BIO-Ponics

Was thinking today about terminology.  See many people want to do something like Aquaponics but they don’t necessarily want to use fish and some don’t even want to use water creatures at all so we get terms like

vermiponics

peeponics

organic hydroponics

etc……

Well I don’t really think the term organic hydroponics works very well since to a large extent the practices involved in hydroponics (like sterilizing the system every season) tend to kill off the very things that would make organic hydroponics work.

So, I’m going to suggest that we start using the term BIO-ponics for any of the plant growing methods that require a health bio-filter in order to function.  This would include hydroponics that uses “organic” nitrogen sources and of course the others like vermiponics, pee ponics and also Aquaponics.

So while all of the bio-filter required ponics methods are “BIO-ponics” not all BIO-ponic methods would necessarily be Aquaponics.

People often get hung up about how say vermiponics might be better or cheaper than aquaponics or they want to do aquaponics without fish because they don’t want to worry about the fish dieing or something.  Well, instead of showing up to an aquaponics forum and trying to change the minds of all those set on using fish.  Why not give the nod that Aquaponics is great when you want to grow fish and plants, but there are other methods that use a similar Bio-filter methodology just without the fish.  Neither is better than the other but one might be more appropriate for your particular situation.  So since your BIO-Ponic method has a kinship with Aquaponics you would like to share in the growing aquaponics knowledge of bio-filtration and plant growing methods while being respected in your personal choice of BIO feeding method.

I hope this not so new term catches on more in the aquaponics circles.