Aquaponics Fish Tank
For my honors project I decided I wanted to create a functioning, in-home, aquaponics tank. Thank to a connection(my mom) in the education department at the San Diego Zoo, I got an old, unused, fish tank with an aquaponics attachment and a stand. My idea was to compare a few different plants and see which would grow the best in an aquaponics system.
Unfortunately I had a hard time communicating with the employee that was supposed to drop off the tank off; I only got it about halfway through the allotted time for our project. Since I had so little time I did not have the time to start seeds in the tank with fish. The tank sat empty in the classroom for about two weeks before I filled it with water and fish. I got the first batch of fish the week before Thanksgiving break and they died while everyone was away. Soon after we came back I fished out the dead fish, except for the two survived, Randy and the Plecostomus. I got six more, two of which died, and then we got six more. I now have twelve fish.
I bought some plants that had been grown aquaponically. Watercress which is an aquatic plant species with the botanical name Nasturtium official. Watercress is a rapidly growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plant native to Europe and Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by humans. It is currently a member of the family Brassicaceae, botanically related to mustard, radish and wasabi. Basil, a common culinary herb Ocimum basilicum of the family Lamiaceae, sometimes known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English speaking countries. Most commercially available basils are cultivars of sweet basil. There are over 160 named cultivars available, with new ones appearing every year. Basil is possibly native to India, and has been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years. It was thoroughly familiar to the Greek authors Theophrastus and Dioscorides. It is a half-hardy annual plant, best known as a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a major role in Southeast Asian cuisines of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Taiwan. Depending on the species and cultivar is has a strong, pungent, often sweet smell. And lastly, kale microgreens. Microgreens are the shoots of salad vegetables such as arugula, Swiss chard, mustard, beetroot, etc., picked just after the first leaves have developed. Fine dining chefs use microgreens to enhance the beauty, taste and freshness of their dishes with their delicate textures and distinctive flavors. Smaller than “baby greens,” and harvested later than “sprouts,” microgreens can provide a variety of leaf flavors, such as sweet and spicy. They are also known for their various colors and textures.
I bought some plants that had been grown aquaponically. Watercress which is an aquatic plant species with the botanical name Nasturtium official. Watercress is a rapidly growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plant native to Europe and Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by humans. It is currently a member of the family Brassicaceae, botanically related to mustard, radish and wasabi. Basil, a common culinary herb Ocimum basilicum of the family Lamiaceae, sometimes known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English speaking countries. Most commercially available basils are cultivars of sweet basil. There are over 160 named cultivars available, with new ones appearing every year. Basil is possibly native to India, and has been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years. It was thoroughly familiar to the Greek authors Theophrastus and Dioscorides. It is a half-hardy annual plant, best known as a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a major role in Southeast Asian cuisines of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Taiwan. Depending on the species and cultivar is has a strong, pungent, often sweet smell. And lastly, kale microgreens. Microgreens are the shoots of salad vegetables such as arugula, Swiss chard, mustard, beetroot, etc., picked just after the first leaves have developed. Fine dining chefs use microgreens to enhance the beauty, taste and freshness of their dishes with their delicate textures and distinctive flavors. Smaller than “baby greens,” and harvested later than “sprouts,” microgreens can provide a variety of leaf flavors, such as sweet and spicy. They are also known for their various colors and textures.
Supplies:
- Fish Tank x 1
- Hanging light structure x 1
- Clay pellets x a lot
- Water pump x 1
- Pebbles x also alot
- Gallons of water x 20
- Tank stand x 1
- Goldfish x 11
- Plecostomus x 1
- Fake skulls x 2
- Aquaponically grown plants x 3