Helio 10 m² Aquaponics Greenhouse

In the system installed under this greenhouse, mechanical and biological filtration is pressurised, a mineralisation compartment is added to it, and the growing supports are chosen from floating rafts, buffered clay pebbles and gutters. The choice of support determines which crops are possible, since each support suits different plants: rafts carry leafy vegetables with roots bathed in water, the pebbles take plants that need a grow medium, and the gutters suit short crops in tight rows. So you come with a list of what you want to harvest, and the support follows from it.

The mineralisation compartment deserves your attention when you are weighing up the system: it takes the sludge caught by the mechanical filter and puts it back into circulation in a form the roots can absorb, instead of it going down the drain. You thereby recover a share of what you have fed the fish, and you empty your filter less often. The water and air pumps run continuously, on food-grade pressure PVC circuits, and they carry a 2-year guarantee.

In this circuit, the fish release ammonia through their gills and waste, and nitrifying bacteria, settled in the biological filter, convert it into nitrite and then nitrate, the form of nitrogen that roots absorb. The purified water returns to the pond, and the only things you add to the system are fish feed and the water lost to evaporation. That is why the delivery includes the bacteria as well as the fish: they colonise the filter over the first few weeks, before the fish load reaches its full level. The choice of species depends on the temperature the water holds in winter, and the guide to fish to raise in aquaponics presents the common options.

The reference size in the range is the 20 m² model, which measures 3.38 m by 5.91 m on the ground and 2.54 m at the ridge. Once filled with water, the whole structure weighs less than 2,800 kg, or about 140 kg per square metre on average, and the load is concentrated under the pond, since 800 L of water alone weighs 800 kg. These are the figures the study uses to prepare your ground: the treated pine base sits on prepared ground, and the pond's position calls for the firmest area. For a 10 m² size, the dimensions and the load are recalculated for your project, using the same principles.

The range starts at 4 m² and has no upper limit: a 10 m² format therefore sits at the lower end of the range, between the compact project and the standard 20 m² model. At the other end, greenhouses of more than 120 m² fall under a programme intended for professional projects, of which a first example can be found in Chantilly. Your interior fittings, the class 4 timber flooring, the orientation of the openings and the landscaping are all decided at the same time. That is also why this greenhouse is not bought through a basket: the displayed price is a starting point, and the quote is drawn up on the configuration you choose. You describe what you want to harvest, how many people will look after it, where the ground is level and which side the afternoon sun comes from. The size follows from those answers. The other aquaponics greenhouse in the range meets the same need with an aluminium and glass structure, if you prefer that approach. Take the time to gather these details before the first conversation: a photo of the plot, a rough measurement of the distances, and a list of what you eat most often are enough to frame a first proposal.

Installation is carried out on site by a specialist team, in France and across Europe: it assembles the structure, installs the beds, the pond, the filtration and the pumps, then fills the system with water. The sliding shade cloth is included in the delivery; drawn across in summer, it limits heat build-up under the polycarbonate, and folded back in winter, it lets all the light through. Finally, you and the people who will look after the greenhouse receive training, monitoring sheets and telephone support, which will guide you through to the first harvests.

At the end of the first year, the consumables supplied with delivery have run out and you take over. Your routine then comes down to three tasks: feeding the fish every day with a measured ration, testing the pH, ammonium, nitrite and nitrate every week, and cleaning the mechanical filter as soon as the flow weakens. The practical aquaponics calendar spreads these tasks out season by season, and helps you plan your orders of feed and test reagents before you run out.