“Can I put fish in my Natural Swimming Pool?”
It's one of the most common questions we get, and to be honest, it was one of our first thoughts as well. As avid gardeners, we wondered about how truly “natural” our pools were and if they were capable of sustaining life.
The short answer is yes, the long answer starts with another question: “How much life?” When we start to tumble down the rabbit-hole of aquaponics, we stop seeing our gardens and pools individually, and instead look at them as filters for each other.
It all comes down to maintaining that symbiotic relationship between plant and animal waste. As we are recreating nature, we are only limited by maintaining that symbiosis. A good way to think of it is one plant filters the water for one fish, etc. This means that if you add one fish, you will have to add one plant to filter out that fish's waste. Conversely, if you add one plant, you will have to add one fish to provide enough nutrients for that plant.
With that in mind, we usually have the “problem” of having too much space for our fish, with the constraining factor being garden space. The abundance of nutrient-rich water led to us combining greenhouses with vertical growing techniques to add limitless growth potential.
Whether your goal is a sustainable source of food or cannabis, or you like the aesthetics of a fish pond surrounded by lush gardens, the solution to the “problem” of how to filter really becomes the solution of “How we can feed both!”
Aquaponics Greenhouse
Due to our wet northern climate, greenhouses are the ideal solution for growing when combined with a natural pool. The geothermal heat storage of the pool is often enough to keep your greenhouse warm year-round.
Whether that means building your pool within your greenhouse for complete climate control, or creating two distinct areas within your space with underground piping connecting the two is completely up to you. Your imagination is the limit.
If you think of your pool water as a source of nutrients, and your greenhouse as a source of filtered water, you can then direct that water anywhere you wish (streams, waterfalls, fountain, etc.).
Aquaponics Garden
Your backyard is your oasis.
Using a network of underground pipes and pumps, we can configure your aquaponics system to incorporate anything you can dream up, from green walls, to hanging planters, to raised beds, using your natural pool as your water source.
This not only filters the water in your pool, but aerates and circulates the water to build a healthy biosphere while sustaining plant growth anywhere you choose to direct the water.
