How to get started in Autopot Aquaponics
1. Contact us to get a better understanding of the
Autopot version of Aquaponics. If necessary, we can
make arrangement with Jim Fah, the inventor of the
Autopot Systems and Autopot Aquaponics, to dis-
cuss your needs further.
2. After this, to proceed with the Aquaponic pro-
ject, you will need a sizable Autopot system (feeding
up to 50 to 100 growing units, growing medium,
plant nutrients plus the Smart-pumping set). Indica-
tive cost $2,000.00.
You may also need to acquire an Aquaculture
set up with at least one 1,000 litre tank for the fish
plus all the accessory equipment (pumps, filters,
tubings, timers, feed and fish fingerlings as well).
Indicative cost $2,000.00.
3. We can also help with the installation of the pro-
ject on an hourly or turnkey basis. Takes about 4 to
6 man days at $300 per day.
4. You can also sign up with us for an ongoing
technical support or visit program.
Visiting Our Aquaponic Display
You are welcome to visit our Aquaponic display
which is open daily 9 to 5 pm including Saturdays
and Sundays. We now have 2 x 1,500 L tanks
stocked with Silver Perch. Soon another 100 Jade
Perch fingerlings will be introduced to the second
1,500 L tank. We expect to have 10 x 1,500 L tanks
in a couple of months to be stocked with Barramundi
and other table fish. At the moment, our extensive
Autopot display maintains more than 1,000 plants
which are consuming 2,000 L a day of water on hot
days and 1,200 L in cooler days. All the water has
been draw through the fish tank.
Do I need a greenhouse?
Greenhouse is not a must but it would be much bet-
ter to have one. Build one that can house the fish
tank and 100 Autopot units so that you can get year
round crop and fish production. Without a green-
house, most of your activities will have to be re-
duced. You will not be able to grow cucumbers or
tomatoes. You can however grow plants that can
survive the winter, such as some peas, cabbages or
other similar crops. As for the fish, you are limited to
those that can survive the winter. Silver perch or
Murray Cod seem to be the limited choice.
What can I get out of the Autopot
Autopot Aquaponics / Tuesday, February 20, 2007
For the hydroponic section, basically you can grow
anything and really well too. We have so far found
very few plants that would not grow in the Autopot
Systems. You can have all the plants, such as or-
chids, petunias, cacti, lettuce, tomatoes, eggplants,
cucumbers etc growing side by side. You can use all
kinds of growing medium right from soiles types
(perlite, sand, scoria, polyester, rockwool etc) to
normal potting mix and soil. You can start to get
some harvest within 4 weeks from planting for let-
tuce, Bak choi or similar crops. Cucumbers about
two months, tomatoes about 3 months from planting.
Jade Perch
For the aquaculture section, you can start off with
Silver Perch, Barramundi or Murray Cod. Other spe-
cies such as yabbies can be included in the culture
system. Most fish can grow to table size of 500 gms
or more from 5cm fingerlings within a year. They
would be fed with fish pellets, hydroponic produce
(eg lettuce) and some other natural food (eg in-
sects).
About the person behind the development
of the Autopot Aquaponics System.
Jim Fah has a degree in Agriculture and a
Masters degree in Aquaculture and has worked in
the Horticultural industry for more than 30 years. He
is the inventor of the Autopot Systems and also the
creator of the Autopot Aquaponics which has made
GardenSmart
aquaponics simple to manage - in particular, minus Traded as Autopot Systems.
all the complications of maintaining water qualities 810 Springvale Road, Braeside (Melbourne), Victoria 3175, AUSTRALIA.
which is essential for conventional aquaponics. Ph: 03 - 9701 8811, Fax: 03 – 9701 8822,
Email: autopot@bigpond.com Web: www.autopot.com.au
What is Aquaponics?
Aquaponics is a hybrid between Aquacul-
ture and Hydroponics. That is you get to
culture both the fish (or other aquatic or-
ganism) and plants (crops such as lettuce)
in a synergistic relationship whereby re-
sources such as water and nutrients input
(can also be in the form of feed) are being
shared. This a classic case of 1+1 = > 2.
The concept
The general idea behind the conventional Aquapon-
ics is to pump water (containing fish wastes) from
the fish tank to flow through a large trough filled with
gravel which acts as a particle filter (removes solid
wastes), as a bio-filter (bacteria within converts dis-
solved organic wastes to nutrients) and as a grow
bed for the plants (utilizes nutrients for growth). The
water then pumped back to the fish tank and the
recycling of water is repeated all over again. Con-
ventional Aquaponics may appear simple. But, in
reality, it is a lot more difficult to manage than what
we have been led to believe.
A quote from a website gave a good indication of the
attention needed in dealing with conventional Aq-
uaponics :-
“This integrated system of Aquaponics has
benefits not achievable when Aquaculture and
Hydroponics are done separately. Aquaculture
has the problem of buildup of wastes in the
water, requiring filtering systems to clean the
water as well as periodic releasing of waste
water into the environment. Hydroponics uses
chemical nutrients that eventually build up in
the water and create toxic water. This water
can no longer be used in the irrigation of the
plants and is disposed of into the environ-
ment.”
Recycling water
Gravel filter bed
Fish tank
However, Autopot version of Aquaponics is a lot
easier. It is as simple as letting the water first flow
into the fish tank and then pump the fish water to
feed the plants via the Autopot systems.
Plants in Autopot
Fish Systems
Water
source
• It eliminates the need for monitoring of water
qualities, such as pH and conductivity for the
plants. Also minimizes the need for monitoring
water quality for the fish. This is because the
water that was pumped to the plants via the
Autopot Systems will be completely taken up by
the plants leaving no excess water to return to
the fish tank. Hence, there is total zero contami-
nation.
• You do not need to keep the plants at close
proximity (necessary for conventional recirculat-
ing Aquaponics systems) to the fish tank. This
solves the problem of drifts from any sprays that
might be necessary for pest & disease control on
plants should you need to spray. Even so called
products safe to humans, such as eco oil, can
be toxic to the fish.
• It is not important to match the number of plants
to the fish as the Autopot Aquaponics system is
versatile and forgiving.
• You do not need to provide structures (pipes etc)
for the return flow.
• You can use almost all kinds of growing media.
Includes soiless media like perlite, sand, scoria,
broken bricks. The system can use potting mix
and soil as well.

A separate pump is used to re-circulate through 50 to The pump used for the Smart-pump set is a high
100 meters of clear 13mm tubing which is placed on top pressure diaphragm pump which can feed plants
of a roof. The idea is to have the fish water biologically grown at levels up to 10 M high as shown in the
filtered by the algae growing within the tubing and help
heat up water as well.
Sump-pump draws water from the Diagramatic illustration above picture of an Autopot Window box of cucum-
bottom of the tank and feeds through ber trailing over a wire mesh.
the polyester filter bag to remove solid of an Autopot
wastes. It also aerates the water as
the water is discharged into the bag. Aquaponics set up

Autopot Smart-pump set draws water from the fish tank, automatically
adds supplementary nutrients for feeding plants (all sorts up to 1,000
Aquaculture unit plants) grown in the Autopot Systems. Water goes one way and
completely taken up by the plants. No excess water and does not
return to the fish tank.
Plants can be sited well away from the
Aquaculture unit to reduce the possibility of
contamination from drift sprays.

The speed of fresh water

input depends on how
quickly water is drawn
from the tank by the
Smart-pump set to feed
the plants.