Aquaponics and Hydroponics are both methods of growing plants without soil.
The main difference between the two is that the fish excrement of aquaponics is used as nutrients for the plants.
Hydroponics uses a nutrient solution that is mixed directly with water to grow plants.
Below are the most notable differences between aquaponics and hydroponics.
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Aquaponics |
Hydroponics |
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Definition |
Combining aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (growing soilless plants). |
Grow soilless plants by using a nutrient solution mixed with water. |
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Nutrients used |
fish excrement |
chemical nutrients |
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Cost |
Cost-effective as fish can be fed with alternative fish feeds. |
Less cost-effective due to scarcity and price of chemical nutrients. |
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Start-up cost |
High |
Low |
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Productivity |
Yield is higher than hydroponics because it provides income from fish and plants. |
Yields are lower than aquaponics because income comes from plants only. |
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Maintain |
Doesn't require much maintenance because aquaponics mimics nature. |
It requires more maintenance than aquaponics due to chemical nutrients and regular water changes. |
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PH |
The ideal PH range in aquaponic systems is 6.8 to 7.0. Aquaponics requires maintaining PH within an ideal range. |
The ideal range for hydroponics is 5.5 to 6.0. |
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Easy to use |
Easier to use and maintain than hydroponics. However, the setup is more complicated due to the presence of fish, plants and bacteria |
Easier to set up and control, but requires more maintenance. |