{"id":2114,"date":"2025-06-30T15:32:08","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T15:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/join-the-atlantis-hydroponics-community-on-facebook-today\/"},"modified":"2025-06-30T15:32:08","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T15:32:08","slug":"join-the-atlantis-hydroponics-community-on-facebook-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/join-the-atlantis-hydroponics-community-on-facebook-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Join the Atlantis Hydroponics Community on Facebook Today!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/join-the-atlantis-hydroponics-community-on-facebook-today\/#The_Great_Backyard_Aquaponics_Adventure\" >The Great Backyard Aquaponics Adventure<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/join-the-atlantis-hydroponics-community-on-facebook-today\/#Sourcing_the_Fishy_Foundation\" >Sourcing the Fishy Foundation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/join-the-atlantis-hydroponics-community-on-facebook-today\/#The_Trials_and_Tribulations_of_Setup\" >The Trials and Tribulations of Setup<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/join-the-atlantis-hydroponics-community-on-facebook-today\/#Fishy_Drama_and_a_Green_Crisis\" >Fishy Drama and a Green Crisis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/join-the-atlantis-hydroponics-community-on-facebook-today\/#The_Fix_and_the_Surprises_Along_the_Way\" >The Fix and the Surprises Along the Way<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/join-the-atlantis-hydroponics-community-on-facebook-today\/#Finding_Joy_in_the_Chaos\" >Finding Joy in the Chaos<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/join-the-atlantis-hydroponics-community-on-facebook-today\/#Embrace_the_Journey\" >Embrace the Journey<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Great_Backyard_Aquaponics_Adventure\"><\/span>The Great Backyard Aquaponics Adventure<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>So, there I was, a few summers back, looking at my backyard that was about as exciting as a bowl of soggy cereal. I had this itch\u2014no, more like a full-on rash\u2014to do something with my outdoor space. After reading one too many articles about sustainable living and local food sources, I decided to dive into the quirky world of aquaponics. If you\u2019re not familiar, it&#8217;s like hydroponics, but it involves fish. Yes, fish. Sounded easy enough, right? Wrong.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sourcing_the_Fishy_Foundation\"><\/span>Sourcing the Fishy Foundation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>I started out with a bang, researching every fish species under the sun. Yes, I fell into that rabbit hole deep. I finally settled on tilapia because they\u2019re hardy and, let\u2019s be honest, they seemed like they could use a friend considering the state of my backyard. I drove to the local farm supply store and literally walked out with a bag of tilapia fingerlings. They were wriggling like crazy, and I couldn\u2019t help but think I was officially in over my head.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>But folks, let me tell you, it\u2019s one thing to have a great idea and another to see it swimming in a 55-gallon plastic barrel. That\u2019s what I used for my setup. It was supposed to be perfect\u2014great for water circulation, didn\u2019t cost much, and came from the back of my shed, along with a bunch of other random scrap materials. I think I even used some old vinyl siding I found lying around to build a makeshift frame.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Trials_and_Tribulations_of_Setup\"><\/span>The Trials and Tribulations of Setup<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>I set everything up on a Saturday morning, coffee in one hand and a wrench in the other. The first few hours flew by as I tinkered like a mad scientist. I even felt a bit like Leonardo DiCaprio in \u201cCatch Me If You Can,\u201d scampering around, making sure everything looked good. <\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>But boy, was I naive. I was working with this Chinese-made submersible pump I found on Amazon, and I was already having doubts. I&#8217;d plug it in, and nothing\u2014absolutely nothing\u2014happened. I felt my enthusiasm draining away faster than the water from that barrel. But, after what felt like hours (but was probably just 30 minutes of fiddling), I slapped it hard enough that it suddenly roared to life. I nearly knocked over my coffee in excitement. Go team!<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fishy_Drama_and_a_Green_Crisis\"><\/span>Fishy Drama and a Green Crisis<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Fast forward a week, and I thought I\u2019d nailed it. The water was clear, my tilapia were swimming around like little champions, and I had a few herb seedlings nestled in the grow bed above them. But then tragedy struck. <\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Picture this: I walked out one sunny Saturday morning to the unmistakable scent of\u2026 well, let\u2019s just say it wasn\u2019t the fresh smell of my glorious garden. Instead, it was like a swamp that had gone off for a long weekend. The water had turned a sickly green, and I found myself staring at my tilapia, who were now looking less like happy little fish and more like jaded Netflix watchers.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>I remember panicking. \u201cWhat the heck did I do wrong?\u201d I racked my brain like I was taking a major exam. Algae! It was algae. Apparently, my enthusiasm for not filtering out the sunlight was about to cost me my future fishy friends. <\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Fix_and_the_Surprises_Along_the_Way\"><\/span>The Fix and the Surprises Along the Way<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>It took me ages to figure out how to balance the ecosystem in my retrofitted barrel. I got a few more plants to help absorb excess nutrients\u2014like basil and mint, which I had been planning to use anyway. Turns out, mint grows like a weed, so I had herbs spilling over the edge of my little setup. I felt like a proud parent, yet still worried about my fish.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>I almost gave up at one point when I had more dead fish than I care to admit. I kept swapping out water, buying a bunch of fancy water test kits that left my wallet feeling lighter than my aquatic population. But here&#8217;s the thing: each setback taught me something. I learned how crucial it was to monitor pH levels, and I grew more invested in my little backyard community.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Finding_Joy_in_the_Chaos\"><\/span>Finding Joy in the Chaos<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Through trial and error, I finally found a balance. My fish seemed happier, the plants flourished, and somehow, my little garden became a source of pride rather than frustration. I started sharing my experience on the local Facebook group dedicated to gardening, and wow, did I receive a flood of support. People chimed in with their advice, living in tiny corners of this small town, sharing their own fish tales and leafy successes.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>I made friends with folks who had their experiences, reminding me that community learning sometimes trumps a manual written by some \u201cexpert.\u201d We all want to grow; it\u2019s in our bones. Just like my fish learned to coexist with my plants, I learned to coexist with the setbacks. <\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Embrace_the_Journey\"><\/span>Embrace the Journey<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Here I sit now, looking at that same backyard\u2014now vibrant and alive, filled with not just a few tilapia and herbs, but a sense of accomplishment. At times, I battled frustration, sadness, and doubt, but those were merely chapters in this unexpected story of growth.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re thinking about diving into this wild world, don\u2019t you dare worry about getting it perfect. I promise you\u2019ll screw up, it\u2019s just part of the deal, and believe me, it can be a lot of fun. Just start. You\u2019ll figure it out as you go, I swear.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>And who knows? You might discover something incredible along the way\u2014like aquatic gardening becoming the highlight of your summer, or even a community of friends who share your passion.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re ready to take on your own backyard adventure, check out the next session on hydroponics and aquaponics through Atlantis Hydroponics. Trust me; it\u2019s worth it! <a href=\"https:\/\/fce49htbqedc4go15igazdx60k.hop.clickbank.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Join the next session here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Great Backyard Aquaponics Adventure So, there I was, a few summers back, looking at my backyard that was about as exciting as a bowl of soggy cereal. I had this itch\u2014no, more like a full-on rash\u2014to do something with my outdoor space. After reading one too many articles about sustainable living and local food [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1475,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[836],"tags":[110,128,1093,1434,1432,122,156,115,113,121,1431,107,108,226,1433,341,114,106,131,109,111,731,118],"class_list":["post-2114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hydroponic","tag-and","tag-aquaponics","tag-aquatic-gardening","tag-community-learning","tag-fish-species","tag-had","tag-hydroponics","tag-in","tag-it","tag-like","tag-local-food-sources","tag-my","tag-of","tag-setbacks","tag-submersible-pump","tag-sustainable-living","tag-that","tag-the","tag-tilapia","tag-to","tag-was","tag-water-circulation","tag-with"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2114"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2114\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acjradio.co.uk\/aquaponics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}