The developer of our aquaponics system got started in this during a time when his wife was battling cancer and saw the need of a better quality food being grown without herbacides and pesticides. He continued developing this system even after his wife’s passing, creating a floating raft method of growing food.
The rafts are made of a steam expanded polystyrene that will not leach chemicals into the water unlike the blue and pink type of insulation foam that is sometimes used in DIY systems. A separate tank holds the fish with the water running into a separate shallow grow tank that holds the rafts. This grow tank is created by molded panels that can be fitted together in whatever length is desired, much like a raised bed garden. This has a food grade polypropylene liner fastened to it with stainless steel fasteners to create the grow tank where the rafts float on top of the water that flows through it from the fish tank. The floating rafts have tapered holes that hold a small grow puck that the plants grow in.
The roots of the plants extend into the grow tank and get their nourishment from the water in the grow tank that is fertilized by the fish. This captures the same benefits that nature’s ecological system uses to clean water through a wetland.
The Gills & Greens Aquaponics System makes it easy for you to be up and “growing” in no time at all!
Each system will consist of the following parts:
The Grow Frame – The number of sides defined by system size (nominal 4’ long sections)
Liner – Length varies with system size
Stainless-steel clips to hold the liner in place
Frame corner hinge pins with plastic caps
Magnetically-driven water pump
Aerator with four outlets
Fish Tank sized for your system
Two bulk-head fittings for tank entry
All Schedule 40 PVC pipe and fittings
Two particulate filters to protect pumps
Air stones and stone bumpers (o-rings)
Rafts – A mix of 2’ x 4’ (@32 sites) or two 2’ x 2’ (@55 sites each), specified at time of order
Food Grade Caulking for sealing bulkhead fittings
Grow Pucks – one for each raft site as ordered