At Aquakallax, sustainability is important to us! 🌿 In the future, we will increasingly promote the topics of aquaponics and hydroponics in order to offer innovative, sustainable solutions. Our goal extends beyond aquarists – we want to inspire everyone to grow plants in a way that conserves resources!
As an introduction to this very interesting topic, here are a few explanatory words about the basic terms that are mentioned in this context.
Aquaponics and hydroponics are both methods of growing plants that do not use traditional soil. However, they differ in the main components and the interaction between plants and water.
1. **Aquaponics:**
- **Definition:** Aquaponics is a closed ecosystem that is the combination of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil).
- **How it works:** Fish waste serves as a natural fertilizer for plants. The water from the fish tank, which is rich in nutrients, is directed to the plant beds where the plants absorb the nutrients. The purified water is then pumped back to the fish tank.
- **Advantages:** Efficient use of resources as fish waste serves as fertilizer. A symbiotic relationship develops between fish and plants.
2. **Hydroponics:**
- **Definition:** Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in which plants grow in a nutrient solution rather than soil.
- **How it works:** The nutrient solution is delivered directly to the roots of the plants to ensure their nutrition. There are different types of hydroponic systems including nutrient film method, drip system, aeroponic system, etc.
- **Advantages:** Faster plant growth due to direct access to nutrients. Better control over nutrient intake.
Overall, the main difference is that aquaponics is a combination of fish farming and hydroponics, creating a sustainable and symbiotic environment for fish and plants. Hydroponics focuses solely on growing plants using an artificial nutrient solution.
