Aquaponics vs Hydroponics vs. Aeroponics for Growers

You might not know it, but the traditional method of gardening went out the window a long time ago.That’s right.Soil isn’t the thing anymore.

Don’t get me wrong.Plenty of growers still go with great mediums like Coco Loco and produce awesome yields.But here’s the thing about growing in dirt.It’s dirty.And pests really like it.Not to mention, it goes everywhere even though you tried your best to tame the mess.

So, what’s the solution?

Modern grow techniques!Today, we’re going to talk about the different between Aquaponics vs. Hydroponics, then talk similarly about the difference between Aeroponics vs. Hydroponics.Which is the best for beginners and which is the best in general?

First, Let’s Talk Hydroponics!

If you want to be straightforward for beginners, this is the no-brainer method of growing used to produce beautiful buds.Brand-new growers will want to select this option, no matter how tempting the other seem to be.

This is how it works.

Instead of a soil medium, the hydroponics system grows in a water base.The plants are seeded into a cube of rockwool, which is soil-free, then the roots grow freely down into the water.As you add nutrients to your water, the roots can easily find their food and grow tall.There is an air pump on the outside of your base that is attached to an air stone, which supplies your babies with the air they need.

One of the best parts about hydroponics is the ease of use.

It’s perfect for beginners. You setup your plants in a base such as this one.In this example, you would have four slots.That means four awesome opportunities to grow four different strains of your choosing.With hydroponics, you would simply add the nutrients included and follow the feeding schedule.Then, 10-12 weeks later, your yield has you fighting off those happy-tears.

The other best part is pest control.Not to say you can’t get things like mites or aphids on a hydroponics grow, it’s just less likely.Why?Because there is less soil (you know, that thing bugs really seem to like).

To sum up hydroponics, it’s easy and cost-effective for new growers or growers on the dime.

What in the World is Aeroponics?

Picture the hydroponics system we were just imagining.Now, take away the water part of the main base.What do you get?A growing base that is full of air.In that air are the suspended roots of the plant, but don’t those need water still?Absolutely.

Here comes the awesome part.

This is a system that was used by NASA in order to grow in outer space with little to no resources, or reservoirs of water.Sustainability is clutch when it comes to growing in space, in case you didn’t know.This system might be the thing that helps grow plants on Mars someday.

How does Aeroponics work?

In that same base where that water would be in the hydroponics system, there is air.Below that air is a smaller tank that has what is called a mister.The mister is connected to the proper nutrient feed along with oxygen and water, depending on what you need to feed that particular type of plant.

Some systems are misting their roots every 3-5 minutes to keep a constant feed to the plants.It can save up to 90% water vs. an outdoor grow and 40% over a hydroponics grow.This is a great method for growing indoors and can save a lot of money.It’s great for states like Arizona where droughts are more common and the need to save water is clutch.

The main drawback of the aeroponics system are the costs.The initial setup of this can run much higher than a basis hydroponics or even soil grow.Though it saves money in the end, it’s hard to come up with money you don’t have in the first place.Life is expensive enough, so maybe think about hydroponics if you’re just getting into the game.

What is Aquaponics?

Ok.This is the one that blew my mind.If you are interested in super-sustainable, indoor farming that is all-natural and cost efficient, look no further.Right when I thought growing buds couldn’t become any more organic, I run into aquaponics.

Believe it or not, aquaponics involves the use of fish or other small sea creatures in order to feed your plants.It only sounds crazy until you think of that song from “The Lion King”.Remember “The Circle of Life?”This is exactly that method but within growing.

Here is How Aquaponics Works:

First, an indoor grow starts with monster tanks of water and fills them with fish.They’re almost like one of those fish ponds in the back yard.My uncle had one with Koi and kid-me thought it was the coolest thing ever.Now, adult-me found out about aquaponics vs. hydroponics and officially thinks it’s the coolest thing ever.

The best type of fish for this method seems to be tilapia, but many types of fish and even crabs work just fine.It’s simple.You feed the fish and let them poop.That’s right – you’re running a fish tank in your grow first before those sticky buds come along.

Next, the fish poop turns into usable nitrates and bacteria for your plants.You can use the water directly from the tank for your plants and the results are appartenly incredible.Don’t take my word for it – there is a place utilizing this method in Arizona.

Green Relief is an indoor aquaponics farm and one of the first of its kind.They claim to be producing 2,700kg of legal plants and intend to grow up to 45,000kg with expansion.And these are plants being grown without pesticides.

A majority of growers will flush their plants during the final two weeks.They only use water in their hydroponics or soil grow and it helps to remove the toxins from the plant.Anything that was used to grow that should not be going into humans is flushed out.

But, is it all flushed out?In all likeliness, yes, but organic growers will fight you on it.

This is the reason to switch to aquaponics vs. hydroponics.Think about all that natural fertilizer coming out of those fish.That grow, fish-smelling water can result in an amazing grow without using pesticides.It can require a tad of treatment to balance for pH but nothing a master grower can’t handle.

Now, the initial startup cost of getting your fish pond going won’t be cheap.I honestly don’t think I can recommend this setup for beginners or home-growers.Truthfully, aquaponics should be left to the commercial growers because of the cost and space issues alone.But!The cost-savings are why bigger grows should go this way.

Think About Aquaponics Costs:

Do you know how much money goes into running a grow house?Every single time a trimmer cleans their shears with isopropyl alcohol, the cost goes up.Every time a grower uses Simple Green or Tiger Bloom to improve their plants, the cost goes up.These little costs go up every single day, and quick because grow stuff isn’t cheap.

Between pesticides, equipment, rental space, and probably many employees, a commercial grow isn’t cheap in the first place.At Green Relief, their costs went way down by using an aquaponics vs hydroponics system.They estimated using 90% less water, which you only imagine in terms of growing.That’s thousands upon thousands of dollars each year, on top of the fact that you’re doing your part in helping our planet.

It gets better!

Green Relief actually donates their tilapia to a local food bank.It is said that they have contributed over 25,000 meals to help feed the poor and homeless.In turn, Green Relief can write-off each fish for about $12 bucks when it comes time to pay Uncle Sam.That’s incredible when considering the taxes on the legal market.

Which System of Growing is the Best for Me?

That depends.Are you a beginner starting off in a basement with only a closet to spare?Or, are you the head of a new grow house looking to change the game?

If you are indeed a noob, go with hydroponics.It’s an almost no-guess system as long as you follow the feeding schedule.Using a stealth hydroponics box like Grandma’s Secret Garden will get you much better results.

Aeroponics is awesome too, I just think it’s unnecessary if you’re doing your own thing at home.This would be a great system for a commercial grow, or growing in space.If I had to choose for a commercial warehouse though, I would try aquaponics vs. hydroponics on the savings of water alone.And, maybe you too could do something cool with all those extra fish?

We hope that this article was informational in helping you decide which indoor method of farming to employ.At this point, we are still hydroponics all the way!