Story: Setting Up an Aquaponics System
Episode: 1
Presenter: Neville Passmore
Air Date: 2nd March 2024

Neville shows us how to grow edible fish and vegetables in a home aquaponics system.

• Initially, Neville thought he had discovered a novel method for cultivating edible fish and vegetables together, only to realise it already had the name Aquaponics, a practice existing for decades.
• In Aquaponics, fish consume pelletized food, generating ammonia-rich excrement. Without removal, the ammonia can reach toxic levels, endangering the fish, but bacteria come to the rescue, breaking down the waste into essential nitrates.
• These nitrates, crucial in the food chain, are then absorbed by plants within the system, contributing to their growth, flowering, and, in some cases, fruiting.
• Hydroponic setups range from simple garden ponds, supporting aquatic herbs, to more complex systems utilizing food-grade plastic grow beds, and even repurposed industrial bulk containers.
• Different fish species such as Trout, Barramundi, Silver Perch, Koi, and goldfish, each have temperature preferences, making them suitable for specific growing seasons and conditions. Meanwhile, the choice of plants is versatile, allowing cultivation of a wide variety according to preference.