Aquaponic Gardening: A Step-by-Step Guide to Raising Vegetables and Fish Together

After getting this book for my brother-in-law last Christmas and shamelessly paging through before I gave it to him, I ordered a copy for myself shortly after the new year. I was (still am, really) a rookie in aquaponics, but I read this book cover to cover and found the vast majority of what I needed to design and set up a system in our apartment (50 gal fish tank/50 gal grow bed currently producing as much thyme, basil, and swiss chard as I can eat). The author makes a point to cover every design issue you need to consider, laid out in the order in which it should be considered. The book has a very methodical and logical layout that makes it relatively easy to put together a plan to build a system from scratch. (But you'll still have to do the leg work!) In a few cases, it would be nice to have a little more depth. For example, some fluorescent lights come in different 'color temperatures,' but the author doesn't get into blue vs. red spectrum until the section on HID lights, and then only briefly. My 'grow light' seems to have a different spectrum (and works better) than my 'daylight spectrum' T8 fixture, but I wouldn't have expected that from the book. Also, many different strains of tilapia are available with different traits, but the book doesn't go further than differentiating 'tilapia' from 'koi,' 'pacu,' etc. Most of the missing information is readily available on the web, so this shortcoming isn't a huge drawback. I should note here, however, that since I wanted to build a small-scale edible fish system, the hardest thing for me was locating a source that would sell me just five tilapia and didn't charge $80-100 for shipping. I finally found a local tropical fish (pet) store that was willing to order them specially. The author's personal experiences with aquaponics are helpful and make the book very readable. The "10 dumbest mistakes I've made in aquaponics" is a good list of things that novices like me should watch out for, and the "rules of thumb" at the end of every chapter are a great reference when designing your own system. I can't count the number of times I went back and looked at those guidelines, especially when cycling the system. In sum, this book is an excellent resource for anyone just getting started in aquaponics.

I hate to say it, but so far the answer is no!! I was very inspired by this book and there is a lot of valuable info for anyone wanting to do aquaponics. One of the most valuable aspects in the long run is that there are links to many other online gurus in the book as well. I was totally inspired!! The idea that one can help out the planet and eat more nurtritious foods and save money all at the same time is a no=brainer - especially if it's not technically too difficult. However, I am living in a small island in the Caribbean. Great climate! I cannot imagine how much more difficult it is for people in North America to make this work with seasonal changes like winter! But today I experienced the failure of my overflow pipe and had to put my fish back into the pond by hand -exciting, but a real no-no! Of course, the type of monsoon rain we experience is not the norm either. Anyway, my point is - you have to be able to face reality! most things that are worthwhile in life are not idiotically simple. You have to be inspired enuf to keep going when the going gets tough. I am committed to staying the course and I still hope that it becomes as easy as the book made it seem. P.S. if you start small you may find it much easier to set up an Aquaponics system. I elected to start with a 900 gallon pond because I wanted an excuse to have a real fish pond. the flip side of this is that you can make a lot more mistakes and get away with it when you have a bigger pond with more surface area for the fish. Also, i chose Tilapia - a very adaptable fish, lucky me!

This book was recommended during a short talk I attended on the subject as a good place to start learning about aquaponics. It is all of that and more. The author is relatively thorough in scope and very detailed in presentation. What was I missing? I was looking for more advice/suggestions on types of fish--tilapia, catfish, goldfish and koi are not the only choices out there and none of those meet my needs. There is a really good section on things to consider when choosing your fish...even a cursory listing of some of the more specialized selections would have been a good addition. One area that seems to be missing in a number of books and is barely mentioned in this book is the large backyard, 12-month system that is gaining popularity. Many of the pictures in this book are indoor aquaria with a tank topper and a grow light. While the principles are the same, there are a few scale issues. All-in-all this is a really good book that I hope will be updated in the future to discuss more recent trends. If you know little or nothing about aquaponics, this book will give you enough of a taste to let you know whether you want nothing to do with it or you will be hooked and looking for more.

I always thought there had to be a way to keep fishes with plants without expensive filters and constant maintenance and happened to stumble upon this Aquaponics phenomenon and it was beyond what i had even thought to hope for! Not only does it show how to combine fish and plants without filters, but it combined my love of herb and veggie gardening with my wish for a sustainable ecosystem that includes aquatic animals in a "circle of life" kind of way that is beneficial to both! Add in the most water efficient gardening system i have ever seen (NO water is wasted), accelerated plant growth, NO over-watering, and harvestable fish and it is a dream come true! Aquaponic Gardening: A Step-By-Step Guide to Raising Vegetables and Fish Together is truly a wonderful book. It explains the science and how-it-works behind Aquaponics, as well as a breakdown of all the components, from the "hardware" (the tubs, pvc pipes and growing media) to the "software" (the plants and fish). It demonstrates how to do the simplest setup to more complex while explaining the pros and cons of each. If something goes wrong, somewhere in this book it tells you what went wrong, why, and how to fix it. Even at the end of the book when you have read everything, if you still have questions or need extra help, you are not left to drown. She gives you directions to different resources and reliable websites and online communities (including her own) for help. If you are looking for looking for a simple "screw point A to point B, plug into wall" Instruction book, then you have come to the wrong place. Buy a fish tank and plant a dirt garden, because if you want anything less than this book, then you are already doomed for failure. Nothing in this book is added idly. If you want to skip past the science and just follow the steps and monitor your system as directed, you can, by all means, and good luck to you. But knowing the magic that is happening right in your backyard, greenhouse or basement is half the fun! So if this sounds like something for you, BUY THIS BOOK and get started!

This is emphatically not just another "here's how I made my backyard aquaponics setup". Rather it's a good collection of the wisdom of this nascent pursuit. It's pretty evenly balanced between initial considerations, start up and maintenance, and is very easy to read and digest. Despite the fact that the author has her own aquaponics websites and products, she frequently refers to other websites and forums and never really tries to push her own brand of products. There are plenty of forums, blogs and videos online to learn how to construct a basic small scale aquaponics system. Bernstein does a good job of over viewing the basics for this, but I believe most readers would want to seek outside info to augment what she describes. Fortunately she provides links to the most popular and successful sites. Where this book shines is that it goes into detail of what she calls the software of aquaponics. These are the fish, the plants, the worms and the bacteria. I instantly relate to her description of aquaponics farmers as bacteria farmers. I know all too well that growing ruminants, one is primarily a grass farmer. And that growing a conventional garden or using a greenhouse, one is primarily a worm farmer and a compost engineer. So, it makes perfect sense to me that in aquaponics one is primarily a bacteria farmer since it's the crucial bacteria that perform the necessary ammonia to nitrite, nitrite to nitrate conversions. I also really appreciate her detail about such topics as cycling the system and what to do in times of chemical imbalance crisis. This book has given me the confidence to try small scale aquaponics with an eye towards eventually doing it on a much grander scale without feeling like I might just be killing fish in a barrel. It is true that much of what's in the book could eventually be found online in various forums, but I feel like this compilation of info in such an accessible format saves months of looking. If you are thinking of getting into aquaponics, or if you already have but aren't quite sure what it means when your system seems out of balance, this book is for you.

I bought this book to help understand and explore the idea of setting up an aquaponic garden in my back yard. I have also read the idiot's version of aquaponics, and have read extensively through online forums. I currently have most of the materials to build my own system, and hope to do so in the next few months. Given that I've never done anything like this before, and how likely it is that I could easily kill my fish and plants, I've been going through as much information as I can. I found this book to be extremely helpful and clear, especially in comparison to the idiot's book. Sylvia Bernstein focuses on the design issues that really matter, such as the capacity of your system in terms of fish and the volume of water and plants, as well as the pros and cons of various layouts. Probably the most valuable chapter in the book is the one in which she presents all the different kinds of systems, along with detailed diagrams. These diagrams alone are worth the price of the book, and don't seem to appear anywhere else. The organization of the book is clear, concise, and logical. I started my research with this book, and now after several months of study, I'm finding that it offers the best guide to aquaponic gardening available. I highly recommend it. I hope to add to this review in a year or so after I've had my system up and running too.

This book is concise and a thorough introduction to aquaponics. It is a little short on specifics in places, but there are plenty of videos on YouTube to fill in the details you may be wondering about. One caution, this book was copyrighted 2011, making it ten years old. This is such a rapidly growing field, it is possible that the latest developments may be omitted. As a newbie to the field it seems complete and very informative to me with some possible shortcomings. As a retired professional mechanical engineer, I immediately started contemplating ways to improve the set-ups depicted in the book and came up with several ideas, especially how to make better use of sump tanks. I wonder if others have already thought of the same thing and already come up with better sump tank designs. I also have different and I think innovative ideas to improve heat management of aquaponic systems in temperate climates that get too cold to grow crops in the winter and wonder if those improvements have already been included as well. But those things seem nitpicking. This book seems to be a great primer. I can't wait to get started.

Below is my original review. Based on the author's comment that I overlooked the step by step info I read the book more thoroughly. I did learn more, but I feel comfortable that my rating and review are reflect my experience with the book. I learned more diligently reading out of guilt since I offended the author than I did the first time trying to pinpoint topics that interested me using the table of contents and index. In part, my review of the book may be because I am living in a small space, I have a budget, I have no hydroponic nor aquaponic experience and little gardening experience, and my interest in not for a hobby but to see if I can actually create healthy food sustainably. My beginner's level and tight budget made this book feel like a poor match for me. The book should be titled "An introduction to the wonderful world of Aquaponics" What the book does do: Share lots of tidbits, anecdotes, enthusiasm, and resources/people from the online and international aquaponics community Help guide a committed aquaponics individual through a host of philosophical decisions about space, aethestics, types of systems, types of lighting. Often these are explained well so that you understand why the recommendation is being made. But there are no samples, photos, lists, cost and time estimates, nor step by step instructions for aquiring, installing, etc. For example: the author suggests one possible container to use is called an IBC tote (pg 80) and then advises one to "be sure to test your tote grow beds for leaks before adding media, and seal any problem areas with marine-grade silicone." (but at this stage in teh reading I still didn't know what media was and sealing with silicone didn't connect at all to what I know currently about gardening so I assumed if I wanted to do this I would need to search the internet for a STEP BY STEP guide) Describe choices of media well. Describe basic variations of systems well. Describe thoroughly what the author terms the "rules of Thumb" for aquaponics. These general guidelines are explained so you understand why you should heed the advice. WHAT THIS BOOK DOES NOT DO: Give any estimates on time or expense. I came away from most of my reading, despite the authors encouragement, feeling that this was for someone who had a lot of time to commit to this, was interested as a well-loved hobby (though she points out ways to decrease unpleasant chores and make things run smoothly on their own), and someone with a lot of money to invest (my ballpark after reading and having never owned a large aquarium was 5-10grand easy if you actually want it to work well), and someone who didn't care if the system paid for itself within a few years. Give any checklists, shopping lists, "questions to ask your supplier" lists, etc. In traditional gardening books I find this info often and it is usually quite handy Give any step by step photos MOst photos show elaborate set ups and about 1/3 show close ups of nature that could be from any gardening book Give step by step installation instructions: I was imagining instructions like one might find in a cook book or repair manual with each step laid out for getting me started, but the steps in this book are more "rules of thumb" that help you navigate the decision making process. There is little example nor practical details shared that help me build something over a weekend to try out the idea. If the author were to assume that some readers philosophical answer would be "I want the cheapest easiest system so I can start a project and be rolling by the end of a long weekend" I think a step by step guide on how to govern that project would be extremely helpful. After reading, I found more info of the sort I was seeking from the internet. I can see that the book has some helpful info if you chose a media system vs. the other types (which are explained somewhat in the book), and if you are willing to do the cost/supply/how to research yourself and use this book to help you organize your endeavor. I don't find this book is helpful if you are trying to find a small simple way to get started and you want detailed step by step instructions (like one might find in a cookbook), some guidance on costs, yields, and a collection of specific examples in photos or text that help you envision how people on budgets/small spaces made this work for them. So should you buy this book? Well, as the author says on p.55 in her conclusion of the "The Plan" "Can you afford a greenhouse?" ----------------------- My original review below: I overlooked the typos on the first page of the introduction and read the first chapter. Skimming the book, I felt like I was listening in on the inside jokes from Aqua-zealots at a convention. The writing is sometimes well worded and personable. I found little info in the chapters I read that helped me understand concretely what it means to BEGIN setting up a system like this. The author claims a criticism from a newbie that he needed " a clear way to begin" was why she wrote the book. It's why I bought the book, but I'm sending it back. I flipped to the pictures pages to get a handle on what is possible, there are only 4 color phots pages in the book, so why have so many pics been used to show the author and her dog and close-ups of a pepper plant. Next I tried the table of contents to hone in on some specifics. The section on "harvesting fish" didn't have any info that let me know how often you could harvest, nor what type of financial investment would lead to what sort of yield. INstead it is one single paragraph that says the author might not kill her fish after all and if you do you can use ice water to shock them dead. This is far from a Step by Step guide. It's more an elaborate magazine article full of cameos, shout-outs from and to the Aquaponic devout. It might be a resource I would use once I was established, I can't judge that since I'm not established. I suspect, however, that with a good deal of experience this book would become unneccessary. But without Aquaponics experience, this book lacks background info, organization, enough images, and (despite the title) step by step instructions to be helpful for someone considering or beginning to try this form of gardening. Too bad. I wanted to love this book.

I got interested in aquaponics listening to my friends conversations. I got very excited because of the technical part. Having experienced growing mushrooms I was excited with this highly technical way of farming . This got me downloading tons of information on aquaponics and one article led to another until I stumbled upon this book and immediately bought off amazon via kindle store as I didn't have patience to wait for the printed copy. I did not touch any other book or reading material until I finished this book. I can confidently say this book answered every question I had in my mind. A very well written book ,no beating about the Bush ,no long stories ,straight to the point. A fantastic book to begin with.

lu complétement 7 jours après l'avoir reçu il vous offrir tous sur l'aquaponie et plus encore avec un détail dans chaque partie et des anecdote de mordues d'aquaponie qui donne envie de commencé au plus vite

I have read this book loaned from the local Library before. I was so enthusiastic about the huge amount of information delivered in this book, that I decided to buy it, to have it on hand when I start building my system. Because there is so much information in it, it will be my look up bible for the years to come. This is the best book to the Topic of Aquaponics I have come across so far. Precise and comprehensive with clear instructions and comments of what to do an what better not to do. It gives also clear warnings which is very important to avoid costly mistakes. This book is clearly structured and can be used down the road to look up for solutions in the process of practicing Aquaponics. it won't be placed far from my Greenhouse. all thumbs up for this book I can only recommend it to everybody seriously looking into this interesting topic.

Questo libro mi è stato consigliato dagli addetti ai lavori come spunto per poter cominciare ad operare. Nonostante sia scritto in lingua inglese si legge con molta facilità.

Great book. Can't wait to start my set up. It takes all the mystery out of how to start an aquaponics garden.