Aquaponics: Why we should be putting fish in our farms

What if you could farm vegetables AND fish in the same space, with little to no fertilizer or pesticides? We visited an aquaponics farm in the middle of a city where this is already happening - to see how future food production could look like.

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Read more:

Overview on Aquaponics trends and challenges:

Why fish consumption needs to be more sustainable:

How much does our food supply chain contribute to climate change?

Which urban farming systems are most productive and effective:

Impact of fertilizers on soils:

Do-it-yourself tutorials:
How to set up aquaponic grow bed & select the right rock

DIY planter or aquaponics aquarium filter

DIY aquaponics aquarium project

Reporter: Tim Schauenberg
Video editor & camera: Madmo Cem Adam Springer
Supervising editor: Kiyo Dörrer

[DWPlanetA]

Have you heard of aquaponics where you live, or would you like to try it?

[Valir]

Im a preschool teacher and this is a project that Im doing with my students right now! Our lettuces have grown so well. We love it!

[JesusSucksUrDick]

My family been doing aquaponic for generations ...
Instead of Tilapia, we're now breed hybrid sea bass.
We eat the vegies and sell the sea bass on market because of its high market value on the market

[penguinponics]

I've been doing aquaponics for about 6 years now. Trying to take my systems to the next level because it just make sense. This video was hit after hit of what I've been doing and trying to do. My system if off grid and year round production!

[dps]

Aquaponics, agro forestry, permaculture, seaweed farming, natural sequence farming and so many others. I think all these techniques and methods needs to implemented at various levels so that the destructive industrial farming can be diminished to whatever level we can achieve really. Diversification and decentralization is the key. We do this and bang bang! Although I am certain that the change won't be as smooth as we think and the only reason I can think of is that people are just too tired to try new(they are old but not known to many) techinques in farming. Hope this changes.

[jeffforbess]

We’ve had that is LA for years. They’re called crawfish farms. Rice in spring, and crawfish in fall.

[likatrinity]

Wow! Amazing video! I'm a student of Fishering Engineering in Brazil and I love studying about aquaponics systems in other places! I hope my country invests more and more in projects like this.

[matthewona]

Basically if you want to make good food free from too many human inputs... it has to mimic a robust ecosystem as close as possible. With the right amount producers, consumers, decomposes all interacting with inorganic components of the system and an energy source. the more biodiverse a system is the more robust it is. Thats why monoculture doesn't work in the long run.

[anversailles]

Already doing this to grow salad vegetables. Food tastes better when you worked hard for it. Saving up some money to incorporate solar panels to save on electricity. The environmental scientist in me is happy watching these videos.

[Leon-qiwd]

This is so cool, I just wish more companies would explore REAL sustainable ways of producing food. 😒

[macsenpai]

This channel has the potential to be great. Just wanna say that I'm here before it explode to 1 Million subscribers.

[phil_matic]

I like this concept. There could be several indoor farms in the city that grow crops of their choice, and they can also sell it right next door. No need to transport the vegetables to the store if they grow in the store. Allows us to disturb nature less and reuse resources very well.

[cephalonbob]

And we can store them in huge tower to save even more space and build said towers on the ocean so the waste produced can be used to grow algae and feed more fish

[markarca]

It is not new in the Philippines, either! We call it here "palay-isdaan", hybrid ricefield and tilapia ponds.

[MonkeySpecs]

3:58 i like how they throw weed in there.

[YeahAkka]

I’ve been doing hydroponics on my balcony for more than a year now. It’s a stress reliever and i could get bunch of fresh and healthy veggies whenever i want. I have a plan to build aquaponic. The only problem is money lol

[kloss]

I have used my fish tanks and ponds to grow plants since the 1980s I know a good num of plants and fish- crustation types that do well in such systems I also use vermiculture. It's part of the cycle that's needed that this video doesn't consider.

[TzokoliT]

3:59 focusing on that will get MANY people into aquaponics, hehe! I am also doing my own hydro and aquaponics with my turtles, koi, and goldfish

[insAneTunA]

My aquaponics system works great, and it uses 40 watt of power. Fresh strawberries every single day, and they taste sweet, fresh and juicy. I also have chive, reddish, bay leave, dragon herb, and a few other varieties.

[fuwymechtopia]

I think an important piece left out is that aquaponics should be applied when applicable. Simply putting fish in farms won't work everywhere. In areas with access to water it's a great idea as Japan has already shown. In areas without access to waters like the desert states in the US, it will only strain water resources further. Desert states already lose millions of gallons from exposed water moving through aqueducts and canals, agriculture, and green golf courses.