This article will show which plants can be cultivated in an aquaponic system. Before going into detail about the individual plants, however, it is important to understand which systems exist in the world of aquaponicsc, as some plants work better in system A than in system B, for example. Still others, on the other hand, have proven themselves in system B. This alone makes it clear that there is no such thing as the best system or the one system, and that when setting up or planning the design, you should pay close attention to which plants the system should be suitable for.

First of all, however, it can be said: theoretically, any plant can be cultivated in an aquaponic system. However, there are some exceptions where conventional methods work better. More on this later in the individual categories.  In this article you will find a list of experiences with individual plants.

Salads and herbs
Salads and herbs are probably the group of plants that work best in aquaponics. They are usually weak growers and are well taken care of in the aquaponic system. I have personally experienced lettuces that have grown strong, thick and robust with the help of aquaponics, so that biting into a single leaf felt like biting into a juicy piece of meat. Really crunchy.

What's more, lettuces and herbs will grow in any system, whether standing in gravel (Steady Flow / Flood & Drain), in planters both on polystyrene or similar (DWC) or in PVC pipe (NFT).

Recommended varieties:

Any lettuces such as chard, spinach, lettuce, iceberg lettuce, endive, rocket, purslane and so on have proved successful as have herbs such as basil, parsley, thyme and oregano.

Not recommended:

Mint should be avoided in the aquaponic system because it is rampant. It loves humid locations and is like paradise in an aquaponic system. Should it have its own system in isolation, there should be no problems, but together with other plants it will have overgrown them in no time.

Fruit vegetables
Fruiting vegetables belong to the group of highly nutritious plants and are also very popular in the aquaponic system. However, it should be borne in mind that some fruit vegetables can grow very large. Sufficient space above and below should be provided accordingly.

Tomato plants, for example, grow enormously. I have heard of cases where the tomato plant has grown over eight (8!) metres tall. For most people, this should represent a height that either does not fit into the desired space or makes any care of the plant an impossible task. Alternatively, cocktail tomatoes or vine tomatoes can be planted, which usually remain much smaller.

Cucumbers and other squash plants grow very wide and quickly overgrow the entire space. Here, too, thought should be given in advance to whether this space is available.

Furthermore, not every system is suitable for fruiting vegetables. Neither a DWC nor an NFT system is normally capable of supporting such large plants. Theoretically, this is also possible, but it would have to be readjusted regularly with supporting measures, for example with ropes or other suspensions.

Recommended varieties:

I would recommend smaller fruiting vegetables, such as chilli plants or peppers, for private households. Smaller tomato plants, such as cocktail tomatoes, are also possible.

Not recommended:

Any cucurbits, tomatoes and other plants that grow very large should only be cultivated with caution in an aquaponic system. Due to the high nutrient content in the water, enormous results can theoretically be achieved, but practically only if there is enough space.

Root and tuberous plants
Botanically not quite correct, but certainly acceptable for understanding: I count plants that develop edible parts underground as root and tuber plants, such as potatoes, carrots, beetroot, ginger, turmeric, parsnips and the like.

Theoretically, it is also possible to cultivate these plants in an aquaponic system, but some prerequisites are necessary here.

Soft tubers, like potatoes, should not be planted in the gravel bed (Steady Flow / Flood & Drain), as the tuber would form around the gravel. This could cause enormous toothache when eaten. Instead, for soft tubers, the Aeroponics method has proved successful.

With harder tubers, such as ginger and turmeric, the gravel bed is again possible, as their strength gradually pushes the gravel away.

Recommended varieties:

Ginger and turmeric I can recommend at this point, but only if there is enough space.

Not recommended:

Potatoes, carrots and other plants with relatively soft tubers I can only recommend if the necessary conditions have been created - see Aeroponic.

Leek plants
Leeks include the edible onion, the winter onion, the spring onion, chives, garlic, leeks and many more. All of these grow excellently in the aquaponic system.

Recommended varieties:

Depending on personal taste, pick one or two from the list of leeks that can grow alongside. They are easy to care for and the upper parts of the plants can be harvested several times during the year.

Not recommended:

Although onions and other leeks go well with almost any dish, care should be taken not to grow too many.

Exotics
As described above, theoretically any plant can be cultivated in an aquaponic system, as long as the necessary conditions are met. There are cases where even the cultivation of a banana and papaya plant has been successful in a specially constructed aquaponic system.

Summary:
Theoretically, any plant can be cultivated
Salads, herbs and allium plants grow particularly well and are easy to care for.
In the case of fruiting vegetables, it should be considered in advance whether there is enough space and room for them to develop.
Root and tuberous plants are only recommended under certain conditions.
Give free rein to creativity and inventiveness

ID: 130

Aquaculture is not aquaponics

Actually, today we consume much more fish than there is in the oceans and lakes.

Aquacultures in the seas and lakes are the basis for the high fish consumption. Today, aquacultures seem to be the solution at all to cover the high demand for fish, but there are also negative consequences for humans and the environment, especially for organisms living in the water. It is clear that more than half of all fish products consumed worldwide already come from aquaculture.

But what exactly is aquaculture? Aquaculture or aquafarming is the systematic breeding and catching of fish, seafood, etc. in freshwater or seawater. However, there is a big difference compared to traditional fishing. In traditional fishing, fish are taken from public waters, whereas in aquafarming the individual fish species are kept in separate net pens where they are bred, fed and then caught.

This is done in the sea, in pens or in water tanks. The fish are therefore the property of the keeper and can only stay in their net enclosure, unlike fish that are fished in the traditional way. There are many additional problems in free-range farming: the unconsumed feed simply falls to the bottom in the sea and above a certain quantity this leads to undesirable reactions from the environment.

The differences between the systems
It is already clear that in aquaculture and hydroponics, environmental aspects and a higher production volume play a decisive role. The systems pollute the oceans and farmland less with by-products and can also be operated without being tied to a specific location. The difference is this: Hydroponics is for growing plants, aquaculture for breeding animals.

In aquaponics, the two systems are combined to make the disadvantages of each work to the advantage of the other. Hardly any water is lost because the loops are almost closed - with the exception of the extracted material (obs, vegetables, fish, etc.), extremely little water leaves the system. This means that only a correspondingly small amount of water is actually used. In addition, fertiliser or nutrient solution does not have to be added to the system on a regular basis. Aquaponics can therefore also be described as a further development of aquaculture and hydroponics.

Aquaponics - Combined systems
Setting up an aquaculture system or a hydroponic system is not very complicated, and there are two possible approaches: to set them up separately or to build a combined system. In aquaponics systems, the advantages of the two systems described are simply combined. Plants are only grown in a substrate, the fish are kept in a large tank.

A substitute for soil is expanded clay, even if it is not cheap. Gravel, rock wool, coconut fibre or other materials are also possible, but require some testing, as not all plants tolerate all variants equally.

An essential part of the cycle is the collection tank for the hydroponic water in which the fish are ultimately kept. These are supplied with nutrients and oxygen by the plants. The excretions of the fish provide the plants with almost everything they need. The result is that, apart from a little water, no additives need to be used. The closed system works autonomously, except for a small water pump.

So much for the theory, here is an interesting study by the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences that shows the entire problem of such a system in real life.