here is a low budget aquaponics recipe 🙂
You may be tempted to start aquaponics but want to start on a low budget. In this video we will see how to collect the necessary equipment to build your first flood and drain aquaponics system. And this with a very limited budget.
As explained in our previous video “how to start your aquaponics system” and in our free aquaponics training available at the end of this article, you will need to collect 4 main parts.
The 2 Tanks (Fish tank and growbed)
The first 2 parts are the fish tank and the growbed. Those 2 must respect specific ratios (see free aquaponics training). I also recommend to get large tanks over small ones. Indeed, small aquaponics setups are tricky to manage (I don’t recommend starting below 300Litres of total capacity).
Also, the grow bed will generally seat on top of the fish tank. it will be twice smaller. The fish tank must be clean, food grade (not having be in contact with toxic chemicals before) and in good condition. You have a multitude of choices. You can buy new ones or recycle all types of materials such as bins, bath tub, tanks…
One of the most commune options is to get an IBC (Industrial Bulk Container). Then you will cut it in order to form a fish tank and a grow bed. Following this method you can have access to those 2 tanks (fish tank and grow-bed) for 0 to $50.
The bell siphon
The grow-bed must be equipped with a flood and drain system. It will to allow the plant roots and bacteria to breathe the oxygen from the atmosphere. This bell siphon can be bought and you just have to easily fix it. Alternatively you can make your own bell siphon from a few PVC pipes. This second option is very cheap. But be aware that bell siphons can be tricky to design. It will probably cost you time before you find the adapted design to your specific water flow.
Water pump
The water pump is probably the only part that you can’t build by yourself. However, it is possible to recycle old equipment from washing machine or other. Generally a water pump is not so expensive as long as you don’t oversize it. Hence why, in the free aquaponics training I offer a specific technique to calculate the exact water pump necessary for your setup.
Going for a huge water pump will not necessary improve your system productivity. instead, it will be costly and consume an unnecessary quantity of electricity. If you get the exact adapted water pump to your system, the budget will be extremely low.
Conclusion: it is achievable to build a low budget aquaponics system
You can build your aquaponics system with a very low budget. It will probably not be the nicest looking setup but it will allow you to get familiar with the concept and produce some food.
Welcome here! If you are new, you will probably be interested to discover Jonathan’s six steps to build and manage an Aquaponics system. Click here to access for free! Thanks and good reading 🙂
