towards harmful additives needs to be paramount as anything you
add in the system will be passed on to both fish, bacteria, plants and you. You can also use
powdered mineral substances. There are a number of different ones on the market, but once
again, you must take care in their application if you haven't used them before, remember, it's
not just the plants your caring for but also the fish and the bacteria population. The best way
to stay on top of deficiencies, is to use a good quality aquaculture feed for your fish. Most

good quality feeds have a percentage of ocean caught bi-product, this means that there's a
good range of minerals and trace elements within the fish feed. We have some systems that
have not had any supplemental addition of minerals, for well over 12 months and plant
growth is exceptional.

Can I plant seeds?

Definitely. In media filled beds we generally use a combination of seedlings and seeds. When
first planting a grow bed in a new system, we recommend sprinkling a mixture of seeds over
the grow bed, as well as planting seedlings in the bed. Planting seedlings is simple, we
recommend that you use normal seedlings, but before you plant the seedlings, wash off the
majority of the potting mix from the root ball in a small bucket of water, the potting mix
should wash off fairly easily with just a gentle shake in the water.
While planting out the seedlings in the beds the media agitation causes the seeds that were
sprinkled over the bed before, to fall down in between the media where it can absorb water
and safely germinate. During planting trials I've found that this method has many benefits. As
the seedlings grow and shelter the germinating seeds they tend to dominate the beds, and
many of the germinating seeds can only grow very slowly, however, once the planted
seedling matures and gets harvested, this opens up the canopy giving the small plants that
germinated from seed a chance to take off. These plants now have a mature root system, and
a great head start so they can grow very quickly. This mimics natural forest ecosystems,
where young trees and other undergrowth grow quite slowly, until a large tree dies and the
canopy opens up allowing light to get to the lower plants, which then stimulates their growth.

What are growth rates like?

Growth rates of plants in aquaponic systems can be quite phenomenal, in fact a trial by Dr
Nick Savidov in Canada, found that aquaponic growth rates can exceed hydroponic plant
growth by up to four times with some vegetables and herbs. The advantage of aquaponics
over soil grown vegetables is that, during warm weather the plants get as much water as they
need, due to the regular flooding of grow beds in an aquaponic system. Plants grown in the
ground can use the water around their root system, very quickly in hot weather, leading to
wilting from a lack of water very quickly, on a hot day. Plants in an aquaponic system get
watered constantly, so they always have water, no matter how hot the weather is.

Here are some young plants in a grow bed,

Joel Malcolm photographed these
everyday to keep a record of the growth
rates of the plants. The bed was planted
with different varieties of basil, mizuna,
cucumber and broccoli

13 days after the first photograph, all of

the plants are growing quite well

25 days from the first picture. Joel has

already harvested a couple of cucumbers
and there are many more to come, with
plenty of fresh herbs and salad greens also
available.

Joel has grown chives that were over one metre in length in the same system as you see
above..
This is a list of plants that grew well for members of the BYAP online discussion forum, this
is by no means an exhaustive list of all plants that will grow well, just a few of the great
performers that forum members have grown.
Simpson's Curled (Lettuce)
Oregon Sugar Pod (Peas)
Bloomsdale Savoy (Spinach)
White Bunching (Onion)
Tomato (Grosse Lisse)
Tomato (Beefsteak)
Cucumber (Lebanese)
Silver Beet (Giant Fordhook)
Lettuce (Cos)
Lettuce (All seasons)
Basil (Sweet green, purple, curly leaf and Thai)
Rainbow Chard
Parsley (Flat leaf and curly leaf)
Numerous tomato varieties (the only tomato variety that hasn't grown well was pineapple)
Watercress

Yugoslavian watercress (also known as Lebanese watercress or Bulgarian watercress)

Chives (normal and garlic variety)
Chillies, many varieties, haven't found a variety that hasn't grown well yet
Celery
Kohl Rabi (Purple vienna)
Cicoria Variegata
Snow peas
Egg plant (Black beauty)
Capsicum (Californian wonder, Yolo wonder, Long sweet yellow)
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cucumber (Burpless, Armenian)
Mizuna
Rocket
Coriander
Garlic
Dwarf beans (Butter beans)
Sage
Lemongrass
Yarrow
Comfrey
Rockmelon
Of course the plants you grow in your system may be limited by the type of aquaponics
system you have, or more to the point, the type of plant growing system. If you have an NFT
system you will not be growing carrots or large tomato plants because the small NFT pipes
will not allow such growth. If designing your own aquaponic system you must put some
thought into your plant growing method, and what you want to grow. This is one of the
reason why we like deep media filled beds at Backyard Aquaponics, when you have deep
media beds there are no limitations on growing different plants.