Aquaponics - Water Source
by John Yazo
Aquaponic gardening is an enjoyable, and a very rewarding way to grow fresh crops naturally. A water source being a major component of a successful system is for the most part never thought about until it is time to fill the pond and stock fish. It is very important that you know what is in the water before you expose either fish or plant life to it.
Water can be supplied from a variety of sources like, rain water, surface water, a municipality, wells, and even from any of these sources that have been purified by a filter system. Regardless of the source,you need to know what you are working with. Testing should be done before you use it to be sure it will not be harmful to fish, vegetation, and even the bacteria that is an essential part of an aquaponic system.
Well water, over all the other water sources can be superior because it often has trace elements like calcium, chloride, sodium or iron. These trace elements, in small amounts can be beneficial as they are sometimes deficient in an aquaponic system, and municipal water supplies contain chlorine that is toxic to benifical bacteria, plant life and fish. If your water source contains chlorine, there are several ways to remove the chlorine for water.
Rain water has been an excellent source choice of a water source. It is no longer reliable because it can contain contaminants, especially in areas around or in the larger cites due to air pollutants.
Water is considered the major component of an aquaponic system to have a healthy environment for both plant life and fish. Observing, and recording the pH level of water to determine its acidity/alkalinity is very important. Water quality testing plays an important role in aquaponics. The percentage of ammonia, dissolved oxygen, nitrite/nitrate,and carbon dioxide also need to be monitored on a regular basis.
Since the growth of fish changes the density of the fish in an aquaponic system, it will result in changes of composition of water contents. It is always advisable to monitor the water quality on a regular basis.
Aquaponic systems are a very "green" method of gardening to the earth. Plants use the waste of fish as a source of nutrition and simultaneously clean the water which is then recycled back into the fish tanks. This eliminates the need for plant fertilizer and reduces the amount of water needed to grow healthy crops, unlike other traditional methods of gardening.
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