Home Aquaponics System Review
Aquaponics found 15 minutes of fame recently when Good Morning America, the Wall Street Journal, and the LA Times all featured “Farm in a Box,” a new home aquaponics system built by Earth Solutions. Many home gardeners haven’t even heard of aquaponics yet, much less how to set up a system at home. That’s probably why so many folks are scratching their heads right now wondering how these systems work and where they can get one.
The basic premise behind any aquaponics system, big or small, is the symbiotic relationship between hydroponics (growing plants in water) and aquaculture (fish farming). The fish fertilize the plants, while the plants filter the water for the fish. It’s a perfect picture of the balance of nature, a truly eloquent organic gardening plan.
But even though the premise behind the system is simple, building an aquaponics system can be complicated. It requires an indepth understanding of chemistry, biology, botany, and fluid mechanics, plus some intermediate to advanced level handyman skills. Since many of us lack the expertise or the time to design our own home aquaponics system, we would rather just buy a kit.
While the number of aquaponic kits on the market is still pretty slim, the choices are steadily growing. For right now, one of the best choices available is the Farm in a Box series.
Earth Solutions offers a variety of home aquaponics systems, from the small, indoor Little Tokyo model all the way to the large, outdoor Phoenix model with 200-gallon fish tank and 35-square-foot planting area. Each model comes with decorative stand, rubber lined planting bed, and fish tank, plus all the necessary hardware, such as hoses, pump, valves, and timer. Also included are all the instructions necessary for setup and for care of the fish and plants. The only things not included are the gravel, water, fish, and seeds.
The smallest model, the Little Tokyo, is small and decorative. It is available online for $249 from both Home Depot and Earth Solutions. It includes a 10-gallon fish tank on the bottom and a 12″x20″ planting bed on top. A water pump and timer, plus hoses and valves, circulates the water from fish tank to plant bed and back again. This ebb and flow process is the key to whole system, keeping the water aerated for the fish and maintaining the balance of the system.
All the Farm in a Box systems work in the same way as the Little Tokyo. The only difference is basically size. These are the models currently available:
Little Tokyo ($249) — This is the model described above. It’s a great size for home, office, or classroom.
Little Tokyo sans tank ($229) — This is the same Little Tokyo model, but it doesn’t include the fish tank. It’s a good choice for folks who have their own 10-gallon tank.
Manhattan ($279) — The Manhattan is just like the Little Tokyo, but it uses a larger 15-gallon tank. The plant bed is still 12″x20″.
Charleston ($429.50) — The Charleston is still very compact, but it includes an extra square foot of growing space with a 12″x32″ plant bed. It also uses a larger 20-gallon fish tank. This tank is still too small for edible fish, but it is suitable for tropical fish, small perch, and goldfish.
San Antonio ($549) — The San Antonio model uses a 20-gallon fish tank too. Its planting bed is slightly larger at 14″x42″.
Dallas ($799) — The Dallas is designed for the serious organic gardener with very little space. It uses a 35-gallon fish tank and therefore can be used to grow edible fish, such as tilapia. It also has a larger plant bed, 24″x42″. While fairly large in size, this model still would work well indoors or on a patio.
Phoenix ($1499) — The Phoenix is the largest of all the Farm in a Box models. It is best for outdoor or greenhouse use. This model includes a 200-gallon fish tank, 2 deep water floating rack beds, and 1 gravel ebb and flow bed. Of all the models, this is the best one for edible fish. Earth Solutions recommends tilapia for warmer climates and bass, perch, or catfish for cooler climates.
Farm in a Barrel ($83) — Earth Solutions also carries a simple do-it-yourself system called Farm in a Barrel. It includes instructions for building your own aquaponics system out of a plastic 55-gallon barrel, which you must procure yourself. The instructions cost $35. Valve, hoses, pump, and timer can be purchased separately for an additional $48.
Of course, the Farm in a Box series is not the only source for aquaponics kits today. There are several options available online, and that list is growing monthly. But for now, this series from Earth Solutions looks like one of the best values available. It is certainly the most decorative that I have found, and the best for indoor/patio use. So if you’re looking for a system that will help you “get your feet wet” with aquaponics (pun intended), you might want to check out this series.
Dear Sir/Madam
I am currently in England visiting relatives, and am very interested in learning about aquaponics and would be very greatful if you could give me any contact details. I would really like to visit a centre to be able to learn more. I am staying in Southend-On-Sea Essex.
Thanks & Regards
Colin Attard
Malta