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There has been many debates as to which method of gardening would come out on top if we compare hydroponics vs aquaponics.We know that it's never as simple as saying one technique is better than the other. Here we have discussed about which one is better.
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The Ultimate Guide to Hydroponics, Aquaponics – What are they and which one is better?
Introduction: Over the years, technology has evolved and revolutionized in almost every field. Our perspective towards life as well as the world has drastically changed with the rise in technology. This tech-savvy world has almost brought our resources and tools at fingertips. But that is not it, technology is not just refrained from work or games it is much more than that. It is drastically impacting our lifestyle and well-being. Hydroponics and Aquaponics is the latest example of use of technology in an eco-friendly, natural, organic and sustainable way. There has been many debates as to which method of gardening would come out on top in a battle of hydroponics vs. aquaponics.
What is Hydroponics? Hydroponics uses only water and chemical nutrients to cultivate plants, without the necessity of soil. It’s not only the main production method of much of the greenhouse tomato, basil and lettuce grown in North America, but it’s also popular among marijuana growers.
Benefits of Hydroponics: • No soil is necessary. • It’s stable and produces high yields. • There is no damage from pesticides. • The controlled system means that no nutrition pollution is released into the environment. • Lower nutrient requirements due to control over nutrient levels. • Lower water requirement as water stays in the system and can be reused.
What is Aquaponics? Aquaponics combines the technique of aquaculture with hydroponics. Aquaponic is a balanced ecosystem in which fish and plants are in a symbiotic relationship that mutually benefits the plants as well as the fish. Just like, hydroponics growth media and pumps are used in this process, but Aquaponics uses organic fish waste as a nutrient for the plants. Plants naturally help in cleaning out the water in aqua tanks, so it requires less cleaning and maintenance. Aquaponics is widely used across Australia as an organic method to cultivate so many plants and crops.
Benefits of Hydroponics: • No additional nutrients need to be used as it uses organic waste produced by the fish as a fertilizer. • The organic fish waste can easily be disposed using the drain and can also be used in composting. • The natural system easily balances out and does not require much maintenance. Only periodic checking of pH, nitrate and ammonia levels is required. • Can be grown all around the year.
Which one is better? Hydroponics and aquaponics share a few similarities. They both use nutrient-rich water that’s highly oxygenated to bathe the plants’ roots continuously, and in both systems, plants see better growth rates in comparison with those that are grown in soil. Although aquaponics borrows many techniques from hydroponics such as their NFT (nutrient film technique) and DWC (deep-water culture), there are many significant differences where aquaponics improves upon.
1.Cost Of Chemical Nutrients –In a hydroponics system, chemical nutrients used to feed plants are expensive and costs are gradually rising due to over-mining and scarcity. In an aquaponics system, fish feed is used instead which is not only cheaper, but will provide you with bigger as well as support for plants. 2.Retain Nutrient Solution – Certain periods, water in hydroponic systems needs to be unloaded because of the build-up of salts and chemicals to the point where levels become toxic to plants. Where the waste water is disposed of needs to be carefully considered, but in an aquaponic system, there’s a natural balance of nitrogen and water is never replaced, only topped up due to evaporation.
3.Productivity– It has been shown in several studies and research that once the aquaponic biofilter is fully established (after a period of 6 months), an aquaponic gardener will generally see quicker and more efficient results in terms of plant growth compared to hydroponics. 4.Ease Of Maintenance – An aquaponic system is much easier to maintain since there’s no need to check the electrical conductivity once everyday as you would have to in a hydroponic system. The natural ecosystem in aquaponics means that elements have a tendency to balance each other out, and you would only need to check pH and ammonia levels once a week, and nitrate levels once a month.
5.Organic Growth – Hydroponics is made up of a sterile man-made environment while aquaponics is a replication of a natural ecosystem, thus making it completely organic. Hydroponic systems use costly nutrients made up of a mixture of chemicals and salts to feed plants, but in an aquaponic system, plant food is made from the conversion of solid fish waste by bacteria and composting worms. This natural process results in better plant growth and lower disease rates.
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