Page 65 - Tropic Magazine Issue 33

TROPIC • GARDENING

Circle of life

AQUAPONICS
Gardening and raising fish
symbiotically is well suited to
backyard green thumbs in
the tropics. The Aquaponic
Gardener took Tropic through
how it works, what the benefits
are and what you need to
get started.
Words: Rodney Ingersoll OBE
Aquaponics is an environmentally
sustainable system for farming
plants and fish together in a mutually
beneficial way. It works by using the Rodney Ingersoll has an honours degree
fish waste (ammonia) as a nutrient in Environmental Management and has
for the vegetables. The water is also worked in conservation and sustainable
recirculated which produces constant development projects for more than two
oxygen for the fish. Aquaponics uses the decades across the Pacific. He holds
natural nitrogen cycle process to turn regular aquaponics workshops online and
ammonia to nitrites, then into nitrates from his headquarters in Redlynch.
which are used by vegetables as fertiliser.
These chemicals in large quantities
are extremely harmful for fish yet in What Rodney’s growing
aquaponics the vegetables and their
containers become a biological filter. Tomato Ginger
As the plants suck up these nutrients,
they clean the water and maintain Beans Water cress
a healthy, balanced environment Flowers Water chestnut
for the fish. Mint Pumpkin
The closed loop system means that you Any other caterpillars I find are fed to the
don’t need to add chemicals, fertiliser, fish. It truly is a set and forget garden Cucumbers Eggplant
or other inputs to make the garden work. system if you use all that nature provides. Lettuce Basil
In fact, if you do, it will kill the fish and Aquaponics is at table height and doesn’t Zucchinis Passion fruit
good bacteria. This includes water too. involve digging or lifting. Another main
Aquaponics uses one tenth of the water a benefit is that you as a backyard gardener Chives Fruit trees (in a
traditional garden uses. You will only have produce two separate crops: vegetables Chillies larger system)
to top up water levels occasionally and fish for a high omega 3 fatty acid Spinach Capsicum
in our very hot summers. protein source. You also know where your Kale
For pest control, I plant marigolds for a food is coming from, you’re reducing
natural insecticide, have lady beetles that food miles, plus its 100 per cent organic,
eat aphids and praying mantis that feed super fresh and you will have a constant MORE: aquaponicgardener.com.au
on beetles, caterpillars, and leafhoppers. supply to feed your family.

SUITABLE FISH SPECIES GETTING STARTED
Aquaponics works using any You can make your own DIY system • Small 3000 litre/hr pump
freshwater fish. Local edible for about $200. Here’s what you need: • Length of hose from pump to tap
native varieties that do well in the • IBC or Tote tank (you can find them
Cairns region include jade perch, second hand) and bulkhead fitting • Volcanic rock or reused styrofoam
barramundi, sleepy cod and red claw. (connector) • Vegetable seedlings
If you don’t want to eat the fish you
can even use guppies, goldfish or • Bell siphon • Fish
tropical fish. • Tap

65 • tropicnow.com.au