How to Make an Aquaponic Garden

Set Up the System

• 1

  Choose a fish tank based on how many fish you want to raise and the amount of space you have. Put washed aquarium gravel in the tank bottom and fill it with water. Let the water stand for 24 hours to dechlorinate it. Set up an aquarium pump attached with tubing to an airstone to provide aeration for the fish.

• 2

  Choose a solid-bottomed container such as a 3- to 8-inch-deep plastic tub that will fit over the top of the fish tank, overlapping the sides by an inch or two. Drill 1/8-inch holes through the bottom of the container, one hole for every 2 square inches. Drill a 1/2-inch hole in a back corner for the water pump tubing to enter.

• 3

  Attach appropriate-size plastic tubing to the water pump outlet and put the pump in the fish tank. Put the growing container on top of the fish tank and pass the tubing into the container through the 1/2-inch hole in the back. Bring tubing up to the top one-quarter of the container and loop it around the grow bed about 4 inches in from the edges.

• 4

  Fold the edge of the tubing over sharply once the proper length has been determined. Hold the crimped fold and cut off any extra tubing. Secure the folded and cut end by covering the area with electrician's tape.

• 5

  Put an inert substrate like perlite, pumice or washed pea gravel in the growing container so the looped tubing rests on the top of the substrate. Use an awl to puncture the tubing with small holes every 2 inches. Add another couple of inches of substrate to cover the tubing.

Finish and Add Living Elements

• 6

  Test the aquarium pump for good airflow through the airstone. Test the water pump to ensure there is good water flow through the tubing and its holes. Let it run for a while to check the rate of flow through the growing medium back into the fish tank, adjusting the flow as necessary.

• 7

  Add the fish, choosing reliable kinds like goldfish or guppies for smaller tanks. Add about half of the carrying capacity of the tank to begin with, adding more after the system has been set up for about a month. Feed appropriate fish food.

• 8

  Add seeds to the growing medium after about a month. Seed directly into the substrate following planting instructions as to depth and spacing.

• 9

  Watch the water level in the fish tank. Add water every three to five days to bring the water level back to its original volume. Take out 10 to 15 percent of the tank's volume each month. Use a siphon to remove the water and replace it with an equal volume of fresh dechlorinated water.