Aloha
We are an aquaponics farm dedicated to providing our community with quality, affordable, fresh produce and aquaponics education.
We offer our produce for sale to the public on a daily basis. Produce that is available for sale is stocked daily in the refrigerator which is located at the front of our property by the corner of the garage. Stop by at your convenience.
Our farm is open Saturdays 9am-12pm. Free farm tours are held _ 9:30, 10:30 & 11:30am.
Contact Us:
info_CoastviewAquaponics.com
73-1202 Ahikawa Street
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740
(808) 325-7665
http://maps.google.com/?q=coastview+aquaponics
Benefits of Aquaponics
* You can grow protein and organic produce in the same system. Many kinds of fresh water fish can be used for aquaponics. We use tilapia which are edible, however, catfish, trout, perch or bass can be used. We even have a few koi and goldfish in our systems. The plants have an organic nutrient source and the quality of the produce is obvious.
* The plants grow much faster than in soil. Since the plants roots grow down into a column of water the plant does not expend energy as it would have to in soil. This allows the roots to grow faster. The larger roots absorb more nutrients allowing the plants to grow rapidly. The roots dangle in the water and have nutrient rich water constantly flowing past them.
* Aquaponics uses 2% of the water that conventional gardening does. Once the system is filled there is little water loss. The troughs are covered with foam, holding net pots. The fish tank is covered to prevent sunlight from hitting it and growing algae. There is minimum evaporation due to the covers. Whenever it rains the troughs act as catchment and top of the system.
* Aquaponics is clean. There is no dirt involved. The seeds are started in inert medium, not dirt or soil, and inserted into floating rafts on top of water. This keeps the plants clean as they grow. Even when it rains hard there is nothing to splatter on the plants as can happen when grown in soil.
* No weeds, soil pests or pathogens. With the seeds started in inert sterile medium there are no weeds or any other problems associated with dirt.
* Aquaponics uses 1/10 the energy with 8-10 times the produce as conventional gardening. Aquaponics only energy inputs are a water pump to circulate water and an air pump to supply oxygen for the fish and roots. There is no tilling, fertilizing, or any of the other standard work involved with standard farming. The hydroponic troughs can grow and produce with a much closer spacing than dirt and the plants grow faster so there are more harvests annually.
* The produce tastes better since it has an organic food source. With the organic nutrient source, the produce just tastes better than anything grown in the ground or with standard hydroponics. Aquaponic plants taste sweet compared with soil grown. The quality of the produce is obvious at first look. The plants last much longer after harvest than other growing methods.
* You don't need gardening experience, anybody can do this. This is a very easy way to grow. You do not need any experience! We can show you how to be successful.
* Kids love aquaponics!! Our daughter (three years old) insists on feeding the fish and helping prep net pots for planting. She also eats the peas, beans and strawberries every day. We cannot grow these things fast enough for her!
What is Aquaponics?
AQUAPONICS = AQUACULTURE + HYDROPONICS
Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture (growing fish) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil). In aquaponics, the nutrient-rich water that results from raising fish provides a natural, organic fertilizer for the growing plants. As the plants use the nutrients in the water, they help to clean the water that the fish live in. A natural microbial process that keeps both the fish and plants healthy. This creates an ecosystem where both plants and fish can thrive. It is a natural ecosystem in a manmade container. Aquaponics is an ideal answer to aquaculture problems by disposing of nutrient rich water and a hydroponic growers need for nutrient rich water.
The well fed fish release ammonia and solid waste into the water. The solid waste breaks down into ammonia. The first of two naturally occuring bacteria in the water, called nitrosomonas, eats ammonia and convert it into nitrate. The second bacteria, called notrobacter, eats nitrite and converts it to nitrate. Ammonia and nitrite are toxic to the fish but nitrates are not. Nitrates fertilize plants in the hydroponic portion of the system. The plants absorb the nitrates which eliminates the fish waste and cleans the water for the fish. This process is called the nitrogen cycle and it occurs in most every environment on Earth. Aquaponics is a self-balancing, recirculating system that requires fish food, electricity and planting/harvesting to keep the cycle going.
Why Aquaponics?
Aquaponics combines aquaculture and hydroponic systems, and in doing so cancels out the negative aspects of each. Instead of adding chemical nutrients to grow plants, aquaponics uses highly nutritious fish waste that contains almost all of the required nutrients for optimum growth. Instead of discharging water, aquaponics uses the plants and the media in which they grow to clean and purify the water, after which it is returned to the fish tank. This water can be reused indefinitely and will only need to be replaced when it is lost through transpiration and evaporation.
