What is Aquaponics?

What is Aquaponics?

The definition of aquaponics is in its name - it is a combination of AQUAculture (the growing of fish) and hydroPONICS (the growing of vegetables and herbs). Aquaponics is a perfect example of sustainable food production, and many people are turning to this system of home food growing. Using aquaponics to grow your food will save you lots of money and give you food that is organic and of higher quality than what you'd buy in shops.

In an aquaponics system, the water from the fish reaches the hydroponic beds. The plants will take up some of the water, and with it the nitrogen in the water. This nitrogen will have originated from fish manure and decomposing feed. If the nitrogen is allowed to build up in the fish tank, it will reach toxic levels. However, this nitrogen happens to be a perfect fertilizer for the vegetables! This saves you from having to add artificial fertilizer, which is expensive and contains synthetic chemicals that are potential harmful. After the plants have taken up the nitrogen, the water returns to the fish pond squeaky clean. Hence, you won't need complicated filtering systems for the fish water, as the plants will do this work for you!

The benefits of aquaponics are many. It is a sustainable system of food production, where nutrients are recycled and external inputs are minimal. It is the most efficient method of food production as it can produce large amounts of food in the least amount of space and with the least amount of expenses. It is a very flexible system, allowing you to grow a large variety of fish and plants. And it can be set-up practically anywhere! In addition, it is very easy to scale according to needs, as the equipment required can easily be built at home. In other words, make it as big as you want. Maybe you just want a small unit to produce food just for your family. Or maybe you want to dedicate a whole room to it so that you'll have lots of vegetables and fish to sell for a profit! Remember that all the foods grown in an aquaponics system are organic, as no additives are used. And, as you know, organic foods are of better quality and fetch higher prices than non-organic food. In fact, many are turning this hobby into a source of income.

Once you understand the concepts of aquaponics, you'll realize that the set-up required is actually very basic, and it can be easily constructed using materials from around your house or purchased cheaply at any local hardware store. All you need are some core instructions and a few diagrams to get you started.

Learn more about aquaponics, and how to build your own system in Aquaponics 4 You 

Stages of Preparedness

The stages of preparedness: How much do I need?

While for many the ultimate goal of prepping is an indefinite self sustained lifestyle, not everyone has the need, time, or resources for a forever prep. Sometimes the goal is much smaller.

By breaking down preps in to smaller stages we can build up to a level of comfort while still covering all bases. Each Stage is a time frame goal, designed to cover all needed supplies for that time period. 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, Etc.

Your desired stage will be determined by the situation you are preparing for. Choosing a smaller goal and working up will help keep you from getting discouraged. It will also show your preps strengths and weaknesses. You may have a years worth of food storred away, but come to realize you only have enough water for one month.

When it comes to prepping, it's not a one time expenditure. It's an ongoing process. Or as I like to call it, a Perpetual Prep.

1 Day:
This is the most basic level of prep. It means you have an extra, an extra box of pasta, and extra bottle of oil, an extra flashlight, an extra of anything. For some things an extra is one days worth, and for some things it is not, but it is a start.

3 Days:
Most news stations broadcast before a major storm and warn residents to maintain a 3 day supply of necessities. This is where most will start, calculating how much of each staple you use per day per person and storing 3 days worth.

1 Week, 1 Month, 3 Months, 6 Months, 9 Months, and 1 Year:
You can set any timeframe as a goal. Calculating the ammounts needed for each time period and storing accordingly. These can be end goals, or they can be milestones, when you reach 1 month worth, you raise the goal to 3 months, and so on.

If your stuck as to where to start, start with an extra and work up from there.
It's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Start today!

3 Day Water Supply

Water storage basics: The 3 day supply.

At the beginners level it is recommended that you should store 3 days worth of water per person, for each member of your household. This water will be used for drinking, food preparation, and sanitary needs, in the event there is no more running water. 3 to 4 gallons per person is a typical suggestion of a per person per day water requirement.

How and where to store the water can vary, but the important thing is to get started. If you drink bottled water like most American's it's simply a matter of buying and storing an extra case here and there to build up your supply.

One 24 pack of .5 liter bottles of water is the equivalent of 3.17 gallons. Therefore one case is a 3 day supply for one person. You should have at least one case per person stored away in case of emergency.

If you prefer you can buy and store the larger 2.5 gallon water jugs with the spout for dispensing. These jugs store well and usually come out cheaper per gallon than bottled. Again buying an extra jug whenever your at the store as an easy way to build up your stockpile.

Storing water for larger families or for emergencies lasting longer than 3 days will take up some considerable space, and may required dedicated storage methods than can raise the initial costs. Large storage drums, barrels, or cisterns may be a better long term option.

If you are stuck as to where to start I recommend starting with cases of water bottles, and growing you plan from there, the main thing is that you start, and once yo do you can change the method later. It's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Start today!