Short Course Aquaponics

Sneak Peek

Self Paced 20-hour course to help you understand more about Aquaponics

Explore Aquaponics and get a solid understanding of the fundamentals. Understand the systems, choose the best fish and crop plants to grow, and manage the water chemistry to optimise plant and animal health and growth.  Aquaponics can be carried out as an amateur for your own food needs; or on a commercial scale for intensive and productive farming.

Our 20 hour courses are self paced and will help you understand a topic in a short amount of time. You can work through the course when you like- test yourself with mini-tests along the way. There are extra case studies or research you can undertake if you would really like to get into the topic. Once you have completed the lessons and self assessment tasks, there is a final exam undertaken online- you can then download your personalised certificate.

Course Content

This course has five lessons. Each lesson has a corresponding online self-assessment test.

Lesson 1 SCOPE AND NATURE OF AQUAPONICS

• What grows well in aquaponics? 
• Home systems
• Commercial farms
• Advantages of aquaponics 
• Aquaponics is about balance 

Lesson 1 additional reading 

Review what you have been learning 

Lesson 2 THE AQUAPONICS SYSTEM 

• What media is best for your grow beds?
• What else do you need to consider? 

Lesson 2 additional reading 

Review what you have been learning 

Lesson 3 GROWING FISH IN AQUAPONICS 

• Key facts for growing fish in aquaponics 
• Feeding fish 
• How many fish? 
• Monitoring fish 
• Common problems and their symptoms 

Lesson 3 additional reading 

Review what you have been learning 

Lesson 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) 

Lesson 4 additional reading 

Review what you have been learning 

Lesson 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 

Lesson 5 additional reading 

Review what you have been learning 

Final assessment 

How does this course work?