5 Things to Consider When Building an Aquaponic System

abundant harvest aquaphonic infographic

Our Humble Beginnings

Abundant Harvest was launched in 2010 on two acres of land donated by Restoration Church, with a “zero” dollar budget and with materials donated by the community. We were able to grow and distribute to the low-income, senior and military in the community 2,264 lbs. of healthy fresh produce. We received 550 volunteer hours from several community organizations in the greater Colorado Springs/Fountain area to realize this goal.

The Greenhouse

Abundant Harvest built a prototype “hoop house” style greenhouse to demonstrate how efficient a closed-loop technique for producing fish and vegetables can be using aquaponics. We more than doubled our food production but found that the prototype greenhouse has serious limitations. The building is poorly ventilated and insulated, making it unsuitable when temperatures are below freezing for much of the winter and soar to 120 degrees in the summer.
AHA prototype greenhouse

Abundant Harvest volunteers building a “hoop house”

The good news is that there is a development plan to build an energy-efficient 4000 sq. ft. aquaponics facility for growing vegetables, herbs, and fish, using up to 80% less water compared to traditional farming. Our mission    will continue to include the donation of 50% of harvested produce and fish to needy families in the community through charitable food distributors. AHA has chosen Sprung Greenhouse Structures. They offer many advantages over typical greenhouse structures, including weight, durability, opacity, height and air-tightness. The fiberglass insulation system in Sprung fabric structures outperforms other types of construction, resulting in less environmental impact and lower operating costs. Additionally, there is virtually no air leakage, thanks to the unique design and performance insulation. sprung greenhouses Currently, Sprung structures are utilized in hundreds of different applications, in over 100 countries, for some of the world’s leading organizations. With well over 12,000 structures in use, Sprung continues to expand the vision established by the company roughly 130 years ago.

Setting up an Aquaponic system, although quite an easy task, requires some basic knowledge of aquaponics. If you have decided to install such a system in your house, then you probably know what this is and how it could help you. However, there may still be things which can interest or help you. Below you will find 5 essential things which you should know in order to obtain spectacular results.

1. Location 
The place where you put your aquaponic system is highly important for the way in which the plants and the fish will develop. In order to obtain great results, you should make sure that the temperature from the room is not too high, nor too low, that there is enough light for the plants to prepare their food and that no wind or extreme weather conditions will reach them. Also, make sure that no harming chemical substances can get inside the water as this means death for both your fish and your plants.

2. Oxygenating the water 
The happier your fish are, the better your system will work! This is why you need to oxygenize the water on a daily basis and make sure your fish have all the “comfort” they need.

3. Choosing your fish accordingly 
The aquaponic system works well with almost all types of fish. Yet, there are states in which you are not allowed to grow whatever type of fish you want, so you will want to see what types of fish you are allowed to have before starting your aquaponic system as you do not want any problems with the law.

4. Placing the pots 
In order to make the harvest much easier, you should place the pots or the entire system at your waist level. This way you will not have to bend over, making the daily care routine a much easier activity.

5. Adding additives 
There are cases in which your fish may not provide all the nutrients needed for your plants. If the quantity is lower than what the plants need, then you will have to supply them with the respective substances. In most cases, you will need to add iron, calcium carbonate or potassium carbonate.

Aquaponics is an easy activity which will provide you with the necessary vegetables and fish in a short amount of time. Just follow the tips mentioned above and you will have great success in your attempt to grow organic food in your home.

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