Mr Damage wrote:
De-coupled systems may find their place in the market, but IMO they go against just about everything aquaponics stands for, ie: Growing pesticide free produce and fresh fish, in harmony with nature.
De-coupled systems are primarily promoted by people from aquaculture or hydroponic backgrounds, who IMO haven't been able to change their thinking and can't get their head around the fact aquaponic systems with media beds are eco-systems, containing a broad range of beneficial organisms, such worms, bacteria, fungi, mycorrhizae etc.
De-coupled systems are primarily promoted by people from aquaculture or hydroponic backgrounds, who IMO haven't been able to change their thinking and can't get their head around the fact aquaponic systems with media beds are eco-systems, containing a broad range of beneficial organisms, such worms, bacteria, fungi, mycorrhizae etc.
I don't think you've really thought this through very well. In defense of the people that are trying this, there is no reason why you can't use organic nutrients in a decoupled system and the same goes for organic pest control. It's just a different way to run a system. There are advantages and disadvantages in going either way but you definitely don't need to decouple your system to run it. The guy that takes a bucket of water from his AP system every week and dumps it on his garden is basically running a decoupled system (the water goes to the plants and never comes back). How would it be any harder to have the system be organic, if you chose to grow organically? A decoupled system with a DWC is much the same except for the water is pumped around within the plant loop.
As far as the people that do this and their background - phhft
- some people like to have more control of things and others just like to tinker - probably a whole range of backgrounds and reasons.
