| Acidic |
Having a pH of less than 7 |
| Aerobic |
Requiring, or having abundant air |
| Aggregate |
Course material including crushed rock or gravel |
| Alkaline |
Having a pH above 7 |
| Ammonia |
Produced by the fish in their waste and through the gills, can build up becoming toxic if not diluted or converted in thesystem |
| Anaerobic |
Dead zones caused by lack of oxygen, harbour bacteria, and release harmful toxins |
| Aphid |
Soft bodied, sap sucking insects may be white, yellow, black, or green |
| Aquaculture |
The cultivation of aquatic animals and plants in a controlled environment |
| Aquaponics |
Symbiotic relationship of plants and fish growing together in a system |
| Autosiphon |
Useful mechanism for controlling flood and drain cycles of a grow bed |
| Bacillus thuringensis |
Naturally occurring micro-organism effective as a treatment against caterpillars. Certified organic and not harmful to beneficial organisms |
| Bacteria |
Naturally occurring microscopic organisms, both good and bad |
| Biological filter |
Place that supports the colonisation of nitrifying bacteria, eg. growbed |
| Blue metal |
Greyish coloured crushed rock or aggregate, usually granite |
| Broodstock |
Mature fish used for spawning and the production of young |
| Buffer |
Additive which resists changes in pH when small quantities of an acid or alkali are added |
| BYAP |
Backyard Aquaponics |
| Calcium |
Silver/white, soft alkaline earth metal. Necessary for plant growth |
| Calcium carbonate |
Found naturally in chalk, limestone, and marble. Used to buffer pH |
| Carnivore |
An organism that feeds mainly or exclusively on animal tissue |
| CHIFT PIST |
Constant height in fish tank – pump in sump tank |
| Chloramine |
Combination of ammonia and chlorine usually used as a disinfectant and water treatment |
| Chlorine |
Powerful bleaching, disinfecting agent. Often used in drinking water supplies |
| Clay |
Naturally occurring, consisting of fine-grained minerals which hardens when fired or dried |
| Coir |
Natural fibre extracted from coconut husks |
| Cycled |
When a system has established populations of beneficial bacteria |
| Cycling |
The process of establishing bacteria populations in a system |
| Dechlorinate |
To remove chlorine |
| DWC |
Deep water culture: hydroponic method of growing plants suspended in nutrient rich water |
| Deficiency |
A lack or shortage of |
| Detritus |
Waste or rotting matter in the bottom of a fish tank |
| Dissolved oxygen |
A measure of oxygen dissolved, in or carried in, a given media |
| DWV |
Drain waste vent: type of pipe and fittings used for drain waste and vent plumbing |
| Ebb and flow |
The process of flooding and draining a media-filled growbed |
| Expanded Clay |
Clay pellets fired in a kiln which expands into porous “balls” |
| FCR |
Feed conversion ratio: amount of feed fed to an animal, compared to weight it puts on |
| Fingerling |
Young fish that have developed to about the size of a finger |
| Flood and drain |
Flooding and draining fish water in a media filled grow bed |
| Food grade |
Components made to a standard for coming into contact with food stuff |
| Fry |
Young or very small fish |
| Fungicide |
Chemical compounds used to kill or inhibit fungal spores or fungi |
| Gravel |
Rock particles |
| Growbed |
Where the plants grow in an aquaponic system |
| Growing media |
Substrate for bacteria habitat and plant root anchoring |
| Hydroponics |
Growing of plants without soil |
| Hydroton |
Brand of expanded clay/clay balls with high water storage capacity |
| IBC |
Intermediate bulk container to store and transport liquids |
| Irrigation |
Artificial application of water to land or soils |
| LECA |
Light expanded clay aggregate |
| Lime |
Calcium oxide. Extracted by heating limestone, coral, seashells, or chalk. Used for buffering pH |
| Limestone |
Sedimentary used for buffering pH |
| NFT |
Nutrient film technique where plants are suspended in a small enclosed gutter and a thin film of water is passed through the roots to deliver nutrients |
| Nitrate |
Naturally occurring nitrogen available for plant use |
| Nitrite |
Produced as part of the nitrogen cycle, highly toxic to fish |
| Nitrogen cycle |
Process which nitrogen is converted between various chemical forms |
| Nitrobacter |
Bacteria which oxidises nitrite into nitrate |
| Nitrosomonas |
Bacteria which oxidises ammonia into nitrite |
| PPM |
Parts per million |
| PPT |
Parts per thousand |
| Purge |
Removal of impurities by cleansing |
| PVC |
Polyvinyl chloride- plastic polymer |
| Salt |
Mineral mainly composed of sodium chloride |
| SLO |
Solids Lift Overflow – piping method used to remove solids from a tank |
| Species |
Biological classification for a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring |
| Standpipe |
Standpipes set the maximum water level in a grow bed, and excess water that is pumped into the bed goes straight over the top of the standpipe and down the drain |
| Standpipe surround |
Casing for the standpipe which allows water to flow through pre-drilled holes |
| Stormwater |
Water that is derived during rain events |
| UV stabilised |
Substance/object protected from long-term effects of light and ultra violet exposure |
