Aquaculture plus Hydroponics

Aquaculture is the term used for the production of aquatic animals. It basically means fish farming. One of the problems with aquaculture is the need to continuously replace the water. Contaminated water is usually just placed back into a stream or other body of water. With our fresh water supply getting strained the problem only gets worse. Setting aside land for commercial aquaculture systems is also a problem.

Hydroponics is the term used for growing plants without soil. Hydroponics is a better solution, in most cases, than normal soil based plant production. Higher yield, larger fruits and vegetables, and only requiring about 1/20th the water are nice advantages. The cost and usage of man-made chemical nutrients and supplements can be a problem.

In comes Aqua-Ponics. Aquaponics combines the above systems to negate the disadvantages of each. Essentially, the plants clean the water and the fish feed the plants. There is a lot more to it that will be explained as we move along. The core of this "Natural Pond" is based on this combined system.