DIY Aquaponics

Aquaponics is an incredible system for feeding people, especially where water is scarce.

By recycling water between a fish tank and grow beds full of flourishing vegetables, the only wastage is through evaporation.

You feed the fish.

The fish grow and excrete ammonia, which will kill them in high concentrations.

You pump the water into gravel beds where naturally occurring bacteria convert that ammonia into nitrates, which plants love. The plants grow at an astonishing rate.

The purified and re-oxygenated water returns to the fish tank.

Everyone is happy.

You get high quality fish protein and an abundance of vegetables.

The food is all organic - you can't use pesticides because it will kill the fish.

This app is my story about how I built an aquaponics system 10 years ago. Its still flourishing today, providing me over 200 kilos of fish every season, and a mountain of vegetables - lettuce, Asian greens, cucumbers, herbs, tomatoes, beans, egg plant, spring onions the size of leeks, peppers - to name a few.

I plan to grow ginger ($24 a kilo) and tumeric ($30 a kilo).

The fish is absolutely delicious. I catch them with a line and rod from my tank, clean them and then smoke or fry them. Fantastic.

Try building a system. Even if its just a few goldfish and a couple of small pots growing herbs. That's a great learning experience that your kids can take part in.

I have a 10,000 litre tank with 200 fish, and 10 growbeds, occupying a space of about 100 sq metres.

Check out the app and get started.