What Do Aquaponics Managers Do

As an Aquaponics Manager, I oversee aquaculture and horticultural practices in aquaponic systems.

Aquaculture involves steadily managing your fish stock’s daily lives. This includes everything from feeding (up to 4 times daily), to water chemistry, to watching for pests/diseases, and more. With pockets of time in between caring for fish health, I plan future schools, research efficiency upgrades, and take a few moments to bask in these responsibilities.

A typical day as an Aquaponics Manager is all about managing a dynamic flow of ecosystems. The fish are feeding the bacteria, the bacteria are feeding the plants, and the plants are feeding many mouths (including the fish, as we can grow some of our own fish food). Caring for each of these groups while maintaining a healthy balance between them is a thrilling but tedious task.

Some of my key responsibilities are:

• Check the plants – How are the leafy little friends doing? Are there any pest control concerns, nutrient deficiencies, maybe it’s time to harvest?
• Check the flow – Test nutrient levels, pH balances, add minerals or more water if necessary, look for clogs/drips.
• Check the cycles – Are there any sprouting new seeds to transplant? Is it time to start new seeds? How far along are the fish?
• Harvest – What plants and/or fish are ready to extend their lifecycle by being harvested and ready for the table?

Pros

There are a lot of pros to being an aquacultural manager. But some of my favorites are being directly responsible for schools of fish which you actually reap the rewards in relatively short periods of time. There is a sense of pride with every succession of fish that you oversee. This, plus a nice balance of inside and outside, mental and physical work leads to a healthy lifestyle.

Cons

There are also a lot of cons in this field. Raising schools of fish can be very demanding and time-sensitive. Missing water imbalances, early signs of disease, or other indicators of fish health can be devastating. You have to be on top of your game, especially when managing larger volumes of fish. I would also warn that harvesting this product is not as pleasant as picking pumpkins.