AQUAPONICSGIFT GUIDE

Streamline your fish-harvesting process with a cleaning table. Set up the table in a garage, shed, or mud room. You can get these at camping stores, feed stores, and some hardware stores, or online for about $80.

FISH CLEANING TABLE

If you need to lower your stocking density, you’ll be “harvesting” a number of your fish. Odds are that you won’t be able to eat them all. A vacuum sealer makes it easy to wrap and freeze fish eat later. You can get vacuum sealer for about $80.

VACUUM SEALER

If you’re building a habit of eating more fish, make it easier for yourself with a fish fryer, which will run you about $100 and could end up saving you money in wasted fish.

FISH FRYER

If you have fish you need a fish net. You can purchase a fish net for under $18 on Amazon.

FISH NET

For aquaponic growers, water testing is crucial to maintaining proper nutrient levels. The API Freshwater Masterkit is an affordable and easy way to monitor water chemistry. API Masterkits price about $25.

freshwater masterkit

If you’ve ever tried to punch holes in 1-inch polytubing with a standard hole punch, you know that it is not fun. One of these make’s it much easier and faster. For $17, you could brighten someone’s day.

tubing hole punch

A few months of grappling with untidy vines and bushes wears down even the sturdiest of shears. Sharpen your shears with this shear sharpener, which runs about $15.

shear sharpener

Complete the safety suit with a full-face respirator, which keep harmful gasses from being inhaled or irritating sensitive eye tissues. (Bonus: Do I even need to go into the costume possibilities on this one?) While the full face respirator is more pricey at $140, there are cheaper mouth-only options available.

full face respirator

Every gardener knows how easy it is to misplace shears, which are a non-negotiable gardening must-have! And what gardener doesn’t love hearing the clean click of sharp new shears? Shears are easy to find at any gardening store, hardware store, or online and typically range from $10-30.

GARDENING SHEARS

Is there anything that crates aren’t useful for? We use crates for harvesting, weeding, distributing CSA shares, and holding miscellaneous junk while we procrastinate on putting it where it actually belongs. You can get crates online, but we recommend checking out your Lowes or Home Depot, which will probably have them for cheaper.

PLASTIC CRATES

Some of the most common questions we here from our growers regard pests and how to take care of them. We put together this convenient Pest and Disease Control Packet that addresses the most common insect and disease pests and gives methods for managing them. You can get the packet for $25.

PEST & DISEASE CONTROL PACKET

Like shears, gardening gloves are always being misplaced, torn, and worn out. Grab a pair or two for your aquaponicist friend at only $4 or $5 each.

GARDENING GLOVES

We don’t know about you, but we think that there’s nothing worse than having wet feet, especially in cold weather. A pair of waterproof garden boots are easy to pull on when you step into a greenhouse or fish house, and allow a grower to navigate their system with ease.

GARDENING BOOTS

There are several aquaponics-safe sprays that an aquaponics lover can use in their growing area, but that doesn’t mean that those sprays are safe to breathe in and get on your skin. Many safety protocols call for a Tyvec safety suit, which are handy to have around. (Also, you’ll feel like a ghostbuster.) These will cost you about $10.

TYVEC SUIT

If you’ve read our geek-out post on why Baker Creek is so great, you know that they’re the company to get seeds from. Even Gus loves Baker Creek seeds. Get seed and gift-basket shopping here.

HEIRLOOM SEEDS

Spraying isn’t the most enjoyable job. Help out a gardening friend by making the chore quicker for them with this backpack sprayer. No stopping to pick up and set down a jug sprayer. You can get a comfortable backpack sprayer for about $35.

BACKPACK SPRAYER

Jump start a system with 4 ZipGrow vertical growing Towers. These Towers are easy to use and will delight any starting aquaponicist. You can order a 4-pack for $270.

4-PACK ZIPGROW TOWERS