It will cost you thousands to buy a pre-made aquaponics system, and for most people including myself, that’s a hell of a lot of money to be shelling out. Fortunately, since aquaponics is an easy to replicate ecosystem, you can build a cheap aquaponics system that will work just as well as any other. For now, I want to talk about the parts you need to start up a basic aquaponics system: Fish Tank: You can use a traditional glass fish tank though that would be a bit more expensive. As an alternative, it’s very common for aquaponic gardeners to use a large barrel or a stock tank. Flood Table: This will be used as a grow bed for growing your plants on. The bigger the size, the more plants you can grow, but you also have to factor in whether your tank can hold enough fish to provide enough nutrients for the amount of plants you want to grow. Click here to check out various effective grow beds. Support: You need to support the grow bed with a sturdy foundation. Using sets of concrete blocks and lumber will do well. Alternatively, you can get pre-made frames but once again, they tend to cost a bit more unless you pick up a second hand bargain. Click here to check out a variety of sturdy grow bed stands. Water Pump: When choosing a water pump, make sure that you get a reliable and trustworthy brand. Magnetic drive (mag-drive) pumps are best because the motor has its own separate compartment which is sealed off and it should never leak any oil into the fish tank. Click here to check out highly effective water pumps. Air Pump: This is used for pumping oxygen into your fish tank. It’s hard to put too much oxygen in your system so this shouldn’t be much of a concern. Click here to check out highly effectively air pumps. Grow Bed Media: Gravel is cheap but depending on the rock used, it can affect pH levels in the water. You can also use clay pellets which are pH neutral and holds moisture well. Click here to check out suitable grow media. Bell Siphon: You can pick this up for very little cost or you can just easily build your own with some PVC pipes, slip caps and tubing. Click here to check out various pre-made bell siphons. Plumbing: The last part is connecting the system together to bring it to life. You would need to build a water feed line and drain line. The parts needed to assemble these consist of various size and shape pipes, tubes, threads and valves. tq.