While there are plenty of products and a host of equipment on the market to get you going at aquaponic gardening, not everyone can afford to purchase the more sophisticated equipment. Particularly when you get interested in larger systems like one would need to have a commercial growing operation. That doesn’t mean you have reached an road block you need a loan to get around. Not when you can build a fully computerized system yourself.
Free and open-source microprocessor Arduino combined with parts available at the local hardware store, hydro store, and electronics shop makes it possible for anyone to create highly sophisticated equipment that is scalable from a simple starter garden to large market growing systems… all over the internet. Do you have to be a programmer to pull it off? Nope. There is open-source firmware named APDuino that was developed just to operate aquaponic and hydroponic systems.
It can be hard-wired or operate on WiFi, depending on how you set up your control system.
Check out the aquaponics garden Rik Kretzinger has going now and his plans for expansion to a market sized operation now that he has it all figured out. His corn is beautiful!
Learn more about Kretzinger’s project: Rik’s Blog
Learn more about APDuino: