who gardens the aquaponics way?

[RedThorn]

The trace elements I was worrying about too, as you take plants out that used the stock of them(the trace elements etc), how do you know what needs replenishing? Love the idea in theory, especially where I live now

EDIT wonders can you then use hydroponics food for the plants? will this harm the fish?

2nd edit (ok 3rd, the 2nd was for a typo): and if so, what hydroponics food could you use that's natural?

[Kaiya]

I wonder what aquatic shops do with their waste?...........

Delayed reply but according to a fish shop owner I once spoke to, they don't really have any. I asked how often they clean the tanks, he said 'once in a blue moon' - the fish are so transient that they don't feed them that much, so the tanks don't become dirty.

I wonder what trace elements would you need to give that wouldn't be provided either via uneaten fish food, dead fish or fish poo? Is there any substrate in the fish tank that could provide inorganic trace elements (gravel for example will result in some dust in the water).

Interesting system, but I've always been more of a Earth spirit than a water one!

[kingkano]

For fruiting plants one I heard mentioned in particular is Boron. I thought potassium and calcium would also run out since its essentially a closed system (bar the adding of some fish food - which is either duckweed for tilapia who are vegeterians - or worms for trout).

[Bigmallly]

Not sure if I am missing something but I thought it was the urine that was being used for nitrates, not the faeces.

[kingkano]

Not sure if I am missing something but I thought it was the urine that was being used for nitrates, not the faeces.

Both create ammonia. But as nothing is removed from the system, the faeces is also broken down somewhere in the filtration and in turn used to feed the plants.

BTW those asking, most aquaponics users DON'T have gravel in the tanks with the fish. Purely so that the tank can be kept as clean as possible for the fish. Gravel would trap faeces.