Do you want to know about 15 Best Plants For Aquaponics System? Read this article to find out more.
Imagine how lovely your garden would look with varieties of plants and a fish pond in your small space.
You must be thinking now about how it is possible if you have very little space, don’t worry, this is now possible using Aquaponics.
Today, we are going to discuss 15 plants for Aquaponics, along with the type of fish you can breed in your home garden, greenhouse, or even commercial farming field.
What is Aquaponics?
Aquaponics is the environment-friendly hydroponics technique where plants get their nutrients from fish.
- We raise fish not only for selling but also to get nutrients from them for our plants in the form of nitrates.
- Bacteria present inside fish water tanks and growing medium beds perform the nitrification process by which ammonia from fish waste changes to nitrates which is helpful for plants.
- In both systems of Aquaculture and hydroponics, water is recycled to supply nutrients with the help of pumps.
- Plants seedlings are transplanted to medium beds or floating rafts in the water tanks to grow using nutrient-rich oxygenated water from fishes tank till we can harvest them.
We can also sell fish after their incredible growth and breeding, which generally takes one year or less, depending on their type.
Best Plants for Aquaponics Farming:
Using the Aquaponics farming technique, we can grow almost any plant like fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, etc.
However, we must consider several factors when growing any desired Aquaponics plants.
Some plants are most suitable for a single Aquaponics farming method, while some are nutrient-hungry plants that require a hybrid of two to three Aquaponics techniques.
Some plants best for the Aquaponics technique are Lettuce, Basil, Spinach, Tomatoes, Carrots, Potatoes, Broccoli, Cabbage, Strawberries, Rose, Cucumber, squash, Melons, Aloe-Vera, dwarf coconut palm, dwarf citrus trees, Papaya, and Kale.
Let us discuss on each of them in details.
Factors to Consider In Selecting Best Plants for Aquaponics:
A. Location:
One should place Aquaponics location close to sun rays since it is an essential requirement of photosynthesis. In the case of Indoor planting, artificial lighting would also work.
B. Aquaculture Tank:
In this tank, fishes are kept for rearing and providing nutrients.
The sizes vary from the tiny aquarium to larger ponds depending on whether it is used for home gardening or commercial agriculture.
C. Hydroponics Tank:
It is the second tank where seedlings are placed in the Aquaponics system; sometimes, these tanks are also nutrient water storage tanks.
In various techniques of Aquaponics, this tank water is filtered before and after passing through the seedling.
D. Plant Bed:
These are media beds and floating rafts, where plant seedlings are suspended over hydroponics tanks to keep the root seedlings immersed in nutrient water for growing.
E. Climate:
Examining your location’s climate is essential, as overall plant yield also depends on it.
F. Steps for Germination:
It is vital to clean, soak, and sprout your plant seedlings to a particular size and leaf form in a monitored, moist environment before transferring them inside Aquaponics systems.
Best plants for Aquaponics System and their Growing Conditions:
1. Lettuce:
Lettuce belonging to the Asteraceae family, this annual plant is the best choice for Aquaponics because its nutrient demands are less, usually for a quick growing cycle of 30 to 45 days, and a high market value. Conditions for its optimum growth are:
2. Basil:
Basil belonging to the family of Lamiaceae, this annual plant is the second-best choice for Aquaponics because of its low nutrient demands.
It is usually for a quick growing cycle of 25 to 30 days and is famous for its medicinal and culinary benefits.
| Temperature: | 18 to 30 degrees Centigrade |
| ph. | 5.5 up to 6.5 |
| Sunlight: | 6 to 8 hours |
| Nutrient | Low |
| Recommended Aquaponics methods: | DWC, Media Bed, and Nutrient Film Technique |
| Recommended Fish: | Nile tilapia, Goldfish, and Koi |
| Recommended seed varieties: | Sweet Basil, Thai Basil, Lemon Basil, and Spicy Basil |
3. Kale:
Kale belongs to the cabbage family; it is an annual plant grown from seed, making it another popular choice for Aquaponics because of its low nutrient demands; we can harvest them within 5 to 6 weeks.
| Temperature: | 12 to 23 degrees Centigrade |
| ph. | 6.0 up to 7.5 |
| Sunlight: | 6 hours |
| Nutrient | Low |
| Recommended Aquaponics methods: | DWC, Media Bed, Ebb and Flow, and Nutrient Film Technique |
| Recommended Fish: | Tilapia, Tetras, and Koi |
| Recommended seed varieties: | Tuscan, Curly Kale, Russian Red kale, and Siberian Kale |
4. Cabbage:
Our next choice for Aquaponics is the head of the cabbage family, which is very easy to grow in Aquaponics but requires high as compared to kale.
In Aquaponics, cabbage will take 80 to 180 days to harvest but is more nutritious than the traditional one.
| Temperature: | 7 to 23 degrees Centigrade |
| ph. | 6.2 up to 6.6 |
| Sunlight: | 6 hours |
| Nutrient | High |
| Recommended Aquaponics methods: | Raft System or DWC, Media Bed, and Ebb and Flow. |
| Recommended Fish: | Largemouth Bass, Tilapia, and Goldfish |
| Recommended seed varieties: | Pak choi, Brunswick, Golden Acre, and Mammoth Red Rock |
5. Swiss chard
Another popular choice for Aquaponics is a green leafy vegetable called Swiss chard due to its low nutrient requirements and high nutrient value to the consumers.
| Temperature: | 15 to 22 degrees Centigrade |
| ph. | 6.0 up to 7.5 |
| Sunlight: | 6 hours |
| Nutrient | Low |
| Recommended Aquaponics methods: | Raft System or DWC., Nutrient Film Technique and Media Bed |
| Recommended Fish: | Goldfish, Tilapia, and Koi |
| Recommended seed varieties: | Ruby Red, Magenta Sunset, Bright Yellow, Ford Hook Giant, and Bright lights. |
6. Mint
Mint belonging to the family of Lamiaceae, it is an annual plant grown from seed, making it another popular choice for Aquaponics because of its low nutrient demands.
We can harvest them within 5 to 6 weeks.
| Temperature: | 20 to 25 degrees Centigrade |
| ph. | 6.5 up to 7.0 |
| Sunlight: | In Partial shade, 14-16 hours |
| Nutrient | Low |
| Recommended Aquaponics methods: | DWC, Nutrient Film Technique, and Media Bed |
| Recommended Fish: | Goldfish, Tilapia, and Koi |
| Recommended seed varieties: | Basil mint, Spearmint, Peppermint, Corn mint, and Water mint |
7. Spinach:
Spinach is an excellent source of nutrients for our daily needs. It takes 1-2 months to harvest, making it best for Aquaponics farming.
| Temperature: | 4 to 24 degrees Centigrade |
| ph. | 5.5 up to 7 |
| Sunlight: | In Partial shade, 10-14 hours |
| Nutrient | Low |
| Recommended Aquaponics methods: | DWC, Flood, and Drain Media-based Aquaponics |
| Recommended Fish: | Blue Gill, Koi, and Tilapia |
| Recommended seed varieties: | Acadia Spinach, Auroch Spinach, Indian Summer Spinach, and Red Tabby Spinach |
8. Parsley
Our next Aquaponics plant is Parsley which is a popular kitchen garden herb. It harvests in 60 days using Aquaponics.
| Temperature: | 15 to 27 degrees Centigrade |
| ph. | 6.0 up to 7.0 |
| Sunlight: | 8 hours |
| Nutrient | Low |
| Recommended Aquaponics methods: | Flood and Drain Media-based and DWC. |
| Recommended Fish: | Goldfish, Tilapia, and Koi |
| Recommended seed varieties: | Curly leaf Parsley and the flat leaf Parsley |
9. Strawberry
Our next Aquaponics plant is a fruiting plant called strawberries, which takes two and three years compared to four or five years of the traditional method.
| Temperature: | 15 to 27 degrees Centigrade |
| ph. | 6.0 up to 7.5 |
| Sunlight: | 12 hours |
| Nutrient | Medium to High |
| Recommended Aquaponics methods: | NFT, High ebb and flow systems, and vertical grow pipe towers |
| Recommended Fish: | Goldfish, Tilapia, and Koi |
| Recommended seed varieties: | Albion, Seascape, and Ozark Beauty |
10. Tomato
A trendy choice of Aquaponics is tomatoes due to their fast-growing nature and significant consumption worldwide. It harvests in one to two months using Aquaponics.
| Temperature: | 18 to 35 degrees Centigrade |
| ph. | 5.5 and 6.5 |
| Sunlight: | 8 hours |
| Nutrient | High |
| Recommended Aquaponics methods: | Flood and Drain Media based and DWC. |
| Recommended Fish: | Trout, Koi, and Tilapia |
| Recommended seed varieties: | Cherry, Beefsteak, Plum, and Heirloom |
11. Cucumber
Another popular choice is cucumber as it booms in Aquaponics as it is a water-loving plant, and we can harvest it in 55-65 days.
| Temperature: | 18 to 28 degrees Centigrade |
| ph. | 6.0 up to 7.0 |
| Sunlight: | 6-8 hours |
| Nutrient | High |
| Recommended Aquaponics methods: | Ebb and Flow System, DWC, Media bed system |
| Recommended Fish: | Tilapia, Koi, and Omega perch |
| Recommended seed varieties: | Lebanese Cucumbers, Burpless cucumbers, and Armenian Cucumbers |
12. Eggplant:
It is a popular summer crop for Aquaponics which we can harvest in 3 to 4 months.
13. Ginger:
Ginger is famous for its medicinal and culinary use. It can be farmed using Aquaponics in 11 to 12 months.
| Temperature: | 24 to 26 degrees Centigrade |
| ph. | 5.5 to 6.8 |
| Sunlight: | 2 to 5 hours |
| Nutrient | High |
| Recommended Aquaponics methods: | Flood & drain media bed |
| Recommended Fish: | Tilapia |
| Recommended seed varieties: | Baby Ginger, Galangal, and Chinese Ginger |
14. Peas
Peas is a popular edible legume, another good choice for Aquaponics which we can harvest in 3 to 4 months.
| Temperature: | 16 to 26 degrees Centigrade |
| ph. | 5.5 up to 7.0 |
| Sunlight: | 4 to 5 hours |
| Nutrient | High |
| Recommended Aquaponics methods: | Flood & drain media bed |
| Recommended Fish: | Goldfish and tilapia |
| Recommended seed varieties: | Pigeon pea, sugar snap pea, and Avola Pea |
15. Potatoes:
Last but not least, a plant on our list is our favorite potatoes which can also be grown using Aquaponics in just 70–120 days, depending on the type.
| Temperature: | 15 to 21 degrees Centigrade |
| ph. | 5.3 and 6.0 |
| Sunlight: | 6 to 8 hours |
| Nutrient | Medium |
| Recommended Aquaponics methods: | Flood & drain media bed |
| Recommended Fish: | Walleye, crayfish, and tilapia |
| Recommended seed varieties: | Daisy Gold, Red Gold, and Red Pontiac |
Best Plants For Aquaponics System FAQs
Q: What Are The Essentials For Plants In The Aquaponics System To Survive?
Optimum temperature & ph., sunlight, fish water, and growing medium.
Q: Which Plant Nutrient Is Commonly Fewer In Aquaponics?
Phosphorus is usually less, which sometimes stunts the growth of plants.
Q: Describe a few advantages of Aquaponics plant cultivation
It uses less water and natural fertilizer than fish waste, and plants grow four times faster than other methods.
Q: How Can We Control Algae In Aquaponics?
We can limit its growth by keeping tanks partially covered.
Final Words
In recent years, Aquaponics has succeeded in farming almost every variety of plant which can be grown using traditional farming. These 15 best plants for Aquaponics are live examples of it.
My name is Olivia, and I live in the United States and love having plants in my garden. Lots of plants are there on my balcony, indoor and outdoor garden also. Here I am trying to share useful gardening tips, how to grow and care for various plants, etc.
