Aquaponics hit the big time recently when the home aquaponics systems called “Farm in a Box” by Earth Solutions were featured by Good Morning America, the Wall Street Journal, and the LA Times. Since most home gardeners are not familiar yet with the organic gardening method called aquaponics, some folks may be scratching their heads wondering how these “Farm in a Box” systems work.
Aquaponics is basically the combination of hydroponics (growing plants in water) and aquaculture (growing fish). It works in a beautiful organic balance: the plants filter the water for the fish, and the fish fertilize the plants. Not only is the system self-contained, but the plants thrive in it.
But as basic and simple as the concept sounds, the application is not so easy. Building a home aquaponics system from scratch requires a good bit of technical expertise in chemistry, fluid dynamics, biology, and botany, not to mention the handyman skills you need to put it all together. So for those of us who don’t have the time or the expertise to design our own systems, there are now aquaponic kits available.
There aren’t very many aquaponics kits available just yet, although the options are growing steadily. For now one of the best values in home aquaponics systems is the Farm in a Box series.
Earth Solutions offers several home aquaponics systems in a variety of sizes. The smallest, Little Tokyo, is a cute indoor model, not much larger than a small home aquarium. The largest model, called the Phoenix, is a sprawling outdoor behemoth with 200-gallon fish tank and expandable 35-square-foot planting bed area. Each aquaponic system includes a decorative wood stand, rubber lined plant bed, and fish tank, plus all the other necessary hardware such as hoses, valves, pump, and timer. Each kit also includes instructions for setting up the system and for fish and plant care. The buyer must supply any gravel, water, fish, and seeds.
Little Tokyo, the smallest model, can be found online for $249 through both Earth Solutions and Home Depot. It’s a decorative model that takes up very little space. A 10-gallon fish tank fits in the bottom, and a 12″x20″ grow bed is set on top. The water is circulated from fish tank to plant bed and back via water pump and timer. This ebb and flow process aerates the water for the fish and provides vital nutrients to the plants. It keeps the whole system in balance.
All the Farm in a Box systems work in the same way as the Little Tokyo. The only difference is basically size. These are the models currently available:
Little Tokyo ($249) — This is the model described above. It’s a great size for home, office, or classroom.
Little Tokyo sans tank ($229) — This is the same Little Tokyo model, but it doesn’t include the fish tank. It’s a good choice for folks who have their own 10-gallon tank.
Manhattan ($279) — The Manhattan is just like the Little Tokyo, but it uses a larger 15-gallon tank. The plant bed is still 12″x20″.
Charleston ($429.50) — The Charleston is still very compact, but it includes an extra square foot of growing space with a 12″x32″ plant bed. It also uses a larger 20-gallon fish tank. This tank is still too small for edible fish, but it is suitable for tropical fish, small perch, and goldfish.
San Antonio ($549) — The San Antonio model uses a 20-gallon fish tank too. Its planting bed is slightly larger at 14″x42″.
Dallas ($799) — The Dallas is designed for the serious organic gardener with very little space. It uses a 35-gallon fish tank and therefore can be used to grow edible fish, such as tilapia. It also has a larger plant bed, 24″x42″. While fairly large in size, this model still would work well indoors or on a patio.
Phoenix ($1499) — The Phoenix model is a whopper and is best used outdoors or in a greenhouse. It includes a 200-gallon fish tank, 2 deep water floating rack beds, and 1 gravel ebb and flow bed. This system is best for edible fish. Tilapia tend to do best in warmer climates. For cooler climates, bass, perch, or catfish are recommended.
Farm in a Barrel ($83) — Earth Solutions also carries a simple do-it-yourself system called Farm in a Barrel. It includes instructions for building your own aquaponics system out of a plastic 55-gallon barrel, which you must procure yourself. The instructions cost $35. Valve, hoses, pump, and timer can be purchased separately for an additional $48.
As mentioned previously, these are not the only home aquaponic kits available today. More and more home kits come available each month. But at the moment, the Earth Solutions kits seem like an excellent value. They work well, take up very little space, and look really nice. If you’re looking to “get your feet wet” with aquaponics (pun intended), these kits look like a good choice.
