In this session we define what aquaponic gardening actually is, and what they benefits of this method for growing fish and plants together are both globally and locally.

What to think about in the placement of your aquaponics system.  Includes detailed sections on special considerations for indoor and greenhouse growing.

Why you need to think about heating your aquaponics system (even if you are growing trout) and some thoughts on how to do it efficiently and effectively. 

What are all the ways that you can grow using aquaponics?  What are the pros and cons of each of them?

From simple, single bed system designs to the design principles behind CHiFT PiST, CHOP, and CHOP2 media based systems

How to you select the best grow beds for your aquaponics system?  What materials can you use?  How big should they be?  How do you support them?

What sort of criteria are there for excellent fish tanks?  What types of containers make good fish tanks?  Do you need to cover fish tanks?  How do you seal plumbing holes in the curved surfaces of a round fish tank?

When do we need sump tanks?  What considerations are important when sizing a sump tank?  How do you connect multiple sump tanks together?

How do the number of fish to the size of the fish tank to the size of the grow bed all interrelate?  This lesson summarizes several of the key points from the previous lectures

Why use PVC? What pipe options do you have with PVC? What fitting options are there?  How does the nomenclature in PVC work?

How do you efficiently cut and glue PVC?  Do you always need to glue pieces together?  When might you use a threaded fitting vs a slip fitting? What is a Union fitting?

What types of pumps are there?  How do they work?  What can go wrong with a pump?  How do you clean and maintain them?

What size pump do you need for your timer-based system?  How do the requirements differ when you are using siphons?  How does gravity, or "head height", affect this calculation?

What is the best way to get water into a grow bed?  What methods can I use to drain the grow bed?  If I choose a timer-based drain then how to I plumb my grow bed for that?

What are the 7 key elements in the design of your bell siphon that affect its performance?

What purpose does media serve in your system?  What criteria should you use for selecting grow media?  What are the pros and cons of the media types that are currently available?  

This is Part 1 of an updated version of our original grow lighting lecture shot in our Longmont, CO showroom

This is Part 2 of an updated version of our original grow lighting lecture shot in our Longmont, CO showroom

How pure does the water in an aquaponics system need to be?  How do you deal with chlorine and chloramine?  Is well water safe?  How do you measure dissolved oxygen?  What are the best ways to get oxygen into your system?  How much oxygen do you need?

What kind of fish work best in an aquaponics system?  How do I introduce new fish into my system?  How do I feed them?  What can go wrong?

Steve, The Fish Dude at The Aquaponic Source, shows a simple method for safely introducing fish to your aquaponics system.

Yum!

How do you humanely harvest your fish? How do you prepare it for eating, including cutting off a fillet?  What is the best way to cook those fillets?

What is IPM, or Integrated Pest Management?  Are there ways that you can prevent insects from harming your plants in the first place?  How do you look for insects?  What are the "Horrible 4" of the insect world?  How do you identify them?

How to kill the little nasties!!

Why are worms important in an media based aquaponics system?  How do you introduce them to your grow beds?

What is "cycling"?  How does the cycling process work in aquaponics?

How to cycle your aquaponics system both using fish, and without fish ("Fishless Cycling").  Plus tips for speeding up the process.

How do you test the water in your aquaponics system?  How often do you need to do it?

Now that you know what levels you system is showing with the test kit, how do you interpret those numbers?

Updated Q1, 2014. What is pH and why is it so important in aquaponics. Then we go into carbonate hardness, and its impact on managing pH in your system. Then we go into measuring and adjusting carbonate hardness.

How to quickly check your system for problems and what to do when you find them.