An aquaponics garden is another “water-wise” gardening set up. This literally combines “hydroponics” with an “aquarium” set-up to create a food producing unit that gives you both vegetables and fish.

For example, you can stock your aquarium with tilapia and then grow lettuce, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. You’ve virtually grown several fresh meals for yourself!

Usually the plants are kept in a trough of some kind. They’re placed in soil cubes that might contain some additional fertilizer. They’re then placed in the trough and held in place with a foil covering.

You can also use hydroponic stones instead of soil cubes, the same way you’d do in any hydroponic system.

The foil covering also serves to help you keep algae out of the water.

The water then flows through the trough and back into the aquarium where the fish live. You also need a pump to keep the water moving and clean.

The nutrients from the fish waste will feed the plants to keep them healthier and stronger. You’ll have to keep feeding the fish yourself.

The video set-up is more suited towards housing smaller fish. You’d need a much bigger pond to grow a food fish like tilapia.

Be sure to check with your local county extension before setting up your own system. Some systems and some types of fish require special permits before you can buy them or grow them.

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