Walter Lawrenz A senior manager at Ichthys Aquaponics has been in the US Virgin Islands for the past few months to assist a client in getting the farm up in production. He has shared some of the key highlights… As with any commercial farming operation, it is vital to know where the produce is going before the harvest date, and ideally even before the seeds are planted. This form of planning allows ample time to ensure that we are growing the right crop for the client, and at the same time, allows us to plan more efficiently regarding the volumes we should be planting. At the farm here, w ..read more

Different Grow Methods of an Aquaponic System October 07, 2021 When it comes to designing your setup, there are a few options to choose from for the hydroponic component. Let’s talk about the different grow methods of an aquaponic system, so you know exactly what you’ll be getting yourself into. Ebb & Flow (Flood & Drain) In this grow bed, the plants are planted in grow media of your choice in a structure that is usually 2m2 in size and 20-30cm deep. This method aids in biofiltration as well as the degassing process of the cycle. (If this is gibberish to you then make sure you rea ..read more

What can you grow in an aquaponic system? October 07, 2021 So, you’re itching to start your aquaponic journey but you’re still not 100% sure about what you can grow in an aquaponic system. Don’t worry we’ve got your back, with many years of experience, trials and errors we have compiled a list of plants that work best in an aquaponic system. Herbs Take your average herb patch to the next level with a fully sustainable, aquaponic herb garden. Herbs are a great introduction to growing plants in your system. Most herbs have low to medium nutrient requirements and are perfect to grow in an aq ..read more

Fishless Cycling October 07, 2021 What is it? How does it work? Why should you consider fishless cycling? Let’s look at this popular practice that most farmers use when setting up a new aquaponic system. What is fishless cycling? Once you have set up your system and you are ready to start growing it’s important to make sure you have established bacterial colonies in your biofilter before any fish are introduced into your system. As you learnt in our blog post, “The Chemistry behind Aquaponics”, ammonia is converted into nitrates by nitrifying bacteria. In a new system, you need to encoura ..read more

Nutrient Roles in Plants October 07, 2021 So you’re constantly dosing your system with extra nutrients and hoping they will help your plants thrive. But in order to manage and maintain the full spectrum of nutrients required in aquaponics, it is important to understand nutrient roles in plants. Firstly, let’s unpack the nutrients into macronutrients and micronutrients. The difference between these two is only in the amounts required for plant survival.  Macronutrients are required in large amounts whereas, micronutrients are required in smaller quantities. Macronutrients Micron ..read more

Common Plant Deficiencies October 07, 2021 As much as we wish everything was all smooth sailing as an aquaponics farmer, we unfortunately still come across our daily struggles. Like in any farming practice, it’s important to always check your plants for nutrient deficiencies. All our recommended treatments for plant deficiencies are 100% safe remedies. This is crucial in an aquaponic system because we cannot add ingredients that could cause harm to the fish or disrupt the balance of the system. Nitrogen Deficiency or Toxicity Even though the fish provide a nitrogen source, it is still pos ..read more

Mineralization Explained October 07, 2021 We are constantly going on about how an aquaponics system is sustainable and operates under minimal water consumption. However, what if we could optimize the system to become a zero-waste system? We understand that solid waste has to be removed from the system. But is there a way that we can utilize this waste to be beneficial to our system? The concentrated sludge (fish waste) collects in the mechanical filter. This sludge contains valuable nutrients that could be beneficial to the system. The latest studies have shown that treating the sludge on ..read more

Different Grow Methods of an Aquaponic System October 07, 2021 When it comes to designing your setup, there are a few options to choose from for the hydroponic component. Let’s talk about the different grow methods of an aquaponic system, so you know exactly what you’ll be getting yourself into. Ebb & Flow (Flood & Drain) In this grow bed, the plants are planted in grow media of your choice in a structure that is usually 2m2 in size and 20-30cm deep. This method aids in biofiltration as well as the degassing process of the cycle. (If this is gibberish to you then make sure you rea ..read more

What can you grow in an aquaponic system? October 07, 2021 So, you’re itching to start your aquaponic journey but you’re still not 100% sure about what you can grow in an aquaponic system. Don’t worry we’ve got your back, with many years of experience, trials and errors we have compiled a list of plants that work best in an aquaponic system. Herbs Take your average herb patch to the next level with a fully sustainable, aquaponic herb garden. Herbs are a great introduction to growing plants in your system. Most herbs have low to medium nutrient requirements and are perfect to grow in an aq ..read more

The Planting Process October 07, 2021 Right, so you have set up a beautiful system and you are ready for some plants. There are a few things to remember when adding plants to your aquaponic system. If you are breaking in a new system then you will first have to cycle your system before adding the fish. However, if your system is settled and sturdy then let’s look at the planting process. First thing’s first, you need to decide if you want to sow your seeds or buy seedlings. Sowing and germination are two high-risk processes and if not carried out correctly can lead to plant loss. It’s impor ..read more