Aquaponics is a food production system that couples aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as fish crayfish snails or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) whereby the nutrient-rich aquaculture water is fed to hydroponically grown plants. As existing hydroponic and aquaculture farming techniques form the basis of all aquaponic systems the size complexity and types of foods grown in an aquaponic system can vary as much as any system found in either distinct farming discipline.