Aquaponics kits Taravo and Estéron, A River In The Garden

The frame is made of French Douglas fir, designed and assembled in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and the tanks it holds are made of food-grade plastic. The three module heights differ on purpose: around 86 cm for the fish tank, 74 cm for the grow bed, 62 cm for the rafts, excluding the feet. This difference lets the water flow down from one module to the next by gravity, so the pump only lifts the water once in the loop. Douglas fir is chosen for its natural durability outdoors, and both the wooden modules and the tanks are guaranteed for 10 years, while the pumps and electronics remain under the manufacturer's warranty.

The power supply is 230 V, 50 to 60 Hz, at 140 W maximum, pumps included. Check the circuit protection before delivery rather than on the day of installation, and have an outdoor socket fitted if you do not have one within reach. To estimate consumption, allow for at most 3.4 kWh per day if everything runs continuously at full power, since the water circulation does not stop at night: the bacteria and the fish need permanently oxygenated water. A 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection is optional and is only used for the optional sensors.

The 450 L of the fish tank sets the stocking level you can keep in it, and therefore the amount of nitrogen available to the crops. A population that is too dense loads the water faster than the bacteria can process it, and it is the fish that suffer first. A population that is too light does not produce enough nitrogen to feed 1 or 2 m² of crops, and your plants turn yellow. The right balance is found by increasing the load gradually, keeping an eye on your test readings, and not by filling the tank in the first month.

What feeds your plants is nitrification: bacteria living in the clay pebbles and on the walls oxidise the ammonia excreted by the fish into nitrites, then into nitrates, which the roots absorb. This colony forms by itself in the weeks following filling with water, and you should allow 3 to 6 weeks before the system is stable. The nitrogen cycle in aquaponics details each stage and the readings that let you follow it.

Setting up is fully supported: a starter kit with pH test strips is supplied, the myRiver app gives access to assembly and start-up tutorials, and a messaging group with the manufacturer's team supports you for a year. The guide to getting an aquaponic system started describes the readings that serve as the green light before each new addition of fish.

The beds are split between clay pebbles and floating rafts, and the two do not suit the same plants. The pebbles support tall, heavy plants: tomatoes, peppers, woody herbs. The rafts suit plants with short roots and fast growth: lettuces, mesclun, tender herbs. On 1 m² as on 2, you harvest in waves rather than by season, replanting as you go. There is no soil to prepare in spring or to rest in winter, and the bed stays in use all year round. The article on the 15 plants to grow in aquaponics details what suits each medium.

The station operates between 0 and 40 °C and stays outdoors all year round. When the surface freezes, the water below stays liquid, at around 3 °C, and the fish settle there quietly; winterising instructions are supplied for very cold regions. In winter, plant growth slows sharply, as does bacterial activity, and you reduce feeding accordingly. The choice of fish therefore matters from the moment of purchase: koi, goldfish and trout tolerate cold water, as the article on cold-water salmoponics explains.

Once the system has stabilised, routine upkeep takes a few minutes a day: feeding the fish, glancing at the level in the tank and at the flow between the modules, and harvesting whatever is ready. Once a week, a reading of the pH and ammonium confirms that the balance is holding, and more often during the first few weeks. Optional probes continuously track the pH, temperature and conductivity of the water and show these values in the app, so you can check on the system remotely. The article on looking after an aquaponic system in summer details the settings for the warm season, when evaporation and water temperature rise.

The modules arrive pre-assembled on 2 to 3 pallets, by carrier and by appointment, with delivery included. The lorry must be able to get close: allow for a road passable by vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and a gate at least 3.80 m wide, failing which delivery is made at the kerbside. One or two people help with unloading, then assembly takes a day for two people, on the prepared ground. If you prefer, the manufacturer's team can also carry out the installation and filling with water, as an option.