Bathtub Aquaponics

I have to admit that the first time I heard the term “Bathtub Aquaponics” I giggled. I pictured a pink, claw footed, Victorian number in the backyard with tomato plants growing out of it. Seemed a little too ‘Beverly Hillbillies’ to me.

Since that first reaction, however, I’ve come to see the great appeal of a simple bathtub system. The average bathtub holds 80 gallons of water – safely above the 50 gallon minimum you need to grow edible fish. With bathtubs for both your fish tank and grow bed, you will with certainty be able to achieve the ideal ratio of equal volumes between them. Clearly, bathtubs are made of durable, food safe materials that will not leach or break down in the sun. They are also cheap and widely available. A quick search of Craigslist in Denver showed tubs for as little as $20 and claw foots at $100. Rescuing bathtubs from the landfill and repurposing them for productive food growing systems is another appealing benefit. Finally, aren’t you just envisioning all the designer colors you can employ in ‘decorating’ your backyard space?

“OK, but how do I actually make this happen?” you may ask. The answer

lies in a new downloadable PDF titled ‘Bathtub Aquaponics Assembly Instructions’ from our Aussie friend, Murray Hallam. This practical, hands-on, 10-page guide is fully illustrated with 4 color images, and comes with a complete parts list. It also features full instructions on how to create your own bell siphon for your bathtub system.

Click here to learn more about Bathtub Aquaponics and to order.

And if you do decide to create a bathtub aquaponics system please send photos!