About Aquaponics

System - Plants - Fish - Water.....Aquaponics System

Aquaponics is a sustainable food production system that combines a traditional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as  fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. In the aquaculture, effluents accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity for the fish. This water is led to a hydroponic system where the by-products from the aquaculture are filtered out by the plants as vital nutrients, after which the cleansed water is recirculated back to the animals. The term aquaponics is a portmanteau of the terms aquaculture and hydroponic. Aquaponic systems vary in size from small indoor or outdoor units to large commercial units, using the same technology. The systems usually contain fresh water, but salt water systems are plausible depending on the type of aquatic animal and which plants.

Get The Most Out Of Your Aquaponics System that:

• relies on the natural balance that nature provides;
• can produce fish, vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers;
• uses the least amount of water for any growing system; and
• is free from dangerous pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

Shop with ease at the Aquaponics Shop Online specialising in Large Backyard to Commerical Aquaponic Systems.

Aquaponics Shelters

Aquaponics Shop has worked closely with our suppliers to provide the worlds first dedicated Aquaponic Shelters.  These aquaponics shelters are ideal for every aquaponic purpose from the small back yard to the large commercial system. While we show here the most popular three systems we can design them to any size for your specific purpose!

Aquaponics Systems

Aquaponics Shop has worked closely with our suppliers to provide the most technical designed Aquaponic Systems. Aquaponics consists of two main parts, with the aquaculture part for raising aquatic animals and the hydroponics part for growing plants. Our Aquaponic Systems are the best and latest designs.

Aquaponics Fish

Choosing the type of fish for your aquaponic system has many determining factors. What you want out of your system, your climate and available supplies are probably the factors you would need to consider first. For your Aquaponics Fish you can use goldfish if you do not want to have edible fish, or outside of Australia Tilipia or catfish. Within Australia maybe trout in the cooler climate or barramundi in the warmer months. Silver Perch is the ideal aquaponics fish for an aquaponic system as it is an all year round fish. Check what is available at what time of the year to make sure you can get supplies when required.

 

Aquaponics Plants

There have been over 300 different plants that have been tested that will be happy in an aquaponic system. The major group that will not grow in an aquaponic system are root vegetables. The list of Aquaponics Plants you can grow in an aquaponics system is too long to write and is dependent on your location. If it is an above ground plant that grows well in your area and does not mind getting its roots wet then you should give it a go.Herbs and green leafy vegetables are the most common aquaponic plants grown in an aquaponics system. Different areas can also produce different results. Climate is another important factor as is whether your system is open to the elements or in a shelter.

Photos are of aquaponic systems supplied/built and/or maintained by Martin and Kerri

Aquaponics 101

Why Aquaponics?

Aquaponics is the most exciting next step in Agriculture. It holds the promise of a localized food system, a new economy and the smallest environmental impact.
Of all of the food production methods, Aquaponics has the highest yields and uses the least amount of water with no waste. It is the most feasible method of urban food production and can exceeds organic standards.
While there are many approaches to Aquaponics that have varying benefits depending on the application (i.e. home scale vs. commercial scale), a viable path exists for all applications when designed and implemented well.

Why Urban Farming?

Food is the common thread that can help mitigate many of the world’s problems including climate change, peak oil, and chronic disease. On the path towards building resilient communities, nothing is more important than establishing sustainable food production facilities that are easily accessible.

Nitrifying Bacteria Facts

One of the most important, and least understood, aspects of successful aquarium keeping is biological filtration and its function in the nitrogen cycle. Traditionally, novice aquarists become disillusioned at the frequently experienced high death rates of their aquatic pets after setting up a new aquarium. Statistically, as much as 60% of the fish sold for a new aquarium will die within the first 30 days. 2 out of every 3 new aquarists abandon the hobby within the first year.

Known as "New Tank Syndrome" these fish are poisoned by high levels of ammonia (NH3) that is produced by the bacterial mineralization of fish wastes, excess food, and the decomposition of animal and plant tissues. Additional ammonia is excreted directly into the water by the fish themselves. The effects of ammonia poisoning in fish are well documented. These effects include: extensive damage to tissues, especially the gills and kidney; physiological imbalances; impaired growth; decreased resistance to disease, and; death.

Nitrite poisoning inhibits the uptake of oxygen by red blood cells. Known as brown blood disease, or methemoglobinemia, the hemoglobin in red blood cells is converted to methemoglobin. This problem is much more severe in fresh water fish than in marine organisms. The presence of chloride ions (CL-) appears to inhibit the accumulation of nitrite in the blood stream.

The successful aquarist realizes the importance of establishing the nitrogen cycle quickly and with minimal stress on the aquarium’s inhabitants. Aquarium filtration has advanced from the old box filters filled with charcoal and glass wool to undergravel filters, then trickle filters, and most recently - fluidized bed filters. Every advance has been to improve upon the effectiveness of biological filtration which in turn increases the efficiency of the nitrogen cycle. The availability of advanced high-tech filtration systems has lent added importance to the understanding of basic aquatic chemistry.

Nitrifying bacteria are classified as obligate chemolithotrophs. This simply means that they must use inorganic salts as an energy source and generally cannot utilize organic materials. They must oxidize ammonia and nitrites for their energy needs and fix inorganic carbon dioxide (CO2) to fulfill their carbon requirements. They are largely non-motile and must colonize a surface (gravel, sand, synthetic biomedia, etc.) for optimum growth. They secrete a sticky slime matrix which they use to attach themselves.

Species of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter are gram negative, mostly rod-shaped, microbes ranging between 0.6-4.0 microns in length. They are obligate aerobes and cannot multiply or convert ammonia or nitrites in the absence of oxygen.

Nitrifying bacteria have long generation times due to the low energy yield from their oxidation reactions. Since little energy is produced from these reactions they have evolved to become extremely efficient at converting ammonia and nitrite. Scientific studies have shown that Nitrosomonas bacterium are so efficient that a single cell can convert ammonia at a rate that would require up to one million heterotrophs to accomplish. Most of their energy production (80%) is devoted to fixing CO2 via the Calvin cycle and little energy remains for growth and reproduction. As a consequence, they have a very slow reproductive rate.

Nitrifying bacteria reproduce by binary division. Under optimal conditions, Nitrosomonas may double every 7 hours and Nitrobacter every 13 hours. More realistically, they will double every 15-20 hours. This is an extremely long time considering that heterotrophic bacteria can double in as short a time as 20 minutes. In the time that it takes a single Nitrosomonas cell to double in population, a single E. Coli bacterium would have produced a population exceeding 35 trillion cells.

None of the Nitrobacteraceae are able to form spores. They have a complex cytomembrane (cell wall) that is surrounded by a slime matrix. All species have limited tolerance ranges and are individually sensitive to pH, dissolved oxygen levels, salt, temperature, and inhibitory chemicals. Unlike species of heterotrophic bacteria, they cannot survive any drying process without killing the organism. In water, they can survive short periods of adverse conditions by utilizing stored materials within the cell. When these materials are depleted, the bacteria die.

Biological Data

There are several species of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria and many strains among those species. Most of this information can be applied to species of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter in general., however, each strain may have specific tolerances to environmental factors and nutriment preferences not shared by other, very closely related, strains. The information presented here applies specifically to those strains being cultivated by Fritz Industries, Inc.

Temperature

The temperature for optimum growth of nitrifying bacteria is between 77-86° F (25-30° C).

Growth rate is decreased by 50% at 64° F (18° C).

Growth rate is decreased by 75% at 46-50° F.

No activity will occur at 39° F (4° C)

Nitrifying bacteria will die at 32° F (0° C).

Nitrifying bacteria will die at 120° F (49° C)

Nitrobacter is less tolerant of low temperatures than Nitrosomonas. In cold water systems, care must be taken to monitor the accumulation of nitrites.

pH

The optimum pH range for Nitrosomonas is between 7.8-8.0.

The optimum pH range for Nitrobacter is between 7.3-7.5

Nitrobacter will grow more slowly at the high pH levels typical of marine aquaria and preferred by African Rift Lake Cichlids. Initial high nitrite concentrations may exist. At pH levels below 7.0, Nitrosomonas will grow more slowly and increases in ammonia may become evident. Nitrosomonas growth is inhibited at a pH of 6.5. All nitrification is inhibited if the pH drops to 6.0 or less. Care must be taken to monitor ammonia if the pH begins to drop close to 6.5. At this pH almost all of the ammonia present in the water will be in the mildly toxic, ionized NH3+ state.

Dissolved Oxygen

Maximum nitrification rates will exist if dissolved oxygen (DO) levels exceed 80% saturation. Nitrification will not occur if DO concentrations drop to 2.0 mg/l (ppm) or less. Nitrobacter is more strongly affected by low DO than NITROSOMONAS.



Micronutrients

All species of nitrifying bacteria require a number of micronutrients. Most important among these is the need for phosphorus for ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate) production. The conversion of ATP provides energy for cellular functions. Phosphorus is normally available to cells in the form of phosphates (PO4). Nitrobacter, especially, is unable to oxidize nitrite to nitrate in the absence of phosphates.

Sufficient phosphates are normally present in regular drinking water. During certain periods of the year, the amount of phosphates may be very low. A phenomenon known as "Phosphate Block" may occur. If all the above described parameters are within the optimum ranges for the bacteria and nitrite levels continue to escalate without production of nitrate, then phosphate block may be occurring. In recent years, with the advent of phosphate-free synthetic sea salt mixes, this problem has become prevalent among marine aquarists when establishing a new tank.

Fortunately, phosphate block is easy to remedy. A source of phosphate needs to be added to the aquarium. Phosphoric Acid is recommended as being simplest to use and dose, however, either mono-sodium phosphate or di-sodium phosphate may be substituted. Fritz PH LOWER contains 31% phosphoric acid. A one time application of 1 drop per 4 gallons of water is all that is necessary to activate the Nitrobacter. This small dosage of PH LOWER will not affect the pH or alkalinity of marine aquaria.

Minimal levels of other essential micronutrients is often not a problem as they are available in our drinking water supplies. The increasing popularity of high-tech water filters for deionizing, distilling, and reverse osmosis (hyper-filtration) produce water that is stripped of these nutrients. While these filters are generally excellent for producing high purity water, this water will also be inhibitory to nitrifying bacteria. The serious aquarist must replenish the basic salts necessary to the survival of the aquarium’s inhabitants. These salts, however, usually lack these critical micronutrients.

Nutriment

All species of Nitrosomonas use ammonia (NH3) as an energy source during its conversion to nitrite (NO2). Ammonia is first converted (hydrolyzed) to an amine (NH2) compound then oxidized to nitrite. This conversion process allows Nitrosomonas to utilize a few simple amine compounds such as those formed by the conversion of ammonia by chemical ammonia removers.

A few strains of Nitrosomonas are also capable of utilizing urea as an energy source.

All species of Nitrobacter use nitrites for their energy source in oxidizing them to nitrate (NO3).

Color and Smell

The cells of nitrifying bacteria are reddish (Nitrosomonas) to brownish (Nitrobacter) in color.


Light

Nitrifying bacteria are photosensitive, especially to blue and ultraviolet light. After they have colonized a surface this light poses no problem. During the first 3 or 4 days many of the cells may be suspended in the water column. Specialized bulbs in reef aquaria that emit UV or near UV light should remain off during this time. Regular aquarium lighting has no appreciable negative effect.

Chlorine and Chloramines

Before adding bacteria or fish to any aquarium or system, all chlorine must be completely neutralized. Residual chlorine or chloramines will kill Fritz-Zyme bacteria and fish.

Most US cities now treat their drinking water with chloramines. Chloramines are more stable than chlorine. It is advisable to test for chlorine with an inexpensive test kit. If you are unsure whether your water has been treated with chloramine, test for ammonia after neutralizing the chlorine. You can also call your local water treatment facility.

The type of chloramines formed is dependent on pH. Most of it exists as either monochloramine (NH2Cl) or dichloramine (NHCl2). They are made by adding ammonia to chlorinated water. Commercial chlorine reducing chemicals, such as sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O2) break the chlorine:ammonia bond. Chlorine (Cl) is reduced to harmless chloride (Cl- ) ion. Since dichloramine has two chlorine molecules, a double dose of a chlorine remover, such as sodium thiosulfate, is recommended.

Each molecule of chloramine that is reduced will produce one molecule of ammonia. If the chloramine concentration is 2 ppm then your aquarium or system will start out with 2 ppm of ammonia. Chlorine Remover will reduce up to 2 ppm of chlorine at recommended dosages. During the warmer months chlorine levels may exceed 2 ppm. A double dose would be required to effectively eliminate the excess chlorine.

The Role of Bacteria in Aquaponics

An aquaponics set-up requires beneficial bacteria in order for fish and plants to flourish. Plants feed off nutrients supplied by fish refuse and decomposed fish food. Before a plant can absorb these nutrients, they must be converted into nitrates. Two types of bacteria work hand-in-hand to achieve this process. They are Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter.

Bacteria Growth

Bacteria thrives in the substrate, or rocks, that are usually on the bottom of fish tanks. Rocks are also used as a medium in which to grow aquatic plants. Fish refuse and excess food settles at the bottom of the tank, and the bacteria work on this waste.

Ammonia and Nitrosomonas

Excess ammonia is produced in water when there is an overload of fish and food waste. Ammonia must be removed to keep fish at optimum health. Nitrosomonas bacteria requires ammonia to survive. Their roles is to convert the ammonia to Nitrites. Excessive nitrites can be fatal to fish. To safeguard fish, and to aid in aquatic or aquaponic plant growth, nitrites must be then be converted to nitrates.

Nitrates and Nitrobacter

Nitrobacter bacteria feeds off nitrites. Once nitrites are consumed by nitrobacter, the nitrites are converted to nitrates. Plants rapidly grow when they are absorbing nitrates. The process of converting fish waste to ammonia, then nitrites, and finally nitrates; is called the nitrogen cycle.

How Aquaponics Works

Aquaponics is the ideal answer to a fish farmer’s problem of disposing of nutrient rich water and a hydroponic grower's need for nutrient rich water. Essentially, aquaponics mimics every natural waterway on earth. It is used to grow food crops in a concentrated, yet sustainable manner.

The main input to an aquaponic system is fish food. The fish eat the food and excrete waste. More than 50% of the waste produced by fish is in the form of ammonia secreted in the urine and, in small quantities, through the gills. The remainder of the waste, excreted as fecal matter,

undergoes a process called mineralization which occurs when heterotrophic bacteria consume fish waste, decaying plant matter and un-eaten food, converting all three to ammonia and other compounds. In sufficient quantities ammonia is toxic to plants and fish.

Nitrifying bacteria, which naturally live in the soil, water and air, convert ammonia first to nitrite and then to nitrate

 which plants consume. In an aquaponic system the heterotrophic and nitrifying bacteria will attach to the tank walls, underside of the rafts, organic matter, the growing medium (if used) and in the water column. The beneficial bacteria discussed here are natural and will inhabit an aquaponic system as soon as ammonia and nitrite are present.

Essentially, you have three crops to keep alive in aquaponcis - the fish, the plants and the beneficial bacteria. These three living entities each rely on the other to live. The bacteria consume the fish waste keeping the water clean for the fish. In the process, the bacteria provide the plants with a usable form of nutrients. In removing these nutrients through plant growth, the plants help to clean the water the fish live in.

Aquaponics is a very efficient method of growing food that uses a minimum of water and space and utilizes waste, resulting in an end product of organic, healthful fish and vegetables. From a nutritional standpoint, aquaponics provides food in the form of both protein (from the fish) and vegetables.

The Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen is a fundamental element that is necessary for all forms of life on Earth. Nitrogen is an important component in both plant and animal cells. Organisms need nitrogen to produce proteins, nucleic acids, and amino acids. Although Nitrogen gas (N2) is roughly 78% of the earth’s atmosphere, it is unusable in this form. The majority of organisms on earth can only use nitrogen when it is ‘fixed’ – combined with carbon, hydrogen or oxygen.

The nitrogen cycle is the process by which microorganisms convert the nitrogen in the air and organic compounds (such as within soil) into a usable form.
The Nitrogen cycle is the most significant process within aquaponics. It is responsible for the conversion of fish waste into nutrients for the plants. Without this process, the water quality would deteriorate rapidly and become toxic to both the fish and plants in the system. The water therefore in aquaponics does not need to be treated chemically to make it ‘safe’ nor does it have to be replaced. In aquaponics, a system is said to have ‘cycled’ when there are sufficient quantities of bacteria to convert all the ammonia into an accessible form of nitrogen for the plants. The bacteria will arrive naturally to a system and colonize the water column and biofilter (usually clay pebbles, gravel or netting).

The bacteria are the microscopic organisms that are involved in the conversion of fish waste into nutrients for the plants. If you are considering trying your hand at aquaponics it is important to understand how to create a healthy environment for the bacteria that will allow them to thrive within the system. A healthy colony of bacteria will determine your success with an aquaponics system. A mature system will contain enough bacteria to break down and convert all the fish waste into nutrients for the plants.
The following factors outline how this process occurs within the aquaponics system. The fish in the tank are fed, they digest and break down the food and produce waste. Fish excrete ammonia through urine, faeces (approx 17%) and their gills (approx 80%). The nitrification cycle is the process by which the ammonia produced by the fish is converted by one type of bacteria to nitrite and then by another type of bacteria to nitrate (the most plant-accessible form of Nitrogen in the cycle – and safest for the fish).
The two types of bacteria that break down ammonia (NH3) and nitrite (NO2) are:
- Nitrosomonas sp
- Nitrobacter sp
The Nitrosomonas bacteria convert the ammonia into nitrite and then the Nitrobacter bacteria converts the nitrite into nitrate (NO3). Nitrosomonas sp. – This bacterium takes in ammonia and converts it to nitrite. Nitrite is the less poisonous compound for the fish than ammonia would be. However, high levels of nitrite will prevent the fish from taking up oxygen and will cause damage to their gills.
Nitrobacter sp. is the next bacterium in the cycle and it consumes nitrite and converts it to nitrate. Nitrate is a very accessible nutrient source for plants. Fish will also tolerate a much higher level of nitrate than they will ammonia or nitrite. When all these bacteria are found in sufficient numbers in order to convert all of the ammonia and nitrite being produced in a system, it is said to have ‘cycled’. This process generally takes about a month however it can happen much quicker or much slower depending on external environmental conditions.

Starting Up (Cycling) an Aquaponics System Using Fish

If you have been following this series on how to build a media based aquaponics system, you now have your aquaponics fish tank and grow bed interconnected by flood and drain plumbing which is ready to be powered by a pump. Your grow bed is filled with the grow media and the fish tank is full of de-chlorinated water. Now it’s time to move into the living elements of your system, starting with establishing the nitrifying bacteria.
Bacteria are the magic that takes the unusable aquaponics fish waste and creates a near perfect plant fertilizer. In this article and the next, we will demystify the process of establishing a beneficial bacteria colony in your aquaponics system. This process is often called system “cycling”. Today I’ll talk about cycling using fish and next month I’ll go into how to cycle without fish. By the end of these two articles, you will fully understand what you MUST do to initiate cycling and to ensure its success. You will also understand what you CAN do to both make the process less stressful for your fish and your plants, and to speed up the process.

What is Cycling?

Cycling starts when you (or your fish) first add ammonia to your system. Ammonia (chemical formula NH3) is a compound made of nitrogen and hydrogen. It can come either from your fish or from other sources that we will discuss next month. Ammonia is toxic to fish (more on this later) and will soon kill them unless it is either diluted to a non-toxic level or converted into a less toxic form of nitrogen. Unfortunately, nitrogen as found in ammonia is not readily taken up by plants, so no matter how high the ammonia levels get in your fish tank, your plants will not be getting much nutrition from it.
The good news is that ammonia attracts nitrosomonas, the first of the two nitrifying bacteria that will populate your system. The nitrosomonas convert the ammonia into nitrites (NO2). This is a necessary step in the cycling process; however, nitrites are even more toxic than ammonia! But there is good news because the presence of nitrites attracts the bacteria we are truly after nitrospira. Nitrospira convert the nitrites into nitrates, which are generally harmless to the fish and excellent food for your plants.
Once you detect nitrates in your water and the ammonia and nitrite concentrations have both dropped to .5 or lower your system will be fully cycled and aquaponics will have officially begun!

The Importance Of Testing Tools

You must have some way of telling where you are in the cycling process, typically a four to six week endeavor. Specifically, you must monitor ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels as well as pH so that you know that all these elements are in range. If they are not, you may need to take corrective action. This is also the only way that you will know when you are fully cycled and ready to add more fish (or your first fish if you have been cycling with no fish at all). Plus, watching the daily progress of the cycling process is fascinating and something you can only see through the lens of a test kit. By the way, once you reach the point that your system is fully cycled, you will need to do much less monitoring than during the cycling process. So get through the cycling process and look forward to reaping the fruits (or should we say the fish) of your labor.
To do their testing, most aquaponic gardeners use a product by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Inc. called the API Freshwater Master Test Kit. This kit is easy to use, is inexpensive, and is designed for monitoring the cycling process in fish systems.
You will also need a submersible thermometer to measure your water temperature. Temperature affects both the cycling rate and the health of your fish and plants once you are up and running. See more on this below.

Cycling with Fish

Ammonia (NH3) is the catalyst that starts the cycling process. You must have some means to feed ammonia into the system so that you attract the bacteria that are at the heart of aquaponics.
There are two ways to introduce ammonia into your system with fish and without (fishless). Today we will talk about cycling with fish, and tackle fish-less cycling in the next article.

The Ammonia (NH3)

I used fish to cycle my first aquaponics system and I suspect this is how most people approach cycling. In some ways it is the easier of the two methods because there are no extra inputs, but it is definitely the more stressful of the two options because live critters are involved.
The idea is to add fish on day one and hope that they live through the cycling process. The challenge is to get the system cycled fast enough that the ammonia concentration from the fish waste drops to a non-toxic level before the fish succumb to exposure to their own waste. I strongly recommend that you don’t stock to your tank’s mature capacity (1 lb of fish per 5 – 10 gallons of water) but to less than half that. You might also want to consider these fish as “sacrificial” and perhaps use goldfish from the pet store, which are fairly tolerant of ammonia, rather than the tilapia with which you may ultimately envision stocking your tank. Also, do not feed these fish more than once a day and only feed them a small amount even then.
Fish excrete ammonia through their gills as a bi-product of their respiratory process. Without dilution, removal or conversion to a less toxic form of nitrogen, the ammonia will build up in the fish tank and eventually kill the fish. In addition, ammonia (NH3) continually changes to ammonium (NH4+) and vice versa, with the relative concentrations of each depending on the water’s temperature and pH. Ammonia is extremely toxic to fish; ammonium is relatively harmless. At higher temperatures and pH, more of the nitrogen is in the toxic ammonia form than at lower pH.
Standard test kits measure total ammonia (ammonia plus ammonium) without distinguishing between the two forms. The following chart gives the maximum long-term level of ammonia in mg/L (ppm) that can be considered safe at a given temperature and pH.
Water Temperature

pH	20C (68F)	25C (77F)
6.5	15.4 ppm	11.1 ppm
7.0	5.0	3.6
7.5	1.6	1.2
8.0	0.5	0.4
8.5	0.2	0.1

You will need to monitor your tank water daily during cycling for elevated ammonia levels. If those levels exceed the levels on the chart above you should dilute through a water exchange by pumping out up to 1/3 of your tank’s water and replacing it with fresh, de-chlorinated water.

Adjusting pH

During cycling, especially with fish, you should try and keep your pH between 6.0 and 7.0. The range does not go below 6.0 because most fish prefer slightly alkaline water and few are happy below 6.0. The range does not go above 7.0 because of the ammonia toxicity issue described above (higher pH readings suggest higher ammonia concentrations). So how do you keep pH in such a tight range?
The first rule is: Whatever you do to adjust pH in aquaponics – Do it slowly! Fast, large pH swings are very stressful on fish and will be much more of a problem than having pH that is out of range. Target shifting your pH reading no more than .2 per day and you should be fine.
The safest way to do this is to use our AquaDown pH Lowering Solution. Raise pH either by using our AquaUp pH Raising Kit or by alternating alternatively use calcium hydroxide – also known as “hydrated lime” or “builder’s lime” with potassium carbonate (or bicarbonate) or potassium hydroxide (“pearlash” or “potash”). Don’t use citric acid as it is anti-bacterial!
Typically, you will be trying to keep pH down during cycling, and then once your system is cycled you will probably notice that the pH will fall and you will then need to switch to keeping it up. You will probably find that it is easier to increase pH than it is to decrease it. The ideal pH of a mature aquaponics system is 6.8 – 7.0. This is a compromise between what the plants prefer, i.e. a slightly acidic environment of 5.5 – 6.5, and what the fish prefer, i.e. a slightly alkaline environment as we discussed before.

The Nitrite (NO2)

Nitrite is to fish like carbon monoxide is to air breathers. The nitrite will bind with the blood in place of oxygen and keep the fish from getting the oxygen it needs. Fish poisoned with nitrites die of what is called “brown blood disease”. If the nitrite levels in your tank rise above 10 ppm while you are cycling your system with fish, you should do a water exchange as discussed above, but you may also want to add salt to the system in order to further protect the health of the fish.
Do this by adding salt to the system to at least 1 part per thousand (1 kg of salt per 1000 liters of water) using non-Iodized salt. Avoid table salt since it contains potentially harmful anti-caking agents. You can use cheap pool salt or water softener salt available at the grocery or hardware store, but the best product is salt specifically formulated for fish. Make sure to dissolve it completely in a bucket of water before adding it to the fish tank since un-dissolved salt crystals on the bottom of a fish tank can burn a fish that rests against them. Stop feeding your fish until the nitrite levels decline below 1.0 and aerate as much as possible.
How might salt (sodium chloride) help? Sodium Chloride helps mitigate nitrites because the chloride ions bind with the nitrites and thereby help keep some of the nitrite out of your fish.

Adding Plants

I recommend adding plants to your new aquaponic system as soon as you start cycling. Plants can take up nitrogen in all stages of the cycling process to varying degrees; from ammonia, nitrites and nitrates, but they will be happiest when cycling is complete and the bacteria are fully established because so many more nutrients become available at this stage.
When plants are first transplanted, they focus on establishing their root system in their new environment. You may initially see some signs of stress – yellowing and/or dropped leaves – and you will probably not see any new growth for a few weeks. This is fine. Adding plants to your system right away lets them go through the rooting process early on and readies them to start removing the nitrogen-based fish waste from your aquaponics system as soon as possible.
I recommend you use some Maxicrop to get your plants off to a good start during cycling. Maxicrop is derived from Norwegian seaweed, is organic and is used primarily as a growth stimulant, especially to enhance plant root development. It is extremely effective at giving plants a “leg up” after being transplanted into your new aquaponics system, is absolutely harmless to the fish, and probably beneficial for the bacteria. You can find Maxicrop in garden centers, hydroponic stores, and online in both liquid and dry form.
While there are no hard and fast rules about how much Maxicrop to add during cycling, I recommend about a quart of the liquid product for every 250 gallons of water. It will turn your water almost black but don’t worry; this will clear up after a week or so.

Speeding Up the Process

Cycling is in some sense akin to any hunting activity that uses a lure. We start by putting out the ammonia. This attracts the nitrosomonas bacteria which in-turn produces nitrites. The nitrites attract the nitrosprira bacteria which produce the nitrates that are harmless to the fish and delicious to the plants. These two beneficial nitrifying bacteria are naturally present in the environment.
As I stated earlier, this process will take four to six weeks if done with fish, or as little as ten days to three weeks if done fishless. But what if you could speed that up significantly? What if instead of waiting for the bacteria to show up to the party, they actually are part of the party to begin with? You can do this by introducing nitrifying bacteria into your aquaponics system.

Adding Bacteria

While there are many ways to do this, they all boil down to two basic strategies: use bacteria from an existing aquaculture or aquaponics operation or from a near-by pond or instead, purchase bacteria from a commercial source.
Good sources of beneficial bacteria from existing systems are ranked here, leading with the best:

• Media from an existing aquaponics system
• Our Microbe-Lift Nitrifying Bacteria product
• Filter material (floss, sponge, biowheel, etc.) from an established, disease-free aquarium.
• Gravel from an established, disease-free tank. (Many local pet and aquarium stores will give this away if asked.)
• Other ornaments (driftwood, rocks, etc.) from an established aquarium.
• Squeezings from a filter sponge (any pet and aquarium store might be willing to do this…)
• Rocks from a backyard pond with fish in it

Managing Water Temperature

Water temperature also has a dramatic effect on the speed of cycling. Their optimal temperature is between 77-86° F (25-30°C). At 64°F (18°C) their growth rates is decreased by 50%. At 46-50ºF (8-10°C) it decreases by 75%, and stops all together at 39°F (4°C). It will die off at or below 32ºF (0°C) and at or above 120°F (49°C).

Cycling with Fish – Conclusion

While cycling with fish is the most widespread and straightforward of the cycling techniques, it is stressful on your fish and therefore somewhat stressful for you. But it certainly works. Next month we’ll go over another technique called Fishless cycling that uses pure ammonia to cycle your system.
Either way, it’s time go get up and grow!

BACTERIA AND PLANT

Bacteria

The ammonia excreted from the fish-waste and leftover fish-feed is toxic to fish in high quantities. Luckily Mother Nature has provided us with a natural method for converting ammonia into plant food. This can only occur thanks to two types of the bacteria (nitrosomonas and nitrospira) that are essential to the nitrogen cycle. These bacteria are otherwise referred to as the bio-filter,  and this is where the magic in an aquaponic system takes place.

For more information on the nitrogen cycle see the Aquaponics Science  page

Like any organism nitrifying bacteria thrive in optimum conditions. Therefore it is essential to understand what these conditions are and how they affect the health of your bio-filter.

The table below shows the optimum conditions for nitrifying bacteria, plants and fish.

 

Managing all three requirements in an aquaponics system is a balancing act. Ideally you will need a PH of 7 as a compromise between the fish, plants and bacteria requirements. Moreover, it will be essential to maintain the optimum temperature for your bio-filter otherwise the bacteria will become less efficient.

Plants

An aquaponic system provides an excellent growing environment for plants. It supplies plants with a constant source of nutrient rich water and a good supply of oxygen to the roots. All of which means you don’t have to water, feed or even weed your plants as you would have to for soil grown plants!

A variety of plants can be grown in an aquaponic system. Everything from flowers, to herbs, vegetables, fruits and even some root vegetables.

Fast growing plants like leafy vegetables and herbs particularly suit this type of system. Fruiting plants such as chilli, strawberries, tomatoes etc can also be grown, but they require a greater nutrient supply compared to leafy vegetables. This is easily achieved in established aquaponic systems with a slightly higher fish stocking density.

Fish and bacteria prefer more PH neutral conditions; therefore plants outside of this range do not grow well. Blueberries and raspberries, which like acid soils ranging from a PH of 4.5 to 6.2 are one of the few examples of plants that don’t suit aquaponics.

The main ‘problems’ with small-scale Aquaponics are only problems if you are afraid of a little maintenance. This can all be greatly reduced with the clever use of automation and monitoring technologies that are currently being developed by the industry leaders of indoor growing (cough). Nonetheless, you should be aware of what you are getting into. Here are my top seven unexpected challenges with small-scale Aquaponics. - See more at: http://blog.grovelabs.io/designing-ecosystems/aquaponics-designing-ecosystems/7-challenges-small-scale-aquaponics-systems/#sthash.QN4Hg6C5.dpuf

The main ‘problems’ with small-scale Aquaponics are only problems if you are afraid of a little maintenance. This can all be greatly reduced with the clever use of automation and monitoring technologies that are currently being developed by the industry leaders of indoor growing (cough). Nonetheless, you should be aware of what you are getting into. Here are my top seven unexpected challenges with small-scale Aquaponics.
1.   pH Drops Faster
The secret sauce of Aquaponics is, of course, the billions of nitrifying bacteria. These little guys consume the fish waste and turn it into plant food. However they also naturally give off a small quantity of nitric acid as a part of the process, and acid will bring your pH down. This actually is really useful for plant growth and is not normally something to be scared of. A slowly dropping pH is fine in a large system that has plenty of water to dilute the acid. The large volume will ‘self regulate’ and cause pH movements to happen gradually. This will not stress the fish and can be monitored loosely. If you have a system with only a small volume of water, (such as one based on a common fish tank), pH can fall rapidly enough that if you miss a day or two of checking it your fish may be hurting. You will need to check pH daily and probably make regular adjustments. If you go away for a weekend, you might leave your windowsill system with a pH of 8.0 and return to find it with a pH of 6.0 or less, especially when your system is less than 6 months old and still finding it’s equilibrium. This can be a real concern for fish happiness. If pH gets low enough it can also reduce the effectiveness of your bacteria in processing fish waste, leading to other problems. In small Aquaponics systems, bacteria induced pH drops happen faster than in large systems.
- See more at: http://blog.grovelabs.io/designing-ecosystems/aquaponics-designing-ecosystems/7-challenges-small-scale-aquaponics-systems/#sthash.QN4Hg6C5.dpuf

The main ‘problems’ with small-scale Aquaponics are only problems if you are afraid of a little maintenance. This can all be greatly reduced with the clever use of automation and monitoring technologies that are currently being developed by the industry leaders of indoor growing (cough). Nonetheless, you should be aware of what you are getting into. Here are my top seven unexpected challenges with small-scale Aquaponics.
1.   pH Drops Faster
The secret sauce of Aquaponics is, of course, the billions of nitrifying bacteria. These little guys consume the fish waste and turn it into plant food. However they also naturally give off a small quantity of nitric acid as a part of the process, and acid will bring your pH down. This actually is really useful for plant growth and is not normally something to be scared of. A slowly dropping pH is fine in a large system that has plenty of water to dilute the acid. The large volume will ‘self regulate’ and cause pH movements to happen gradually. This will not stress the fish and can be monitored loosely. If you have a system with only a small volume of water, (such as one based on a common fish tank), pH can fall rapidly enough that if you miss a day or two of checking it your fish may be hurting. You will need to check pH daily and probably make regular adjustments. If you go away for a weekend, you might leave your windowsill system with a pH of 8.0 and return to find it with a pH of 6.0 or less, especially when your system is less than 6 months old and still finding it’s equilibrium. This can be a real concern for fish happiness. If pH gets low enough it can also reduce the effectiveness of your bacteria in processing fish waste, leading to other problems. In small Aquaponics systems, bacteria induced pH drops happen faster than in large systems.
- See more at: http://blog.grovelabs.io/designing-ecosystems/aquaponics-designing-ecosystems/7-challenges-small-scale-aquaponics-systems/#sthash.QN4Hg6C5.dpuf

The main ‘problems’ with small-scale Aquaponics are only problems if you are afraid of a little maintenance. This can all be greatly reduced with the clever use of automation and monitoring technologies that are currently being developed by the industry leaders of indoor growing (cough). Nonetheless, you should be aware of what you are getting into. Here are my top seven unexpected challenges with small-scale Aquaponics.
1.   pH Drops Faster
The secret sauce of Aquaponics is, of course, the billions of nitrifying bacteria. These little guys consume the fish waste and turn it into plant food. However they also naturally give off a small quantity of nitric acid as a part of the process, and acid will bring your pH down. This actually is really useful for plant growth and is not normally something to be scared of. A slowly dropping pH is fine in a large system that has plenty of water to dilute the acid. The large volume will ‘self regulate’ and cause pH movements to happen gradually. This will not stress the fish and can be monitored loosely. If you have a system with only a small volume of water, (such as one based on a common fish tank), pH can fall rapidly enough that if you miss a day or two of checking it your fish may be hurting. You will need to check pH daily and probably make regular adjustments. If you go away for a weekend, you might leave your windowsill system with a pH of 8.0 and return to find it with a pH of 6.0 or less, especially when your system is less than 6 months old and still finding it’s equilibrium. This can be a real concern for fish happiness. If pH gets low enough it can also reduce the effectiveness of your bacteria in processing fish waste, leading to other problems. In small Aquaponics systems, bacteria induced pH drops happen faster than in large systems.
- See more at: http://blog.grovelabs.io/designing-ecosystems/aquaponics-designing-ecosystems/7-challenges-small-scale-aquaponics-systems/#sthash.QN4Hg6C5.dpuf

A Small, Green Food Machine

Imagine if you could produce your own fresh food in a small space and do it in an environmentally friendly and inexpensive way. Using aquaponics (a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics), you can!

The system is simple. Fish are kept in a tank with grow beds elevated around them. Water from the fish is used to irrigate and fertilize the plants. The root systems of the plants and the growing medium remove nitrates from the water to use as food. The water is returned by gravity to the fish tank, aerating the water as it falls into the tank. This is a closed system that conserves water, is organic, and closely mimics a natural ecosystem.

There are many ways to practice aquaponics, from small home aquarium tanks with a few salad greens growing in the inverted lid to warehouse-sized commercial operations. My family and I built a small system from all found and recycled materials. It is watered by hand (thirty minutes labor per day) so it does not use electricity. It takes up about one-and-a-half square meters of space.

The idea for this system came to me after some repairs had been done on the highway near where we live in rural Thailand. The road crews had left behind a broken piece of culvert and a small pile of pea gravel. So I thought, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!” I knew that the culvert could be used as a fish tank with a little cement work, so we carted it and the gravel home.

The first step was to create a base for the tank using chicken wire and cement left over from a previous project. The tank was placed on the base and sealed in place. Then the tank was then filled with water from our well. If you use chlorinated city water, remember to wait a week or so before putting fish in the system, in order to allow the chlorine time to dissipate.

Tilapia fry from one of our aquaculture tanks were placed in the tank and began the process of fertilizing the water. The only input into this aquaponic system is food for the fish. If you use an omnivorous fish like tilapia, all of their food can be grown for them. Duckweed is an excellent complete diet for tilapia.

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Our “free” aquaponics system has been providing us with fresh greens and fish for six months now and will keep doing so for the foreseeable future.

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For the planters, we collected used plastic containers from our village school and clinic. The tops were cut off and the containers washed very thoroughly three times. Then a hole was made in the side of each container’s base using an awl. This is to allow water to drain back to the tank. On the opposite side of the containers, near the top, a hole was punched to allow two containers to be connected using string. Doing this increases the number of containers that you will be able to fit on your shelf.

The plastic containers were filled with a mix of coconut fiber and rice husk because those are materials readily available for free where I live. If you use coconut product, you need to use chips and fiber, not the powdered coir soil amendment. If you are not sure of the source, it should be soaked and rinsed very well as it may have a high salt content. Coco chips are excellent in a hand powered aquaponic or hydroponic system, as they retain moisture very well while still having adequate air spaces for the plant roots.

An old board (see photo above right) from our farm’s plant nursery was given new life as the shelf for the containers. It is more common in aquaponics to use large growing beds but we were going with what we had or could source for Seeds were planted and gravel was placed on top to prevent the contents from floating out of the container when flooded during watering. Seedlings grown using hydroponic media could also be used instead of seeds.

The containers were placed on the board so that their drainage holes allow water to fall back into the tank. The containers were flooded with water from the tank using a watering can without its “showerhead”. (See photos, right)

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Aquaponics meets all of the criteria for sustainable agriculture. It is environmentally sound, has minimum inputs, eliminates the solid waste disposal required by intensive aquaculture, and is socially responsible and economically viable.

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Our “free” aquaponics system has been providing us with fresh greens and fish for six months now and will keep doing so for the foreseeable future.

Aquaponics meets all of the criteria for sustainable agriculture. It is environmentally sound, has minimum inputs, eliminates the solid waste disposal required by intensive aquaculture, and is socially responsible and economically viable.

Aquaponics provides you with an environmentally friendly way to raise fish and plants in a confined space. A hand powered system uses no electricity and minimal water. All fertilizer is provided organically by the fish. A system like this is also very helpful in teaching children how an integrated ecosystem (Planet Earth!) functions.

I find watching the fish and tending the plants very relaxing. I also love to eat the fresh produce and fillets that the system produces. Aquaponics is a sustainable, eco-friendly food production system that is in use from Antarctica to the Arctic circle and from the deserts of Arabia to the jungles of Thailand. If you have been thinking of producing more of your own food, aquaponics is one good way to go about it. This is truly the future of food production!

How to Build an Aquaponics System

You can save money and provide your family with amazingly nutritious food by building your own aquaponics system, and in this article I will show you how to get started.

First I will explain why I think it’s important to take the time to understand and build a DIY system. Then we’ll explore the basic design concept of any system and how to expand on that and implement it for your specific needs.

And of course I will also go over the components and materials needed, and where to get them.

Next up we’ll tackle the issue of the size and location of your garden, and to finish it off I will provide further resources for detailed DIY plans if you feel like you still need additional help with setting up and operating your aquaponics system.

I hope you find this guide helpful and easy to follow. If you have any question please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Also please make sure you bookmark this, and share it with your friends if you like!

Remember: With a little bit of determination, anyone can do this!

So without further Ado, Let’s get started…

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Why Build Your Own System?

So why should you DIY (do it yourself) and not simply buy a pre-built one? A pre-built solution can be an excellent option, in fact you can click here to check out some great ready-made systems that I highly recommend. However there are some distinct advantages to rolling up your sleeves and taking things into your own hands…

1. Cost
2. Knowledge
3. Satisfaction

Cost

For many people cost is going to be a concern and this is one of the primary advantages to going the DIY route: you gain considerable savings by taking things into your own hands. Depending on the scope of your plans you can save 50 to 75% or even more if you get really creative & resourceful with your supplies and materials.

Knowledge

This is my favorite reason for taking this route: the knowledge you gain is invaluable…

By planning & designing a system and putting it together yourself, you end up re-enforcing a solid understanding of how an aquaponics system works. And this allows you to take true ownership of your system and its operation. This means that any future work will be a snap because you know your setup intimately and making additions, changes, or repairs will be second nature.

Sweet Satisfaction

And last but not least, there’s that sweet satisfaction of a job well done. If you’re anything like me then you revel in the feeling of successfully completing a project started from scratch and followed all the way through. Especially one that will provide an abundant supply of healthy organic food for you and your family for years to come.

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Basic System Design

Before moving on to more intricate designs and layouts it helps to visualize an aquaponics system in its most basic configuration.

If you look at the diagram below you can see that I’ve labeled the primary components of any system. How you decide to arrange them, what size they will be, and where you will set them up will vary from system to system of course.

As you can see, the core concept is extremely simple.

• Water flows from the fish tank (A) to the garden (B). And then from (B) back to (A) again.
• The secondary components (c, d, & e) facilitate the movement and distribution of water between the two primary components.

This. In its most basic sense, is all an aquaponics system is. And although you might feel that this is too simple, remember that you can expand on this core design and implement it for your specific needs in an almost infinite variety of ways.

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Components & Materials

There are varying degrees of size and complexity when it comes to designing and constructing your aquaponics garden, but there are some common components of any system, and it helps to understand what they are and how they work.

Main Components

• Fish Tank: This is the main tank in which you raise and feed your fish. The waste from here accumulates and is pumped into the garden where it nourishes your plants and helps them to grow.
• Garden: This is where you grow your plants. It has its own watering system which is provided with water & nutrients from the fish tank and there are different strategies for how to set this up. For instance you can use media filled beds which receive a continuous flow of water, a flood and drain system, or even a deep water culture system which allows the plants to simply soak their roots directly in the water below.
• Sump Tank: This is the lowest point in an aquapotics system, and it’s where the water is collected from the garden before it returns to the fish tank. This is a non essential component but using one comes with some advantages. Not only does it allow you to maintain a constant water level in your fish tank, but it allows you to easily remove collected and unwanted waste before sending that water back to the fish tank. Your pump also operates much better with cleaner water, so this ensures that your fish tank pumps water to your garden at a consistent rate.
• Pump: This is the workhorse of your system, it moves and directs the flow of water from each area of your aquaponics garden to the next.

Additional Components

• Plant Trays
• Media
• Timers
• Air Pumps
• Tubing
• Filters
• Plants


• Fish

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Size & Location

There are Many Possibilities for Where to Locate Your System – KanuHawaii

One of my favorite things about aquaponics is that you can setup a system of almost any size, either indoors or outdoors. From a mini garden with gold fish growing vegetables and herbs, to a large backyard farm, or even massive commercial operations.

Indoors

The key thing to keep in mind when growing indoors is that you need to choose an area that receives at least 4 to 6 hours of sunlight per day, this is the minimum required for most plants to grow properly. With that said, any place in your home that meets the minimum requirements for sunlight is perfect for setting up a small aquaponics system. And of course you can always use a hydroponic grow light if getting adequate sunlight is a problem.

Common Indoor Locations

• Front Room
• Kitchen
• Basement
• Spare Room
• Garage

Outdoors

When it comes to outdoor growing, the logical solution for most people is their backyard. Not only does this give you privacy and security, but it also provides adequate space for any future expansion. It is not uncommon however to see people with systems at the side of their house or even in their front yard. A lot of it dependson where you can get the right amount of sunlight for your garden.

Common Outdoor Locations

• Backyard
• Balcony, Porch, or Veranda
• Side or Front of House

The possibilities for the size and location of your setup are endless. Small, big, indoors or outdoors… Whatever your current situation, you can definitely get your own aquaponics system up and running!

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Get DIY Plans (Further Resources)

If you’re ready to get started then I highly recommend you choose a step-by-step guide or course to help you.

There are some excellent online video courses which will ensure the success of your project and make the process easy, smooth, and fun. In my opinion this is the best way to build your DIY system. Websites & Books are great, but nothing beats high quality step-by-step video instruction.

Small Aquaponics

Hydroponics Makes Perfect Salad Sense

Of all the vegetables that can be grown in a soilless environment, hydroponic lettuce is the easiest. It will take about 35 days for most Bibb-type lettuce to go from seed to your table. There are many types of leaf and Bibb lettuce varieties from which to choose. With the addition of a few other vegetables, you can have fresh, tasty salads every day of the year.

Platform Growing

Lettuce is a plant that requires little root space. The short leaves require minimal support. These traits allow you to use a platform system of hydroponic gardening to grow lettuce. The raft will gently hold the plants while floating freely in the continuously recycled nutrient enriched water. A small oxygen pump will keep the water from becoming stagnant.

Traditional Hydroponic Gardens

Hydroponic lettuce can be placed around the edge of most soilless gardens. In fact, hydroponic gardens that use fine gravel or sand as a growing medium are great for growing lettuce. Placing lettuce around the outer edge of these types of systems will give your water garden a thick lush appearance. If you stagger the planting times of your lettuce, you can enjoy fresh lettuce every day.

Bibb Lettuce Varieties

Bibb lettuce form soft heads that peel apart easily. Some of the more flavorful types are the European Butter Crunch and the red curly varieties including Red Sails, Brunia and Ruby. Romaine lettuce grows well in hydroponic gardens as does Dano, Freckles Red and Berenice Green.

Leaf Lettuce Varieties

Leaf lettuce is a popular variety both in the hydroponic and conventional garden. These types of lettuce make tasty salads and are wonderful to use on sandwiches because the leaves lay flat. Some leaf lettuce varieties are colorful, streaked with red and purple. The European varieties are more suitable for hydroponic lettuces because they tend to bolt less due to temperature controls. Salina and Rex Lettuces are even less susceptible to bolting. Ostinata and Salina grow well, but do not tolerate high temperatures.

Common Problems

Both leaf and Bibb lettuce like a cooler growing temperature. Conventional gardeners usually plant these types of crops early and late in the growing season avoiding mid-summer high temperatures. By growing hydroponic lettuce the temperature, amount of daylight and humidity is controlled.
Tip burn is caused by water loss due to high humidity. Controlling temperatures using circulating air will prevent this problem.
Pests can invade the hydroponic garden as easily as they do in a conventional garden. Daily inspection of your hydroponic garden will ensure quick treatment for pests like whiteflies, thrips, and butterfly or moth larvae.

Hydroponic lettuce is an easy way to learn the art of hydroponic gardening. A container that is 14 inches tall, 12 inches deep and 20 inches wide will be large enough for eight lettuce plants. Exploring how to grow vegetables using hydroponics is easy when you start by growing lettuce.

Pest Problems?

Identify your pest

Aphids

Aphids, generally known as Greenfly and Blackfly are small soft-bodied sap sucking insects. They are probably the most commonly known group of plant pests, infesting almost all types of plants, shrubs and trees.

There are many species of aphids worldwide. Generally, they feed in colonies and can be recognised by their plump pear-shaped bodies and two tubes, that project from the rear of their abdomens.

Aphids are usually found feeding on the young leaves, new shoots and flower buds where the plant cells are more pliable and high in nitrogen. They push their long piercing mouth parts deep into the plant tissue and suck up the plant sap. They excrete excess sap and sugars as sticky honeydew, which can then promote the growth of sooty moulds and fungi on the infested plants. However, ants are usually attracted to honeydew where they harvest the droplets and therefore reduce sooty mould problems.

Whilst feeding, many aphid species can also acquire and spread plant viruses. Heavy infestations can also weaken plants and cause leaf curling and even plant death. When aphid infestations become large, the colony produces winged adults, which then disperse to new plants and establish new colonies.

During the warmer months, the wingless adult female aphids produce 50 to 100 young clones at a rate of up to 5 young per day without having to mate. Young aphids are born live and can start reproducing within just 1 week. Only in the autumn and early winter months will most aphid species produce males. These mate with the females who then produce fertile eggs that over-winter. Because of the extremely fast reproduction rate of aphids during the growing season, it is often difficult to determine the effectiveness of crop protection products. Even when just 5% of aphids survive an insecticide the infestation could return to its original level in a few days.

Using SB Plant Invigorator to control aphids:

Independent research studies have shown that SBPI can be highly effective at controlling aphids if used correctly.

SBPI will produce a significant reduction in aphid numbers if applied thoroughly (to upper and lower leaf surfaces) and to the point, it runs off the leaves. However, certain aphid species are more easily controlled than others are.

Studies have shown that almost total control of many important aphid species can be achieved with just one or two thorough application of SBPI, depending on the severity of the infestation. This includes Pea aphids [Acyrthosiphon pisum], Bean aphid [Aphis fabae], Apple Grain aphid [Rhopalosiphum padi] and Woolly Apple aphid [Erisoma lanigerum]. However, the extremely fast reproduction rate of any surviving aphids could rapidly restore the infestation to original levels if further applications of SBPI are not made at regular intervals. Weekly applications to susceptible plants are recommended.

The Peach potato aphid [Myzus persicae], is a more robust aphid than many of the other species and consequently is more difficult to control by physical means. However, SBPI will control established infestations of the Peach potato aphid after 2 or 3 applications at 2 or 3 day intervals. Weekly applications can then be used to maintain control.

If necessary, a x2 recommended dose rate of SBPI could also be used for rapid control of the Peach potato aphid. However it is advisable to first test delicate plants for phytotoxic response to a higher rate.

SBPI does not affect aphids in the final stage of parasite development (mummies), so it can be used in conjunction with an IPM system using parasitic wasps.

Spraying as often as weekly may seem excessive but please remember SBPI provides a foliar feed, comprehensive pesticide and mildewcide all at the same time.

Most people who use SBPI weekly rarely have to use other products. Resistance to SBPI will not occur due to its physical mode of action.

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Bay Suckers

The Bay Sucker (Trioza alacris) is a sap sucking insect belonging to the Psyllid family, commonly known as jumping plant lice. A large number of Psyllid species are associated with just one plant species and the Bay Sucker is no exception. This pest only feeds on bay trees causing the leaves to curl at the edges and become yellow and thickened. These damaged leaves can then turn brown and fall off the tree.

Adult Bay Suckers are winged and about 2mm in length. They are pale brown in colour and emerge from hibernation in late spring. They feed on the edges of bay leaves, causing them to curl along the edges.

Eggs are then laid within the curls. The eggs emerge as small scale-like larvae that secrete copious amounts of white wax from their bodies (Figs. 1 and 2). Whilst the larvae feed and grow, the infested leaves become more curled and deformed. Honeydew is also excreted by the larvae which not only makes the plant sticky, but encourages the growth of sooty moulds.

Using SB Plant Invigorator to control Bay Sucker:

Independent research studies have shown that SBPI can be highly effective at controlling the Bay Sucker (Trioza alacris) if used correctly.

A thorough application of SBPI applied in to the leaf curls and to the point it runs off the plant is required. This initial application should be followed by a similar application one or two days later to control an established infestation of Bay Sucker.

The initial application will remove the protective wax from the larvae and the second application should effectively kill them.

Eggs are more difficult to control with SBPI so further regular applications of SBPI at weekly or fortnightly intervals are recommended to ensure the infestation is fully eradicated. Continued regular use of SBPI should protect plants from further infestations.

Spraying as often as weekly may seem excessive but please remember SBPI provides a foliar feed, comprehensive pesticide and mildewcide all at the same time.

Most people who use SBPI weekly rarely have to use other products. Resistance to SBPI will not occur due to its physical mode of action.

Mealy Bug

Mealybug is the common name given to insects of the Pseudococcidae family. There are many different species of mealybug, all of which are un-armoured scale insects that feed on plant sap. Most inhabit plants that grow in moist, warm climates. Many greenhouse crops are susceptible to mealybug infestation where the protected environment is often perfect for their survival. Indoor plants, cacti and succulent plants are also favoured hosts for mealybug.

Mealybug infestations are often recognised as fluffy white growths around leaf axils on plants. This is actually wax that the adult females secrete around themselves to hide within and protect their egg masses. Eggs hatch into tiny orange-coloured larvae that rapidly migrate from the egg masses to new locations and plants. Male mealybug are very different in appearance to the females as they are much smaller, have wings and resemble tiny dark-coloured wasps.

Heavy infestations of mealybug often lead to honeydew contamination of the host plant, which not only makes the plant sticky but also encourages the growth of sooty moulds. This can also lead to leaf drop and even plant death.

Using SB Plant Invigorator to control mealybug:

Independent research studies have shown that SBPI can be highly effective at controlling common mealybug species such as the Citrus mealybug (Planococcus citri) and the Glasshouse mealybug Pseudococcus viburni, if used correctly.

A thorough application (to upper and lower leaf surfaces) of SBPI applied to the point it runs off the plant, followed by a similar application one day later will be required to control an established infestation of mealybug.

The initial application will remove the protective wax from the adults and the second application one day later should effectively kill them.

Eggs and the small mobile juveniles are more difficult to control with SBPI so further regular applications of SBPI at weekly or fortnightly intervals are recommended to ensure the infestation is fully eradicated.

Continued regular use of SBPI will protect plants from further established mealybug infestations.

Spraying as often as weekly may seem excessive but please remember SBPI provides a foliar feed, comprehensive pesticide and mildewcide all at the same time. Most people who use SBPI weekly rarely have to use other products. Resistance to SBPI will not occur due to its physical mode of action.

Scale Insects

There are many different species of Scale insects which can be divided into two different families; The Soft Scales (Coccidae) and the Hard Scales (Diaspididae). Scale insects often look like small bumps on the stems and under the leaves of the many plant, shrub and tree species that they can infest. Adult female scale insects cannot move, so they remain on their host plants, protected by a waxy shield that they produce. They feed on plant sap yet generally it is only the soft scales that produce honeydew and cause sooty moulds. Soft scales cannot be detached from their shields, whereas hard scales can. Depending on the species, female scale insects can lay between 250 and 2000 eggs or live young underneath their shields. The females then die, allowing the young to develop whilst protected beneath the shield. When ready, the young move to find a suitable place on the plant where they can plug their feeding tubes in and feed on the sap. They then shed their skin and lose mobility.

Using SB Plant Invigorator to control Scale Insects:

Independent research studies have shown that SBPI can be highly effective at controlling Scale insects if used correctly.

A thorough application of SBPI applied to the infested areas and to the point it runs off the plant is required.

Eggs and the small mobile juveniles that remain underneath the parental shield can be more difficult to control with SBPI so further regular applications at weekly or fortnightly intervals are recommended to ensure the infestation is fully eradicated.

Continued regular use of SBPI will protect plants from further scale infestations.

Spraying as often as weekly may seem excessive but please remember SBPI provides a foliar feed, comprehensive pesticide and mildewcide all at the same time.

Most people who use SBPI weekly rarely have to use other products. Resistance to SBPI will not occur due to its physical mode of action.

Spidermite

Spider mites are tiny arachnids belonging to a group known as the Acarina. Although they belong to the same order as common spiders, there are distinct morphological differences. Their bodies, for example, are small and bloated and are not divided into sections like true spiders. Also, their juvenile stages only have 3 pairs of legs whilst the adults have four.

The most common spider mite pest, affecting a wide range of glasshouse, indoor and garden plants, is the Two Spotted Red Spider Mite or Glasshouse Red Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae). Despite its name, it is only red in colour during its inactive stage through the autumn and winter seasons. During the spring and summer seasons, it is usually a pale green colour with two distinct darker spots on its back. The first signs of a spider mite infestation are usually the appearance of small pale spots on the leaf surface. This gradually becomes more intense leading to a pale mottling effect across the whole leaf surface as the mite numbers increase and they suck dry the contents of the leaf cells. If left untreated, a spider mite infestation continues to increase and infested plants become covered in fine silk webbing, particularly around the new growth regions. Within this webbing, the spider mites are protected from many types of topical insecticides and the leaves become covered with their tiny spherical eggs. At this level of infestation, the plant will soon lose its green colour and begin losing leaves. It may eventually die.

Here at Growth Technology we must recommend Spider Mite Control and SMC+ solutions as well as the New (Nov.14) Ready mixed versions.

Spider mites are a real hassle for growers. Spidermite Control is a great product to resolve this problem. The mechanical action of the product suffocates the mites with an ultra-thin film of special oil. Completely safe for humans, safe for plants – Deadly for Spidermites!

SMC+ is a broader spectrum pest control product developed to target multiple pests. Including White Fly as well as Spidermites.

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Using SB Plant Invigorator to control spider mites:

Controlling spider mites is not always as easy as controlling other plant pests, especially when infestations have become established and protected by heavy webbing. However, independent research studies have shown that SBPI can be highly effective at controlling spider mites if used correctly.

If a spider mite infestation is found during the early stages, before webbing has become intense, then a thorough application (to upper and lower leaf surfaces) of SBPI applied to the point it runs off the plants will control the problem. However, a few re-applications at weekly intervals will be required since spider mite eggs are not affected and the product does not have residual activity.

An established spider mite infestation, can also be controlled by SBPI although 2 or 3 applications will be required at 2 or 3 day intervals. This will overcome the protective webbing and access the mites within. Weekly applications will then ensure newly hatched juveniles and adults that may have crawled on to the plant from elsewhere continue to be controlled.

Although the leaves from a heavily infested plant will not recover from the spider mite damage, any new leaf growth will be healthy and very likely, the plant will recover.

Spraying as often as weekly may seem excessive but please remember SBPI provides a foliar feed, comprehensive pesticide and mildewcide all at the same time.

Most growers using SBPI weekly rarely use other products. Resistance to SBPI will not occur due to its physical mode of action.

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Whiteflies

Adult whiteflies are small, flying insect pests that resemble tiny white moths. They are usually about 1 or 2 millimetres in length and can be found feeding and laying eggs on the younger leaves of many different plant species including tomatoes and cucumbers. Whitefly feed on plant sap through a long tube-like mouth piece. Excess sap and waste products are excreted as honeydew, on to the plant leaves. Honeydew contains sugars which soon become contaminated with black sooty moulds that grow over the leaves producing unhealthy and unsightly plants. The larvae of whitefly are often confused with scale insects since they look very similar. Once they hatch from the eggs they crawl across the leaves to find a suitable place to feed then shed their skins. During this skin shed, the larvae lose their legs and remain motionless, feeding on plant sap for around 4 weeks. During this time the infested plant continues to grow, resulting in the larvae being found on the older, lower leaves of a plant by the time they are ready to pupate.

The most common and perhaps the most difficult whitefly species to control around the world are the Glasshouse Whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) and the Tobacco Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), although the Tobacco whitefly is only found in the warmer regions of the world. Both of these whiteflies can transmit plant viruses. Other whitefly species that can be a problem include the Strawberry whitefly, the Cabbage whitefly, the Vibernum whitefly, the Citrus whitefly and the Spiralling whitefly. There are many systemic and contact insecticide on the market to deal with whitefly, we recommend SB Plant Invigorator because:

• It is highly effective at controlling whitefly
• It is non toxic and suitable for use throughout the year
• There is no harvest interval and the product is very safe
• Resistance to SBPI will not occur due to its physical mode of action.

Using SB Plant Invigorator (SBPI) to control whiteflies:

Independent research studies have shown that SBPI is highly effective at controlling whiteflies if used correctly.

Almost total control of adult whiteflies can be achieved after just one application of SBPI if the infested leaves are treated thoroughly. The treatment also needs to be applied to the point it runs off the leaves. SBPI causes adult whiteflies to stick to leaves and other surfaces that they land on, although the plants and treated surfaces do not become sticky themselves. When the treatment has dried, the affected whiteflies remain stuck and die.

The larval stages of whiteflies are also controlled by SBPI but in a different way to the adults. Again, a thorough application of the product to the infested areas of the plant is essential since only the larvae that are treated with SBPI will be controlled.

 It is often the case that whitefly pupae and eggs are harder to control compared to the other life stages. This is also the case with SBPI. So, to ensure that effective and sustained whitefly control is achieved, re-applications of SBPI are recommended at weekly or fortnightly intervals. This will not only ensure that newly hatched adults and larvae are controlled, but also any new whiteflies that may have flown on to the plants.

SBPI does not affect whitefly pupae or friendly parasitic wasps.