AQUAPONICS SHORT COURSE

Learn to Establish and Manage an Aquaponic System

Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture (farming fish) with hydroponics (growing of plants without soil) in a closed loop system. The nutrient-rich waste from fish tanks can be valuable as plant food to vegetables and herbs grown in hydroponic beds. As a result of the symbiotic relationship between plants and aquatic animals, this system is more sustainable, easy to manage and less expensive to run compared to other cultivation methods. 

This self-paced 20-hours foundation course gives you a better understanding about growing your own fish and food successfully.

Lesson Structure

There are 5 lessons in this course:

1. SCOPE AND NATURE OF AQUAPONICS
   • What grows well in aquaponics?
   • Home systems
   • Commercial farms
   • Advantages of aquaponics
   • Aquaponics is about balance
2. THE AQUAPONICS SYSTEM
   • What media is best for your grow beds?
   • What else do you need to consider?
3. GROWING FISH IN AQUAPONICS
   • Key facts for growing fish in aquaponics
   • Feeding fish
   • How many fish?
   • Monitoring fish
   • Common problems and their symptoms
4. FISH SUITED TO AQUAPONICS
   • Silver Perch (Bidyanus bidyanus)
   • Golden Perch (Macquaria ambigua)
   • Jade Perch (Scortum barcoo)
   • Murray Cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii)
   • Barramundi (Lates calcrifera)
   • Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)
   • Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
   • Carp
   • Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
   • Catfish
   • Eel Tailed Catfish (Tandanus tandanus)
   • Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
   • Silver Cobbler (Neoarius midgleyi)
   • Lake Argyle Catfish (syn. Arius midgleyi)
   • Eels (Anguilla)
   • Tilapia
   • Freshwater Crayfish
   • Marron (Cherax tenuimanus)
   • Red Claw (Cherax quadricarinatus)
   • Yabbies (Charax destructor)
5. GROWING PLANTS IN AQUAPONICS
   • What system?
   • Planting guide
   • Planting
   • Herbs
   • Some herbs to grow hydroponically
   • Basil (Sweet) Ocimum basilicum
   • Mint (Mentha spp.)
   • Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
   • Vegetables
   • Cabbage (Brassica oleraceae - Capitata Group)
   • Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
   • Pak-choi and Bok-choy (Brassica rapa - Pekinensis Group)
   • Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
   • Water Chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis)
   • Other
   • Iris species (Iris spp.)
   • Nutrients and deficiencies
   • Mobile and Immobile Nutrients
   • Plant Nutrition
   • Nutrient Deficiency
   • Control of water quality
   • Measuring pH and EC
   • EC Meters and EC Controllers
   • pH Controller
   • Plant pest and disease problems in aquaponics
   • Pests
   • Diseases
   • Damping-off disease
   • Grey mould
   • Powdery mildew
   • Wilt
   • Final assessment

How Your Course Works

1. Enrol any time. Your enrolment will be processed usually within a day or two; and during business hours, often within an hour.
2. You will then receive an email explaining the course and how to access to a study guide, and our help desk. The guide contains both an audio and written explanation of how the course can be undertaken in a way where you can choose to emphasise or de-emphasise aspects of your learning, according to where your greatest interest or needs may lay.
3. You then follow the study guide, reading and undertaking varied learning tasks, designed by professional educators to broaden and deepen your understanding of the subject. These tasks can vary from practical to research and more.
4. If and when you need to, you can contact our academic staff via a help desk. Emails are answered every working day.
5. On concluding each lesson, you are presented with a series of automated self assessment questions, to review and reinforce your learning experience.
6. On conclusion of all lessons, you are presented with a major online exam comprising numerous questions reflecting the scope of all lessons.
7. The exam is assessed in our online training system immediately as it is submitted; and if you achieve a result of 60% or more, you are given access to download a “Certificate of Completion”. This certificate carries your name (extracted from the original enrolment order); together with a current date, and carrying endorsements from this school and the ACS Global Partners Network.

Everything is automatic; but if you do need help at any point along your journey of discovery; but there is a help desk, with real people who have real expertise – only an email away!