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Would you consider growing fish in a bathtub or aquarium? For a sustainable form of food production, people are doing it in the privacy of their home or in their backyard. Aquaponics is here to stay and has become a very popular fish farming system. Food can easily be generated to feed your family which in turn lowers your grocery bill. Raising fish in bathtub or aquarium Raising fish in an aquarium is not the only option. Fish can be raised in the bathtub. Much of the equipment may be purchased at your local hardware store. The do-it-yourself or DIY folks are able to design and construct their own fish pond. The aquarium or fish tank is the largest piece of equipment needed for this type of water farming. The larger the tank, the more fish and plants can be grown because of the larger amount of nutrients which are located in the growing bed. Start small If you are a newbie, start small. There is a learning curve and budget to be considered. The smallest you need to consider is a 50 gallon tank. Or if you prefer, construct a tank with a bathtub. That’s what I said. Find a recycled bathtub. Or you may have access to a half barrel. Half barrels The other day I was at an antique and flea market store and they had these half barrels for sale. Most of these barrels are not water proofed. Invest in an EPDM pond liner to line the barrel and make it water proof to hold water safely. Both the recycled bathtub and the half barrel need to be set up where you will want your pond. These will get heavy and cannot be moved once set up has been completed. Do not place in direct sunlight; algae growth will occur. Do not place near any chemicals which will harm the fish. Grow bed Another piece of equipment which will be needed in the aquaponic system is the grow bed. The plants will root in the grow bed and the fish waste and bacteria will be growing in this container. The grow bed should be at least 12 inches deep. The size of the grow bed should be the same size as the fish tank, recycled bathtub, or half barrel, or whatever type of container you choose to use. The reason for the 12 inches is to allow enough space for the bacteria to survive and support the plants. The grow bed is filled with gravel. This is a good medium as it does not affect the pH of the system and it does not decompose. Do not use limestone as it removes calcium carbonate and raises the pH of the water. When using the Aquaponics system, water is pumped from the fish tank to the grow bed, and returns from the grow bed to the fish tank by using gravity principles. A water pump and pipes will be needed. For better efficiency many of the water farmers use a timer-operated pump. This helps to oxygenate the water automatically. It is best that the entire volume of the tank is completed in an hour. The pump needs to be the correct size for the tank. It needs to be realized that the size of the pump is dictated by the size of the tank. Do you need more information about using bathtub or aquarium containers and their fixtures? Visit the hobbies section of http://www.infotrish.com and review Aquaponics4You. Tricia Deed
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bathtub or aquarium, aquaponics, water farming, fish farming, fish farming system, fish tank, half barrels, grow bed,
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