What is Aquaponics?

At GreenView Aquaponics, we have multiple aquaponics systems on our 10-acre farm.

Our love for aquaponics started in 2011 as we began our research. We began our first hybrid system build in 2013, followed by a vertical system in 2014 and we are currently expanding to yet another larger hybrid system. This latest one will consist of two 15,000 gallon system occupying a 70x96ft gutter-connected greenhouse.

Aquaponics is the symbiotic integration of recirculating aquaculture and hydroponics in one production system. In aquaponics, the aquaculture effluent is diverted through plant beds to feed the plants and thereby, not released to the waterways and environment. While at the same time the nutrients for the plants are supplied from a sustainable, cost-effective and non-chemical source. The recirculating aspect through the plant beds also allows the plant's roots to clean the water for the fish. This integration removes some of the unsustainable factors of running aquaculture and hydroponic systems independently.

To properly understand aquaponics, it is necessary to understand the nitrogen cycle, which involves the conversion of ammonia from the fish to nitrites and immediately nitrates by the beneficial bacteria, then the plants take up the nitrates as the water returns to the fish. All the organisms work together to create a healthy growing environment for one another, provided that the system is properly balanced.