Saint Louis University

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
Otto Hahn Room 611
Telephone No. 074-4423043 local

”Aquaponics”
What is it all about?

Building an aquaponics system. Aquaponics is a cooperation between plants and fish and the term
originates from the two words aquaculture (the growing of fish in a closed system environment) and hydroponics
(the growing of plants usually in a soil-less environment)

Who will be involved in this project apart from you? (Include agencies-private and public should you need
their permission)

The internal stakeholders in this project are:

● The 4th year Industrial Engineering students.
● Faculty members
● The SLU Bakakeng campus/building facility management.
The external stakeholders are:
● Department of Agriculture
● Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

Why do you think this project is worthy to be conducted? Why is this sustainable?

The project will be done for the benefit of the children of the (Sunflower home for the boys?) as they will
be the main beneficiaries of the produce and fish that will be grown. Additionally, the boys will learn more
about agriculture and responsibility.

On the topic of

Where will the project be conducted?

The project will be conducted at the SLU - Bakakeng campus, in partnership with the
Industrial Engineering Department, specifically the students enrolled in the subject IE 4131- IE
Values and Ethics.

When will the project be completed? (Final report and documentation will be submitted in the finals.)

The project is expected to be completed not later than December 20, 2023 (end of the
semester)

How do you plan to conduct your project?

 Saint Louis University
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
Otto Hahn Room 611
Telephone No. 074-4423043 local

1. Coordinate with the respective authorities for the project proposal, present to them what
aquaponics is, how it works, its different types, the benefits of having the system, how it
can be sustained, controlled and monitored once implemented. If approved, move on to
the next step.
2. Research on the suitable aquaponics system for the area where it will be implemented
(structure of the aquaponics system, the kinds of fish, the types of plants/herbs, the
design of the media beds, what will be used for the flow of water, the filter to be used,
etc.). Beyond this, we delved into understanding the various factors that could potentially
affect the system in the long run. This encompassed everything from water quality and
nutrient levels to temperature and pH balance.
3. Visit the facility to measure certain parameters for the project. From this, we would be
able to provide accurate measurements for the arrangement of the aquaponics and
potential materials of the said system. Also, it would also provide a guide for the decision
making of what elements are needed in the aquaponics system.
4. Plan the layout design of the facility considering the available space and budget.
Maximizing the space by carefully planning the arrangement of the components meaning
how many of the elements could be used and their approximate dimensions, this
includes the fish tanks, grow beds, filtration system, flow of source water and rainwater
collection storage as well as electrical wirings to power the facility. The aquaponics
should be designed to be easy to maintain and sustain since monitoring of the system
will be critical to the project’s long-term success. Our goal was to strike a balance
between sustainability and functionality. This involved researching and identifying
materials that not only fit the budget but also had a lower environmental footprint. By
carefully crafting a layout that utilizes space effectively.

5. Plan for canvass for the materials needed for the system to be able to gather materials
potentially that will provide a good quality output.

6. Once suppliers for the needed materials are established, materials are subjected to
procurement. (This includes the different transactions related to procurement of
resources like transportation cost which will be accounted for by the Accounting team.)

7. Immediately after the procurement of the materials, construction of the aquaponics

system is ready.

8. As we moved into the test phase, our focus shifted to water quality. And as the water
begins to circulate through the Biofilter, we will first make the pH level to ensure that the
 Saint Louis University
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
Otto Hahn Room 611
Telephone No. 074-4423043 local

water remains suitable for both the plants and fish, contributing to the overall health and
success of the project. As the water will be the main source of the system to work. This
also includes making sure that the pipes or hose are properly installed (no leakage ) and
that the whole system is properly set-up (no defective materials) for the implementation
phase.

9. The system is due for the implementation phase where the tested water is distributed to
the area of the plants and the fish tanks. The team will evaluate if the devised system is
fully functional, which means the flow of the water is optimal, the roots of the plants are
not over soaked to avoid drowning, and the fish’s health are not put at risk due to the
distributed water.

10. Proper monitoring and controlling of the system is important to maintain the optimal
conditions of both fishes and plants to continue its reproduction. Regular inspection is
required to see whether signs of wear, leaks and damage are present. Some of the
important elements to consider in maintaining and controlling includes the water quality
(pH control, temperature control, oxygen level, nutrients level, filtrations and its
circulation), and fish and plants health. A team of 3 to 5 members from the project would
visit the site periodically (every week for the whole school year 2023-2024) to ask the
proper authorities if there are any problems encountered in the system, test the pH
levels of the water using accurate test kits, and to make sure that the system is still fully
functional. If problems are encountered in the system, the whole team will be notified
and planning and implementation of proper/optimal solutions are prioritized.