Greenhouses aren’t just for in-ground and hydroponics growing. While fish may need slightly different conditions than plants for ideal growth and weight gain, greenhouses of all styles are easily adapted to the specific demands of aquaponics. Even if you must order a custom design to fit your particular layout and system, these five benefits make it well worth the investment.

Protection from Predators

Enclosing the tanks and trenches of your commercial system with any structure prevents hungry predators like cranes, raccoons, mink and more from taking advantage of the food you’re growing. In most parts of the world, there’s at least one major predator that can cause thousands of dollars of damage in just a few visits. In urban areas with few animal pests, enclosing an aquaponics system can discourage theft by keeping the most valuable components obscured from view.

Temperature Control

The main reason most commercial aquaponics installations are enclosed in greenhouses is to control both air and water temperature for healthier plants and fish. The warmest climates may not call for additional heating, but temperature and cold climates definitely need the heat-trapping effect of a greenhouse. Heat from the sun enters the structure but is trapped when it attempts to leave through the film or panels covering the structure. Even if you must use air conditioning and water cooling to deal with high summer temperatures, greenhouses are relatively easy to control this way as well.

Prevention of Water Loss and Contamination

Not only does a greenhouse trap heat while letting light in, the structure also interrupts the evaporation cycle. While you will still need to top up the system to maintain the proper amount of water, you’ll find your daily refreshment rates much lower when growing inside of a covered space. Greenhouses are designed to handle the humid conditions of an aquaponics system without rotting or molding like you may experience in a building made from absorbent materials like wood and drywall.

Reliance on Natural Light

Another reason to choose a greenhouse over another type of enclosure or structure is to take advantage of natural sunlight rather than paying high electrical bills for artificial lighting. Fish may need to stay out of direct light to prevent water heating and algae growth, but this is easily accomplished in any greenhouse structure just by covering the fish area with shade cloth or opaque cover materials.

Longer Production Windows

Finally, the temperature control offered by the greenhouse enclosure allows you to grow outside of the usual season in your area. With cooling equipment, you can even use the greenhouse at the height of summer in warmer climates, but they’re most widely used for growing through the spring and fall or even during winter with supplemental heating. Expanding your production window may be necessary if you’re interested in growing fish species that take more than a few months to reach harvest size.