Is Aquaponics the Future of Agriculture?

Is Aquaponics the Future of Agriculture? The first 100 people to use code UNDECIDED at the link below will get 60% off of Incogni: incogni.com/undecided. We have to find better ways to produce the food we all need. The solution could lie in one of several promising farming techniques like hydroponics, vertical farming, or aquaponics. That last one has technically been around since ancient times, but has been gaining a lot of interest recently. How is this old technique of farming with fish getting revived? Can nextgen tech really build a mini ecosystem that creates more food with less water? Could aquaponics be the future of farming?
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[@UndecidedMF]

So what do you think? Do you think aquaponics is something to keep investigating and that will impact the future of farming? The first 100 people to use code UNDECIDED at the link below will get 60% off of Incogni: incogni.com/undecided. If you liked this video, check out: 137 Year Old Battery Tech May Be The Future of Energy Storage kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKjWhIWnYsd4o5I

[@AlchemyAles]

Yes. Also labor is tough to find, making robotics the next phase in agriculture.

[@Jppnametaken]

I think it's just a few discoveries / tweaks / innovations away from being a prominent part of the future.

[@hixsquishy2246]

Seeing the title of aquaponics had me hopeful. However, the fact that it's not profitable but mainly environmentally friendly is a big pill to swallow for farmers. Since the specifications of the organisms involved are the problem, would it be a good idea to etampt to modify them? Like selective breeding or maybe more extreme methods to speed things up. As dangerous as it that is, the world needs it as soon as possible right now.

[@StrifeA217]

I wrote a separate comment about Aquaponics as I have been down this rabbit hole for about a year. But in regards to your comments on traditional farming I really think you should look into it a bit more. Im fairly certain your off on a few points. For instance you stated that farming uses mono culture growth damages the soil and to pollinators like bees. The truth is this is why they do crop rotations. Some plants will take a certain nutrient out of the soil while on a different rotation another plant will actually replace that nutrient, Most farmers will use natural fertilizer such as cow, chicken or pig dung as fertilizers to replace what their rotations are not able to. Farmers will also allow a field to rest every few years where they will not plant anything on the field and let it grow wild. Where I will acknowledge that in some places farmers using up to 70% of water can be an issue in dry places like California, but the vast majority of places dont put extra water in their fields. As you have said the margins on farming in general are thin, and it cost money to move water enough to water a field. The truth is farmers make the world go round, The reason our food is so expensive isnt because farmers are holding it hostage, its actually because of government agencies telling farmers they are only allowed to sell X amount of product. Anything over X has to be disposed of and goes to waist and farmers hate it not because they are greedy and want to make more money, but because they cant even take extra milk or eggs and donate it so a homeless shelter or a food bank or any kind of organization that could put them to use. Its very interesting if you look at the timings where the cost of eggs started to sky rocket you had articles pouring out of major outlets telling everyone how bad chickens are to keep. Im not trying to drag you with any of these comments I encourage you to do a deep dive on modern farming, and even look into how the regulation is actually harming both farmers as well as your every day people. I look forward to seeing your next vid you always have something interesting to discuss.

[@dertythegrower]

Thank you for doing this topic.. I think i request you talk about it a ... few times 😉If you do not know potentponics, he has done literal 24 hour nonstop live education classes here on youtube regarding it, with the top aquaponics growers in South America, Asia, and the states for sure. I help moderate his educational content (warning, we often talk about hemp and related plants)

[@charlescilek2281]

As somebody who worked at a start-up aquaponics company of a similar scope to Superior, I can attest to the difficulty of getting the systems going and keep them going. It’s beautiful when it works out well, but it’s a lot of work

[@UndecidedMF]

Thanks for sharing!

[@leventtoprak6826]

Just curious, Is it possible to make it in smaller levels mostly for earnings around 100$ a Month in profit and be able to keep your home and family happy for the most and still be helpful for the environmental footprint even in small margins? Also how difficult would that be in a Scale from 1-10 ?

[@dertythegrower]

I talk to the top aquaponics educators here every week... if you are not onto PotentPonics, you are way behind... I moderate his chat... let me tell you, we had a literal 2 day, full on 12 hour show he created here, last month... and it was the top tier of aquaponics, literally. 12 hours fullstop he hosted many growers on commercial scale doing it... and then, sunday did it again. All from Thailand where he now moved his states operations to there (because of that one funny herb which is factually medical... for sure 🙏 )

[@coreystinar7453]

I have been running a system in my garage for about 5 months now. Definitely just a hobby. Actually saving money or making money is a full time job

[@jashpaper8370]

Couldn't you have the fish water pumped into a separate tank before it goes to the plants so that way it can be prepared to the right specifications. And then do the same thing with the clean water leaving the plants.. then you have two tanks ready to be used when needed instead of pumping the fish water directly into the plants. You can also mitigate things going wrong quicker by isolating.

[@colintilbrook]

I think one of the most obvious missed opportunities is aquaponics in old quarries. In Ontario we have literally thousands of abandoned quarries with standing ground water levels that would allow you to tent over the entire opening, the water is commonly 50+ feet deep so the ability to grow less common lake fish that prefer cold water is unique. plus utilizing what many people see as desolate scar in the landscape to produce food and generate economy in what are often small town resource extraction based communities hits on a lot of beneficial points.

[@MattyEngland]

A lot of quarries have a pH level unsuitable for fish or plants.

[@brettgracey9682]

@@MattyEnglandat least in the area of southern Ontario that I live, these quarries were simply stone quarries, not open pit mines for other mining purposes. I’m my community we have a half dozen of these (including active stone quarries) the abandoned quarries for the most part already sustain fish and flora quite well.

[@gesundheitoh520]

@@MattyEngland Hopefully, we can bioengineer the first few ecosystems in such inhabitable pits, to make it more suitable for future flora and fauna. I know there are plants out there that suck up heavy metals and/or can live in weird pH levels!

[@rashakor]

@@brettgracey9682 One thing is to sustain a few minnows and a handful of weeds, another thing is to grow fishes and plants to commercial sizes under the clock. What you suggested has been tried for decades unsuccessfully. Dunning-Krugger alert.

[@ragevsraid7703]

@@rashakor thanks for warning us you were here- the guy you suggested acts like he knows more than he does actually only expressed his opinion, you on the other hand seem to think you know everything about this subject and claim because we couldn't do something decades ago means we still can not now. Tool alert.

[@Dschinghiss]

I researched the topic myself just recently and there is one point that seems to always get overlooked, and that is the beginning of the Aquaponics cycle: the Fishfeed. It is the basis for all the nutrients in the system and if the fish feed is sustainable, then it is a great system. But the reality is, that fish feed usually consists of, well... other fish. We use fishmeal, i.e. the dried and gound up byproducts of caught wild fish, mixed with maybe some vegetable protein and a bit of wheat for coagulation. So, the entire Aquaponics system is still reliant on fishing. Paradoxically. And since our current rate of fishing is unsustainable, so would this be. Some people propose using duckweed (also known as water lentils) in the pools, so that fish could eat those, but these duckweed couldnt grow fast enough. Another solution would be insects, grown from food scraps, which could definitely alleviate a lot of the needs of fishmeal and we would even upcycle our wasted food. All in all, it's a great and beautiful system, but until we solve the first step it will stay unsustainable. Not that it can't be solved. I just don't see anyone focusing on it atm.

[@uhitsethan]

Couldn't you also produce plant material to sustain the fish within the facility? It would reduce some space, but that's not a limiting factor in this model. Another promising development is the prospects of combining aquaponics with waste water management, bringing value into the system while remaining contained and self-sufficient.

[@Dschinghiss]

@@uhitsethan Yeah that would be the solution, but so far Aquaponics have only been able to produce low energy dense vegetables, like salads, maybe some herbs, even tomatoes are hard to produce atm. You´re not getting energy dense, protein rich matter out of this system (yet). Which is the bottleneck. And fish need Protein and calories to grow.

[@evancombs5159]

@@uhitsethan no, when you harvest the plants to sell on the market you are extracting nutrients from the system. Those nutrients have to be added back into the system in some way. You can reduce the amount of nutrients needed to be added to the system by using the undesirable parts of the plants to create fish feed, but you can't produce enough to sustain the system on its own.

[@jaysilence3314]

@@uhitsethan As you are harvesting, and thus eliminating material from the system, you also have to supply some input.

[@jaysilence3314]

Yes, sustainable fish feed is a major challenge. As Matt said, Aquaponics is not a silver bullet. It is just one interesting component of a sustainable food system. Fishmeal is not as non-sustainable as we think, at least as long as we consume wild catch. Slaughter waste from aquaponics can also be recycled as fish meal btw. Blood meal and bone meal from meat production are allowed in aquaculture feed. Essentially I think insects, like black soldier fly, are the most promising direction on this issue. Can be fed with organic waste. But the novel food regulation in Europe is a major barrier. Can not use anything as insect feed that has been declared as waste, no matter how good and clean this ressource stream actually is (organic agricultural waste has huge potential for example). Also duck weed and azolla, grown on low nutrient density run off can be a sensible solution.

[@themacker894]

This really works. I had a 200 gallon saltwater tank and a 100 gallon refugium filled with saltwater plants. I'd harvest the plants a couple of times a month and I think I had to change the fish tank water (25% change or 50 gallons) about once a year instead of once a month as recommended. Fish sure keep the plants happy.

[@tschadschi1010]

What kind of plants grew in saltwater?

[@mikep8080]

@@tschadschi1010 Perhaps he means he grows macro algae.... I know some plants will handle brackish water perhaps

[@robertmarks2379]

What the hell grew in saltwater? I grow kratky and a DWC linked to my NFT during the summer to try moderate temperature and it's a nightmare if I'm not keeping on top of it PH and nut!

[@robertmarks2379]

​@@mikep8080lmfao a nice marketable product lol what would happen if you started adding nutrients to saltwater lol you would definitely drop house prices with that smell

[@mervjohnson8010]

I used to have a turtle-powered aquaponic garden in my old backyard! It's true, the plants grow like crazy. I did have some algae issues however because turtles are *ahem* a great fertilizer source so I literally had more than my plants could ask for.

[@BrowncoatGofAZ]

That’s actually one of the hardest parts of aquaponics. Balancing the animals with the plants.

[@Satou-Akira71]

this how Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles started🐢

[@dertythegrower]

Have you seen VonPonics? He does them and is going hard on a new project doing the same thing with koi also

[@steveschritz1823]

I had a pet turtle and I can attest to their, er, Fertilizer Productivity lol

[@atlanciaza]

That is a new one I have not heard of, though I won't try it myself, I had my fill for a lifetime dealing with aquaponics.

[@bushmann5]

I have been operating a homemade backyard aquaponics system for many years. I have been able to enjoy tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and melons in the summer and harvest tilapia filets in the fall. It's not hard, but does require daily attention. I agree with Matt's comments about the fragility of the system. If a pump breaks, a pipe leaks, a siphon clogs, or severe weather disrupts the proper water flow, the fish and plants could die. Hopefully, the industry will figure out how to make commercial scale facilities more reliable and profitable.

[@dertythegrower]

They already do that... you paying attention to it lately? Its done commercial in many states like Colorado and Oklahoma.. for sure for years already. Also Purdue has content proving it for 12 years now

[@ocaeocae]

This is exactly what I want to do! I would love to hear more about how you got started/ any other tips and tricks you found worked for you!

[@Greenskies321]

I use vertical towers I made myself for my patio system

[@Moepowerplant]

With all of that monitoring and complexity, aquaponics seems to be exactly that kind of industry which is cut out for AI.

[@b.v.yogesh456]

Yep You are right sir

[@gtowr]

I recently discovered aqua vegeculture system (IAVS) also known as sandponics. With sand as a growth medium it apparently solves the problem of a seperate solid filtration that can get clogged. Plus a rhizosphere forms in the sand with a much more diverse microbial community, giving the system more stability, and less pH fluctuations. I'm building one in Namibia to try it out. The two main challenges are getting the proper inert sand and suitable fish feed.

[@gtowr]

O, I forgot to mention... With sandponics the pump can be cycled 15 minutes on, 45 minutes off. This because sand drains slower than other mediums. So it should be more energy efficient. Plus the pump is kept off overnight.

[@tungsten2009]

Yo, how is it going?@@gtowr

[@KiwiTim]

Who knows, maybe with the huge growth of AI and robotics, the trickiest parts of maintaining healthy biometrics will be able to be automated somewhat improving reliability and reducing maintenance costs. It’s a great idea and I feel like the future tech will make these complicated and currently expensive farming techniques commercially viable/profitable. Great work Matt at breaking down the pros and cons 👍🏼

[@idlx420]

When I was in middle school I built an aquaponics system in my room that drew water out of a ten gallon fish tank filled with common goldfish, then drained back through two levels of rocks beds via PVC tubing. The pump was set up on a timer to allow the roots to drain and breathe every 30 minutes. Worked supreisingly well but eventually had to be taken down as the constant humidity was ruining my bedroom walls.

[@pineberry212]

I actually did the same thing, but I wasn't able to get much to grow very well, I was using mollies, so I'm not surprised it didn't work out.

[@artel6225]

Matt great video this becoming local thriving industry in Western Africa countries including Nigeria. It is so worth it. Over the last eight to ten this has proliferated mainly by individuals returning back to Nigeria from the diaspora.

[@jaysilence3314]

You might want to follow the INCiTiS-Food project we just started recently. Setting up two labs in Lagos and Ibadan, as well as in five other african countries.

[@AdequateOregonian]

You do a GREAT job of breaking things down for the positive "green" side plus adding in the downside or struggles of these greener tech ideas and pathways. I appreciate the work you and your team put into the knowledge you share with all of us! Our turn to spread the word and help tackle the obsticles in these ideas to make them viable.

[@TomsBackyardWorkshop]

I had an aquaponics garden for a few years. It grew greens much faster than my in ground garden and used an estimated 90% less water however it was very time consuming. Because of the fish in the system almost no pesticides were able to be used. That meant that I had to carefully select pesticides and apply them in a way that prevented them from getting into the water. In the end I tended to pick off most pests by hand when I could. You also have to monitor the fish health constantly.

[@marknewell3774]

Hey Matt, I'd like to help out with some of the technical aspects First: while it is true that solid wastes can and do break down and produce ammonia as a byproduct, as a rule the #1 priority is to remove solid waste prior to any decomposition (usually with mechanical filtration)...in a properly functioning aquaponics system the primary source of ammonia is the fish themselves directly excreting it from their gills. Fish don't urinate, they get rid of the metabolic waste, urea, by converting it to ammonia.

[@heyhoe168]

Nice insight!

[@haseebahmed3262]

Yes, hydroponic is viable at domestic levels, It's fun and saves money when you like organic vegetables. I am growing Corriendar, Chillies, Tomatos and Cucumbers for my family using towers at my roof. I think I'll be doing it for the rest of my life.

[@zaczane]

It also works for weed! Lol

[@haseebahmed3262]

@@zaczane yep it does but not my interest 🤪.

[@brucehitchcock3869]

​@@zaczane Potent ponics?dual root zone experiment looks like a winner. Steve Raisner ❤🙏🌞🌍🍄

[@brucehitchcock3869]

❤

[@zaczane]

@@brucehitchcock3869 ???? You mean like growing with Shrooms?

[@melissamoore6539]

We got into indoor hydroponics during the pandemic and loved it! As soon as I have more space (I currently live in a flat) I want to explore multi species aquaponics. I’m not sure if that’s a backyard, pond or something else. But I think it’s really promising, particularly if we can figure out the energy side of things

[@ocaeocae]

What all were you growing? Did you buy a hydroponic system, or fabricate something yourself? Wish I would have thought of that! (Grew some peppers and A tomato on my windowsill, but it didn't even occur to me to try hydroponics -- good thinking!)

[@melissamoore6539]

@@ocaeocae we started with a prefab desktop system with integrated lights. We mostly grew lettuce and basil. But we eventually built our own deep water culture system that was integrated into a bookshelf with grow lights, and air bubblers. On that we again mostly grow lettuce, but experimented with herbs, flowers, tomatoes, and peas. But given are limited space, let us work best for us.

[@wadeodonoghue1887]

An idea for a chain in hybrid farming would be to have plants that also feed chickens like grains, have the chicken poop feed the fish. Also add animal poop and plant leftovers to the compost and insect growing section, the insects like ants will be used to turn dead plant mater into mainly protein, the insects can be processed into protein feed for larger animals or the chickens. The process would overflow as each section feeds the next, so one would have to stop the growth were you want/need it.

[@StrifeA217]

This is just my 2 cents on Aquaponics, I have done a lot of research into it and toured a few farms, Aquaponics is fantastic in terms of growth and production, you are able to produce an incredible amount of vegetation and you can grow a pretty good variety a small back yard system can easily produce enough to feed a few families. From a strictly production standpoint this is pretty incredible. The real issue is when you try to scale this into industrial levels. Money makes the world go round. The truth is that you can scale the systems up very easily but the more you grow the more man power you need to manage your facility. The true Achilles heal is Pay Role. Sadly the cost of labor often out strips the sale of your vegge even when selling to larger supermarkets in your aria. Everything else mentioned like water balance and fish populations are relatively minor concerns for most facilities. It ultimately comes down to cost and income that as you scale up you very quickly end up with diminishing returns to the point that makes the business itself unsustainable.

[@MattyEngland]

_"A small backyard setup easily feeding a few families"_ ..... Absolute nonsense. Absolutely no way on earth is that possible! For starters you can only use aquaponics to grow leafy plants such as lettace, there are nowhere near enough nutrients to grow proper fruit and vegetables.

[@brandonspurlock8059]

​@MattyEngland we have grown tomatoes, peppers, and cannabis for years in aquaponics

[@ryanblandindechalain120]

@@MattyEngland That's actually not true. I've worked in the industry for 3 years and grown everything from tomatoes to cucumbers and even butternut. The problem is that most aquaponics farms eliminate the solid waste from fish, eliminating your denser nutrients that fruiting crops need. A simple redesign of the system could make facilities like the one in the video produce tomatoes in addition to the lettuce.

[@MattyEngland]

@@brandonspurlock8059 aquaponics or hydroponics? If aquaponics, then where are you getting all your potassium, phosphorus and trace elements from? They don't come from a fishes a hole.

[@MattyEngland]

@@ryanblandindechalain120 It's not denser nutrients they need, it's phosphorus, potassium and plenty of other trace elements that aren't in fish waste.

[@ProfIsmaelGonzalez]

I think that aquaponics are a very reliable solution to the farming woes. You can use with a Raspberry Pi with a few sensors to monitor the pH of the water, to automatically feed the fish, to monitor the water level in the tanks, etc.

[@TheKauff]

I could see this scaled up pretty easily, too. Maybe a Raspi Pi per tank with a more powerful computer handling the entire system?

[@TRWnan]

@@geogmz8277 You are describing a cybernetic system - a hierarchical arrangement of feedback-controlled control systems working towards a goal. This is a good application of cybernetic theory (whether the implementer knows that's what they are doing or not)

[@sirdeakia]

The big problem is that a reactive solution, like you're proposing, will likely kill the fish. They're extremely sensitive to changes in water, and some hydroponic cycles do precisely that. It's pretty challenging.

[@mikek8626]

@Undecided with Matt Ferrell I really enjoy your style and delivery in your videos. You are a great science communicator and it's nice to see something else besides EV's and batteries. I hope you start doing more and more varied science and tech topics. Thanks for a great video!

[@shakeval]

@UndecidedMF personally i think one of the immediate and largest benefits it to smaller communities around the world that have food scarcity issues. Originally i was introduced to aquaponics about 5-10 years ago where it was being used by small island communites in third world areas to create communual gardens using those large caged food grade liquid container cubes, honestly i dont remember the acronyms, the vegetable scraps would be used to feed chickens and set up black soldier fly boxes, which would created upwards of a pound or more of larva mass per day when in full swing, which would also feed the fish and chickens. The chicken manure would be used to start cultivating a better quality soil and the fat and healthy chickens would start providing more protein, in addition to the fat and healthy fish, to the local diet. With a more easily maintained source of food there was more time for the local village to direct towards other things and with the supplamented diet the overall health of the whole community was improved. In many cases the pumping of the water was via a cobbled together windmill or even a rudamentary water wheel from a nearby stream or river.

[@karlnykwest4199]

Has your channel covered any of the interesting advances made recently in the field of regenerative agriculture. There are a lot of different methods being touted, but also some really interesting claims when it comes to carbon capture and sustainability, and I'd be interested in seeing how some of them shake down.

[@jaredhelder]

I have a 90 gallon fish tank, with having to do water changes I’ve been looking into an aquaponic/hydroponic growing system. I don’t want to grow my plants in the same location, but want to utilize the water to grow indoor lettuce and tomatoes. I currently water all my house plants from the tank, and they thrive from the “dirty” water.

[@teamtaj]

We are planning to implement aquaponics and hydroponics in our new home. This was a great video Matt and definitely puts it into perspective in regards to the ongoing maintenance. Potentially some of the downsides could be reduced with careful planning of the system being in a temperature controlled environment, using solar power for the entire system and integrating more automation to catch things before they escalate e.g. pH levels being monitored with push notifications to your phone to address them. I just love the idea of growing certain vegetables and a protein source in a compact, closed loop system. Would love to see some more content on other ways we can implement smarter more efficient and eco friendly ways of producing our own food.

[@Greenskies321]

I have multiple home made aquaponic systems in my apartment that I use for R&D for my aquaponics startup in Southern California. Once you get them setup and understand stocking density and your filtration parameters, it’s very little maintenance. However the profitability only comes if you can go vertical… and I mean vertical towers and not stack horizontal NFT systems. Especially if you’re taking over warehouse space in an urban environment where lease costs can be 2-$5 per sqft.

[@yuzaR-Data-Science]

that's another amazing video from you! thanks! love your channel. the level of depth and at the same time the storytelling skills are estonishing. I studied fishery biology and wanted to do aquaponics for life, but, as you mensioned, most of our projects failed. anyway. thanks for your educational content!

[@AtTheBarn]

I have been researching Aquaponics for over a decade and this is the overall expectation still. Aquaponics is one of those things that in the end will better fit into a sustainable, off grid, solar/wind operation for a family or small community with outside resources that can help recover i failure years. On the smaller basis things seem to really work out if you are not trying for teh profit margins investors demand and you are only creating resources directly for the "Gardeners".

[@Greenskies321]

I have a startup that is trying to reduce the operating costs while creating a system that requires less maintenance. This is the future and these are the small hurdles we need to overcome.

[@AtTheBarn]

@@Greenskies321 Great news!!!

[@IndianaDiy]

I do aeroponic gardening with yes Tower Gardens but I think all the soilless growing ideas are awesome. But I’d have to say my favorite is vertical growing farms considering the space and water use. But I definitely like the difference you get from other types of hydroponic systems, aeroponic and aquaponics, etc.

[@webchimp]

First time I saw a vid about this, it was set up in an empty shop. They had a cafe out back using the fish and salads they grew and ran cookery courses as well.

[@PotentPonics]

Huge fan of your channel its nice to see you finally cover aquaponics.

[@dertythegrower]

Big respect, Steve.... Matt, you need to redo this episode for a version 2, and talk with Steve 💯

[@MarcosProjects]

I love how objective you are about everything. After the first part of the video I was practically jumping up and down with optimism but it's sooo important to consider the challenges, and after that section of the video I was feeling pretty meh about the potential. But you also did a good job of implying the argument that it's not a mature field yet and perhaps new advances like those that Superior Fresh is utilizing could make it a winner in the long run. Fingers crossed!

[@uhitsethan]

Don't misunderstand his intentions, the is unlimited potential for vertical agriculture. The sky is the literal limit. R&D is limited for this field as of right now, which is the biggest limiting factor IMO. Since R&D is driven by profit incentives, even if this is more efficient with CURRENT, even ANCIENT tech, it might take a second to really catch steam. But it will. It's not like we have a choice, anyway. Remember at the start of the vid where he was talking about arible land?

[@standardannonymousguy]

Aquaponics does give me reason to be optimistic. I'd think that by changing a variable, maybe adding a few other fish species to the mix on occasion might help to combat any disease or algal bloom that could occur. Thanks for sharing Matt.

[@AssassinX-kf3nn]

Ah just like how important the biodiversity for farming plants is its also good for biodiversity farming fishes as well

[@TRWnan]

Which also brings up the question: Is spirulina good fish food?

[@bunny_apocalypse]

@@AssassinX-kf3nn wonder if Walstad method for ponds and aquariums could help in this scenario.

[@AssassinX-kf3nn]

@@bunny_apocalypse let see what's effective in order to make the system work

[@harryconover289]

How many turtles dos it take to feed six plants ?

[@robertpoliti7284]

KEEP UP THE GREAT INFORMATIVE STORES,MATT.

[@healexhelixvideos4680]

As with all things, different solutions for different problems. Having more tools in the toolbox is always good to know. Glad to see that aquaponics still hasn't died out over the past decade. Will definitely start checking in on how the technology is maturing again.

[@DesertHomesteader]

I definitely want to start an aquaponics build on my farm. I probably wouldn't use it for mass production (I don't have the water rights for that, anyway) but it is a great idea for a sustainable homestead.

[@skeptibleiyam1093]

Are the water rights for aquaponics different than the water rights for traditional farming? Or is Matt wrong about it needing less water?

[@spencervance8484]

​@@skeptibleiyam1093the water is continuously cycled throughout the system. You only have replace evaporation or leaks

[@b.s.864]

@@spencervance8484 The products physically contain a significant amount of water that is being removed from the system. Industrial scale has to factor that into its usage.

[@dertythegrower]

👏

[@Seabrook57]

Great episode on a very important topic- Great analysis and great issues and questions raised. THANKS SO MUCH!

[@philborer877]

This was a great video and I've seen a lot of videos on aquaponics. The one thing I never see mentioned about aquaponics is where they get the food to feed the fish.

[@YellowRambler]

Glad you mentioned the pH problem, I Personally like Aquaponic but it can be very restrictive regarding pH compatibility issues. As far as Aquaponic being a major contender for top food provider, everything is in place except for the energy part of the equation they need something like Thorium Molten Salt Reactors or Focus Fusion to power the facility. Also If someone could come up with a pH exchanger that didn’t continuously add Chemicals or minerals to adjust the pH because you can only do that so many time before you have to flush the whole system.

[@dertythegrower]

You can use air pumps... to move water. Also, solar can power them easily with a few humans and a horse.

[@jaysilence3314]

In our experience (12 years running systems and 9 years of research) this is an overrated problem. We have been running low pH aquaponics (5.5 - 6.5) just fine with catfish. Using a well sized biofilter. The aquaculture drives pH down, the plant side drives it up. This only becomes a task, when running decoupled aquaponics (dubbed DAPS, not a fan). In a healthy coupled system pH drops slowly. pH management can be easily done with low cost chemicals that also give you the opportunity to balance nutrients like potassium, calcium or magnesium.

[@jaysilence3314]

To add to your "have to flush the whole system" statement: this is completely not true. For example pH management with potassium hydroxide only adds potassium which will be extracted by the plants. Calcium hydroxide only adds calcium, which also will be consumed by the plants. The problem you state does not exist. I know one aquaculture (not aquaponics) producer who has been running his system for 25 years without ever stopping it or exchanging the process water.

[@YellowRambler]

@@jaysilence3314 Sounds great, don’t enough about catfish and Aquaponic, are the catfish still good eating being raised in that environment? Go a link sounds very impressive.

[@jaysilence3314]

@@YellowRambler in my opinion catfish are underrated on the markets. Good fish for human consumption. Taste in RAS systems is great. No muddy taste at all when treated right. With African Catfish great production because it tolerates high stocking densities. But low market prices.

[@cyclonicleo]

I'm a big believer in Aquaponics, having seen it first hand. My father had an aquaponics setup on his hobby farm and the ability to grow fruit and veggies, as well as fish at the same time was awesome. It works so well and can be done on a small scale on a balcony, right up to industrial size. Yes, sometimes the start up costs for commercial ventures can be high but hobbyists can get into it relatively cheaply.

[@chrisklugh]

You have done a great job covering all the things, the good and bad, in this industry. I really hope you do more of these sustainable agriculture videos. Energy sustainability is not just about oil and electricity, its our calories too.

[@brandonfranklin4533]

I was planning an aquaponic greenhouse system for my future off grid homestead. I still think it'll be workable after seeing this. My system will not be commercial, just enough for myself.

[@ronm6585]

Thanks Matt. I definitely think that aquaponics is something to keep investigating.

[@trenomas1]

I think the major issue is people trying to grow land-based crops in aquatic environs. If you grow kelps, azolla, duckweed, wapato and similarly adapted plants, I think you're likely to receive a better result. They already want to work with fish.

[@natevelar]

what a quality episode, Matt. Thanks for the info and clarity.

[@MichaelGalt]

As usual, great video. I remember reading about this a while ago, but had heard little since. Kind of like bacteria which eat trash. Or, cricket farming. All super great on paper, extremely difficult to scale.

[@billcrane2444]

Matt, excellent information and analysis. It would be interesting to see a comparison of the nutritional value of vegetables and fish grown this way vs vegetables in "healthy soil", however that is defined, and wild caught fish. Rather than comparing simple gross tonnage a scale could be used for nutritional, gross tonnage. With higher nutritional values it would take less tonnage to feed the same number of people.

[@ryanblandindechalain120]

A well run facility can produce comparable vegetables to healthy soil grown vegetables. Aquaponics has the ability to even be superior on a nutritional basis if designed and managed correctly and after one year to allow the system to mature.

[@steveschritz1823]

Sounds like a great system if you can figure out how to prevent imbalance kill-off. I wonder if it would work in microgravity for deep space missions.

[@danvasii9884]

Best interesting videos, keep up the good work, Matt!

[@Jummi890]

Seems really cool. Id like to understand agriculture a lot more too. awesome vid!

[@virtualmonk2072]

Could you not incorporate geothermal or ground source heating into the loop ? Create a lake or utilize a local pool and cover it in solar panels to cool the temperature while powering the facility?just thinking of it at a larger more profitable scale. The cap ex is the factor, and the balancing of the eco system. I'm sure that if ai could balance magnetic fields in a Tokamac it could be applied here? Just wondered.

[@Onyx-qd9tl]

I’m surprised this hasn’t taken off more in regions operating at an altitude that normally precludes traditional farming. Considering the weather challenges were facing, a lot of ideal arable land is going to be underwater over the next century.

[@ranchodelasirena7485]

Your videos are great. I don't know how you read my mind to determine what to make videos on, but you are a mind reader. Great work.

[@DiaryofBloom]

YES, I found out about all of these sustainable farming practices and I was fascinated by them. I will test them out as my own garden.

[@GMod428]

Aquaponics is a great solution. Especially if we can do it in a multi-level setting. Imagine doubling if not quadrupling your acreage by just stacking. It won't be easy, but it is doable and definitely worth the effort.

[@thegurw1994]

Skyscrapers are unfortunately prime real estate right now. But a skyscraper comboponics (hydro, aqua, aero) farm would almost certainly be far more viable. Now to find a county near me that'll issue me a building permit for a 40-storey farm 😅

[@GMod428]

@thegurw1994 I feel like you'd have to live near a place with lots of sun. That way you can load the building up with solar panels. Doesn't have to be pretty just functional. Then you devote a certain percentage of your crops to the schools in your county. They'll have to approve that. If not, you can shame them into approving it by saying they don't support the kids!"

[@dertythegrower]

They already do it in Oklahoma and Denver, for years, ha

[@dertythegrower]

@@thegurw1994 Buddy, they already do aquaponics on top of major city buildings.. one is in Denver 👋

[@GMod428]

@dertythegrower true, but not at the scale of a 40-story building. You're talking about a few thousand square feet, possibly 10K sqft. That's barely a quarter of an acre. There are no acre sized, multi-floor farms.

[@upvotecomment2110]

Aquaponics is Quite common here in the Philippines, No Light bulb is required, nor is temperature Monitoring But it comes and goes. What kills Aquaponics projects here is the weather itself... (Typhoons, Earthquakes, and Vulcanic eruptions are also quite common) Ideal location for farm with Fertile Land but Extreme weather(s)... no wonder we can't be a food exporter

[@allankamen9875]

The Philippines can't even grow enough rice to feed itself.

[@pauloazuela8488]

You mean hydroponics ? I rarely see Aquaponics

[@UndecidedMF]

Thanks for sharing.

[@dertythegrower]

Cheers 🐟

[@upvotecomment2110]

@@allankamen9875 Yeah, your right. But context matters here, "why can't we be a food exporter" 1. Archipelago (we have scattered fertile land) compared to Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia 2. Archipelago with not much flat land (Mountains are abundant too "not good for farming reasons") 3. A more frequent and harsh weather And for the Rice Issue (The Neglect of the Government and Monopolized land) "Villiar Issue" With all these facts considered, in the most basic principle. "This doesn't we can't." We can be self-sufficient, it would just need more attention(policy), investment, and innovation. But being "food exporters," I think it's a goal too far for us.

[@user-eq4ze6ht1f]

I know so. At least on my beautiful island of Guam. Thank you. I will now begin my journey into aquaponics, beginning with a small tilapia & cancun set up. Suplemented with a small grass fed egglaying farm, that can contribute towards the aquapinics financial success and add diversity to my farm overall. I look forward to learning more through you and this site.

[@r.b.l.5841]

Thanks Matt, lots to consider and research. we are considering an Aquaponics set up in our large Greenhouse, likely running it spring to fall in a dedicated annual cycle due to very cold winters' in our area. The Tilapia seem to be capable of full growth in 8-9 months, which is interesting. The time committment will not bother me - we live off our homestead anyway, and daily activities just set the pace of what needs to be done and when it needs to happen around here. Some automations may be a good idea especially alarms for pH levels or water temperatures in a system like this. I am not worried about the power consumption for the pumps, we have solar and spring to fall we have excess solar, so this would be a good fit for us, if it can be a seasonally run gig just for our own uses. ie not trying to supply a grocery store, just putting greens and fresh fish on my family table.

[@wolf-aqua]

Aquaponics will be a part of the future! Most of the mentioned problems are technical and can be solved. For example, you can run your system decoupled and optimize both sides' needs, fish and plants. However, finding people that are capable of running such a system is not easy. At least not here in the EU. Thanks for the nice video to make aquaponics more public. Keep up the good work!

[@royce9018]

so you could do two separate things and completely defeat the original purpose, what a brilliant idea...

[@wolf-aqua]

@@royce9018 Please elaborate on "completely defeat the original purpose"

[@TomvanSmash]

I'm curious about the nutrition profile of these methods of farming. When the input of the system is so tightly controlled I imagine an easy cost savings would be to skimp on the various micronutrients resulting in less nutritious food.

[@snowpaw360]

Well that would depends on the brand of fertilizer I imagine. Tomato master blend is my go to.

[@BrowncoatGofAZ]

Not necessarily true, but definitely a possibility. I can’t see people not caring about the nutrition of their foods in the future though.

[@BOK-04]

As always Matt, a great breakdown of detailed research!

[@The.Ghost.of.Tom.Joad.]

Great video. Great idea. I'm an experienced organic gardener and I've been intrigued by aquaponics for years because I like the year-round potential. I've even read a book on it. But I'm not sure I want to invest the time and money I'd need to create a modest system to keep myself, my GF, and her daughter in greens all year long. Of course, the savings would begin piling up after about a year, but the cash outlay is there. Plus, I'd need to make it "look good" for the HOA, so many cheap systems hacks you see online would never work for me.

[@elminster8149]

Scaremongering? This has some good application without resorting to fear to sell it's benefits.

[@pauloazuela8488]

Even without that you know the issue is real with droughts ever increasing. You might be lucky if you haven't experience it but sure is hell for people out there in the other parts

[@elminster8149]

@@pauloazuela8488 Repeating it over and over doesn't make it true.

[@monstrositylabs]

@@elminster8149 This

[@zombiesue1054]

Love this kind of backyard hobbying stuff.

[@dertythegrower]

Oh really? Youll love Paragraphic then .. they did one on this 🤙

[@Miamcoline]

Super interesting. Thank you for this balanced and insightful coverage and glimmer of hope to restore our nature AND feed ourselves sustainably! What an amazing opportunity!

[@pritamtodankar1415]

Many thanks Sir. Your analysis is just perfect. Shall be very useful to ambitious entrepreneurs like me. Please release some more videos.

[@alterego3734]

Are they growing plants in styrofoam?!

[@daddy_moon]

No it's rockwool

[@Whayles]

Great video, I was very interested in aquaponics a few years ago and it’s nice to see it from another angle later on. On the profitability, the case that it’s not vastly profitable right now is a bit of a non issue, most food crops are not profitable without subsidies. Not to mention market price can change a lot (as int he video) when various levels of food and water scarcity come into effect. Such a farm in a desert region might be highly profitable due to the lack of farmable land for crops or animals, scarcity of water and abundant solar energy

[@samkinkaid3108]

I'm just starting out. I live in a 1 bedroom efficiency apartment, I decided to try out some aquaponics after getting a betta last month. I have a 14.5 gallon container I'm 3d printing parts for to raise herbs and if the herbs work out, I may expand the system to things like beans and tomatoes

[@gabiroba707]

wow! thumbs up if you like water

[@Cheesycook]

There was a great video years ago about a guy farming fish in beer vats with constant drainage for filtration and the moving water made the fish grow bigger faster. The nitrates were then used as fertilizer. Great concept.

[@valentinussofa4135]

In several studies that I studied, it was found that building an aquaponic system with multi-species cultivation would be more profitable, for example integrating tilapia + red claw lobster with 2 or 3 types of vegetables such as lettuce and mustard greens or even with oyster mushrooms.

[@Sidewinder1009oli]

Thanks for the video, I thought this was always just a cost issue for set up. I'm glad to see advances. I didn't realise it was so difficult and such a high rate of failure.

[@moose3177]

I agree it's not well suited for a Mega farming but I think for small farms that can diversify their product. It's pretty good also if everyone had a small farm on their patio or backyard. It would help with food shortages and improve people's diet.

[@0to100Journey]

Thanks, I'm thinking of starting hydroponics as a hobby, and maybe aquaponics at the end. This gives me some insights.

[@robmclaughlin420]

Great Video Matt

[@itinsuranceguy]

This is very useful information. You mention the narrow band of conditions that needs to be balance. Has anyone looked into generic engineering of the various species involved to make those optimum conditions less exacting?

[@malcolm_in_the_middle]

This has also been researched from the reverse angle: aquaponics is effective at reducing nutrient concentrations in water. There are several countries now that have used settled domestic sewage as a feedstock for their aquaponics and aquaculture systems. Using aquaponics to clean dirty water will eat up a lot of the major costs.

[@whatsimonsaysabout...6447]

Terrific video, thanks! I've built a number of backyard scale aquaponics systems at home and two for my work. If any indication, I'm selling components of my home system when I can and converting the beds into wicking beds and NFT hydroponics. The two systems at work are still turning over but no fish at present and in need of repair/redesign. An appealing idea, but as you say requires constant maintenance and monitoring and very narrow margins for success (all my setups have been outside). Even with backup systems very easy for things to go pear shaped quickly and loose all the fish (which is really depressing). Personally, I'm over torturing fish for limited benefit and considerable expense (don't need the guilt). If other want to keep the systems at work going I'll help, but will keep stocking rates to an absolute minimum.

[@chetingerx]

Love this stuff since I first cultivated cannabis. Advanced growing techniques & systems design to save space, energy, water, inputs are so related to cannabis indoor cultivation. DIY and amateur systems appeared on cannabis magazines for years before companies as General Hydroponics started making comercial systems.

[@ericjbowman1708]

7:45 I'm always explaining this conundrum to folks who ask me about aquaponics. If your fish get sick you can't medicate them in-system without contaminating the plants; if pests get at the plants, you can't use pesticides (even organic) without killing your fish. I'm not a Tilapia fan, preferring barramundi; or in my climate, trout, for aquaponics. Certain crayfish work well in such a system, especially if you have a market. Fish finished on crustaceans taste less "fishy" than those finished on... fish. The filets become light-pink instead of white. Try suspending watermelons in mesh bags, above the water and in the light, they'll thrive on the heat and humidity.

[@Nocra181]

I loved your video! Lots of very useful facts across the board and very well balanced. The one factor that I felt was missing was the percentage of food crops that went back into feeding the fish. It was mentioned that aquaponics is a complete ecosystem and we are guided through the steps from the fish to the bacteria to the crop. To complete the circle would mean that some of the food crop feeds the fish. I would like to know what percentage range that would be.

[@Andrearecco]

Thank you for the very detailed and black and white video

[@mikedimimd]

Revolutionary idea! allow people to grow their own crops in their front and back yards. A friend of mine does this on about a 1/2 acre, and produces so much fruits and veggies that he makes on average $2000 of passive income selling all the excess at a farmers market on sat every week. ALSO Matt, dont ever underestimate the human element, we will figure it out. And the UN numbers are less than reliable, especially since the populations of several leading countries can not support current populations and are declining

[@matthewhinkle3929]

I definitely plan to build a small system in my house in the near future. I'm in Colorado, so a backyard system is out for now. Great analysis!

[@pippieskent9150]

Great summary Matt. Another challange for scaled aquaponics is that the fish feed is generally wild caught, so the inputs arn't paticularly sustainable. I think the future of food is cultural change, like increased home production, alternative food sources like insects and algae, and dare I suggest: population control.

[@jamiearnott9669]

Great video. My first job was working in a factory in Scotland. Processed foodstuffs with military automation and high standards of health safety are always included. What's really good is they exported smoked salmon around the world which is not sustainable otherwise. Bad humour aside, I'd never heard of gravadlax and the French were one of the largest buyers and our food, it ain't that bad!Besides nobody can compete on red wine and France remains the epicentre regardless of any increased international competition! On fish, countries like UK or Norway have ideal conditions for aquaculture with many fjords or lochs, a billion-pound industry(bearing in mind dollars are worth slighly less per unit!)

[@_koji]

Thanks for the video!

[@gneruinseruihnutshnu]

There is one more point to think about. Over practically millennia we have cultivated veggies for on field growing. We are cultivating veggies for all these special new growing methods for only a few decades. There is a lot of room to grow for aquaponics and other.

[@zettaiEngineer]

Centuries ago, Chinese peasant farmers had a system in which night soil and pig waste were composted in cisterns to produce fertilizer as well as methane for cooking. The fertilizer was used on the fields, compost effluent drained to a pond which sustained algae that grew carp. Thus, a closed loop system where NPK as well as trace elements are recycled and the farm gradually gains nitrogen(via nitrogen fixing crops) and carbon from the air. The system had limited carrying capacity but could be sustained indefinitely since there was no net depletion of required inputs.

[@TecnamTwin]

Not sure how I missed this video's drop, but I'm glad it did pop up in my feed, even if it is late. Definitely plan to do tilapia farming/auponics/agrovoltaics in my future backyard. It's the perfect trifecta of meat, veggie, and power production in a tight space.

[@kaplanbahadir2301]

From a structural engineering perspective a building can't be easily converted to support these aquariums on rooftops. Remember, water is heavy shit. It's much cheaper to build it on ground level since the weight can be directly transferred to the foundation, but already at two floors you will face huge challenges. Once the building is built you also can't move or rearrange the pools, since that will change the loading conditions. You can make it work with a ton of steel, but it's going to cost you. That is why you generally won't see green roofs everywhere. If you add a ton at 5th level it will cost alot more than a ton at 2nd level. Since every level beneath you need to be able to support 1 additional ton.

[@clydecox2108]

It’s something I’m very interested in. Thanks for the great content…

[@douglascunningham6319]

Okay try this. Tilapia eat plants too. Re introduce them at end of grow cycle to trim plant roots. An grow grasses on bottom of pond. Suspend net above grass and fish trim Grass. Can now add shrimp or crayfish to grass.

[@tico28]

Awesome post - can you please make a short series addressing Earth as a future type 1 civilization in the Kardashev scale, what we need to be type 1, difficulties, challenges, benefits, etc?

[@dmattduncan]

I think the gateway for aqua culture technology advancement is hobbyists. That looks like so much fun! Much like hobby gardening is rarely profitable, this is next level gardening.

[@ericpotter2002]

The key to raising fish is to have the right amount and variety to help maintain the tank. An established tank produces more nitrates and nitrites than you want. I've always done partial cleanings and fed the plants. This would be wonderful in my house for many reasons.

[@anthonycarbone3826]

During the pandemic, aisles of empty shelves were seen across the nation. The majority of these shelves were empty of highly processed manufactured foods. I never walked into one single supermarket and saw the produce section empty. Obviously, at least in the USA. people equate food to processed food and not to the fresh food seen and bought in the produce aisles. This does not mean it is not purchased but people look elsewhere first for their nutritional needs. This could be because of freshness and quality concerns and of course price will always play a crucial factor. But considering this country is facing an obesity epidemic along with the attendant health problems, fresh locally grown food is a very viable alternative. Especially if the fresh food is grown locally along with being delivered hours after being harvested. Obviously, Aquaponics could play a crucial role especially if green energy usage is factored in along with software that controls the entire system with a fine tuned precision. This is the education these first comers are learning and the lessons learned will only benefit others in the years to come.

[@sethhartley7369]

I wonder about some of the other benefits I've seen from aquaponic systems and even system additions from earlier videos of yours that could be considered. Examples include: Alternative feedstocks to improve fish quality (Algae, Hempseed) Greenhouse glass made with semi-translucent solar to offset power needs Flocculating out solid fish wastes to sell as fertilizer for a secondary revenue stream and more. It seems like just as other technologies like some of the battery alternatives you've presented, this is an undercapitalized market that would provide massive resource benefits in place of financial benefits. Its one of those systems that operates closed loop starting with the sun and ending with outputs that can be used for basic needs. It could also have secondary functions like hemp, providing extra solar inputs to increase output potential. its too bad that all of this ends up squandered to satisfy profit motives.

[@Rhinoch8]

Agro-engineer, biologist and chemist here. I did a deep case study for a startup that wanted an aquaponics system (it was no-so-subtly-hidden a Chinese tech-spying company for aerospace research). No it's not : the system is inherently unbalanced. You either have to add salts and pH regulators, or you have to flush the system... Murky fishes used sell at a low low, and you can only grow basil, lettuce and other highly-priced greens. It's a no go for fruits and vegetables, they are 100x less profitable. The only scenarios where it is interesting would be for Antartica colonies (shipping costs), refugee camps (low cost labor) or Space exploration (closed loop systems). Ultimately the goal is to recycle human poop using fishes... And for it to work you'd need some kind of buffer medium, like, like BIOCHAR...

[@dna3930]

There are instruments and tools that take a lot of these issues out. There's a automated ph adjuster system, it's real cool and automated feeding systems also. There's many knowledge and idea's out there. Rob Bob's aquaponics channel on KZbin is a good start for a small backyard system. I've been experimenting on food growth and a combination of different fish and crustaceans in the system.