Aquaponics is a clean and ecological way to grow plants efficiently in recirculation systems and that can be put into practice anywhere, thus becoming an ideal alternative for regions with water scarcity. Therefore, in this article, we share the best plants for aquaponics fish tank.For those who are not familiar with this practice, aquaponics works like this: people feed the fish, they produce composting or fertilizer once the waste is expelled, this water is pumped to the top where it is absorbed by the plants. At the same time, the roots purify the water when they remove these nutrients, which goes back down, where the fish are. This way it is not necessary to introduce clean water every week.
Nowadays there are already systems of this type both for home production and for industrial scale production. Unlike hydroponic crops, plants produced in aquaponics can obtain organic certification since nutrients are supplied by fish waste. The best house plants for aquaponics are leafy vegetables (lettuce) and aromatic plants (basil, mint, oregano), because they are short-cycle crops.
Pests and diseases should not be controlled with pesticides because these compounds affect the fish. The most recommended for the control of phytopathogens is the integrated management:
- Physical methods: greenhouse plastic, shadow meshes or anti-aphid meshes reduce the incidence of pests by acting as a physical barrier.
- Traps: the use of colored adhesive traps is recommended; the blue ones attract adult states of thrips, while the yellow ones attract white or small flying flies.
- Biopesticides: are organisms or substances of natural origin derived from animals, plants, microorganisms and minerals. The most common with vegetable biopesticides and are made from onion, garlic and chili extracts, which are effective in repelling and controlling pests and diseases. Due to their way of application, they do not contaminate the nutrient solution, since they are applied on the same day of their elaboration and lose effectiveness in a short time.
- Biological control: natural predators are introduced into the environment to control infestations, for this the pest and its natural predator must be known. Some of the advantages are: absence of waste, does not develop resistance in pests, economically viable (in large-scale projects) and is ecological. Also the use of entomopathogens is safe; the most common are Beauveria bassiana and Bacillus thuringiensis.
To learn more about aquaponics and practical advice on construction and management, we recommend you to check out this guide:
