Two Vital Elements of the Aquaponics System

I trust many of you are getting ready for the growing season.  Some have shelved the ebook and didn't build anything as of yet. It's never too late to start.  Also, I know some are in different seasons due to being in Australia or other countries south of the equator.

This blog post is just a review here for many.  I want to discuss two vital elements of the aquaponics system: grow bed media and water.  The grow bed medium is the plant environment, while the water is the fish. It's a must that we maintain both properly.  If there are issues in one, it will manifest in the other.

​The are many grow bed medias to choose from.  You can use gravel to "bio-engineered" top quality ones.  Some are very inexpensive, to some are very expensive.  Here at MorningStar Missions, we have always used gravel, not by choice but by what is available to us here in Honduras.  It is an excellent choice because it is an assistant for the plants' roots and filters water well.  It provides an ideal environment for beneficial bacterias to colonize to turn the fish waste into plant nutrients.  The proper size of the gravel needs to be around 0.5 to 0.75 of an inch.  Anything too large will not help the plants in root stabilization, and small, like pea gravel, will not permit water flow.  In the future, it can be impacted with fish waste and dead root matter, causing anaerobic, "dead zone" conditions in your grow beds.  By using the proper size, you will maintain excellent water flow and oxygen.

With any grow media, you want to make sure that it is chemically inert and can't affect the water's pH.  I have a video on testing grow media with vinegar to ensure it's pH neutral.  Testing with vinegar is a common practice, especially with gravel.  The reason is that limestone can be present; this will drive the water's pH up, hindering the system.  The majority of the time, gravel, lava rock, and many river stones are pH neutral.

The medium must not disintegrate, as this will impact the pH levels and possibly block the systems. Decomposing products can create leakage in the water that can hurt your fish.  Don't use the following as medium:  soil, peat moss, and sawdust or wood chippings.  The medium you select must be porous; this will help in the oxygenation process, water flow and provide bacteria premium area to colonize.  Finally, make sure the medium is easy to work with; there is nothing like having a sharp-edged medium rough on the hands.

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​Your water should be pure and clean.  Don't use water from a river, pond, etc.  It should not have chlorine or any other chemicals.  Suppose it is from a local municipality and it does have chlorine.  In that case, you need to dechlorinate it by using a liquid dechlorinator or letting it sit out in the sun in an open container for 24 hours.  It will naturally evaporate out of the water.  After doing so, then you can add it to the system.  The water pH needs to be close to 7 as possible.  If your water's pH is high or low, you can purchase fish tank pH liquid regulator.  Also, you can use things such as vinegar or iron sulfate fertilizer to adjust the pH.  I would recommend putting some water in a 5-gallon bucket.  Adjust the pH there.  Then transpose the dosage to the size of your aquaponic system.

Before closing, if any of you need any nutrients for your system and can order products from the USA, I would highly recommend contacting "The True Aquaponics Store."  Roger and his wife are great people, and they are there to help you!


Shawn Paul
​MorningStar Aquaponics