Hydroponics involves the growing of plants in a soilless medium in a closed system without the need for pesticides and herbicides. Aquaponics combines the methods of hydroponics with raising fish, establishing a symbiotic relationship where the plants and the fish can produce benefits to support the other. The idea is that this more closely resembles a natural system and so requires less external support to achieve success than hydroponics (or aquaculture) alone. Both hydroponics and aquaponics have substantial advantages over traditional agricultural and fishing practices. They limit negative effects on the environment, they reduce damage to wild populations both in waterways and on land, and they preserve natural resources.
Some consider aquaponics the better option since the fish provide fertilizer for the plants by producing waste that is broken down by microbes. In return, the plants provide oxygen and improve water quality for the fish. Independent of each other, fertilizer, oxygen and management of water quality must be managed by people or automated systems. It’s important to consider that both systems permit a longer growing system while minimizing environmental impacts. In both systems, plants also mature faster and produce higher yields. However, the systems require different designs and components, from the depth of the grow beds to the unique need for beneficial microorganisms to break down fish waste, so it’s not simple to switch between the two models. In the end, though, aquaponics is considered more sustainable than hydroponics, which requires constant replenishment of nutrients in the aquatic solution, while an aquaponic system is largely able to provide for its own needs through the loop system.
