Unit II

Setting Up
Aquaponics
Systems
 Worldwide, Thorarinsdottir says
there are three main aquaponics
systems being used: media beds,
floating rafts or deepwater culture
Design of (DWC), and nutrient film technique
(NFT).
Aquaponic
Units The media beds utilize various
substrates in an “ebb and flow”
process while in the NFT (in a thin
layer of water) and raft/DWC systems
(floating rafts in large water tanks)
the plant roots grow directly into the
water.
 The media bed form of
aquaponics uses containers
filled with rock media such as
gravel or expanded clay
(hydroton) to support the roots
MEDIA BEDS of plants.
The bed is flooded and drained
of nutrient rich water to give the
plants the nutrients and oxygen
they need. The media used to
support the plants acts as both a
mechanical and biofilter to
capture and breakdown wastes.
  A media based system uses a growbed or
container filled with grow media (usually gravel,
lava rock, or clay pebbles) to plant the crops. The
How do grow bed is periodically flooded with water from
the fish tank through a bell siphon so that the
Media Based plants can access the nutrients. The water then
drains back into the fish tank, in which a new
Aquaponics cycle begins.

Systems
 All waste is broken down in the grow bed.
Sometimes worms are added to the grow media to

Work?
help break down all the waste. The media based
uses the fewest components, and no additional
filtration is needed, making it easy to operate.
However, the produce is lower than the other
types because of its limited growing space.
  This technique is best used for backyard
gardeners and beginners because it does not
require an engineering, aquaponics, or plant
science background to function well.
 It is inexpensive, simple to put together, and
productive at small scale. Because the media

BEST USE supports the plants like soil would, you are
able to produce large root mass plants such
as fruits, flowering plants, vegetables, and
root vegetables. Because the media is not
space efficient and requires considerably
more inputs of labor, media bed designs are
hard to scale into commercial use.
 1. Relatively inexpensive and straightforward.
2. Suitable for all kinds of plants, from leafy greens

Advantages
to larger fruiting plants.
3. Minimal cleaning is required.

of Media 4. For a further breakdown of fish waste, red worms

can be added to the gravel bed.

Based 5. The media performs a filtering action, preventing

debris from returning to the tank.
Aquaponics 6. The air is present between media particles,
supplying oxygen to the roots.
Systems 7. Suitable for hobby applications, home gardens,
and as part of the commercial farm.
 1.A good-quality medium can be relatively
expensive.
2.The pore spaces in the medium may get
clogged over time, causing anaerobic
conditions that are poor for your plants.
Disadvantages 3.It can require cleaning of the grow bed.
of Media Based 4.By itself, this style system is not usually
System suitable for commercial purposes due to
lower productivity and difficulty in a
large-scale implementation.
5.The media beds are heavy and need a
robust and rigid structure.
 Also known as raft or float
systems, this method uses floating
rafts to suspend plant roots into
nutrient rich and aerated water.
DEEP The plant roots float directly into
WATER a pool of water about 1 foot in
CULTURE (DWC) depth. Since there is no media to
capture and process the solid
wastes, filtration techniques must
be built into the design. This
necessitates more advanced
aquaculture techniques and system
requirements, leading to higher
upfront costs.
  In a raft system, the nutrient-rich water
circulates through the long canals, usually at
a depth of about 20 cm, while rafts
How do Raft (polystyrene or foam board) float on top.

Aquaponics
The plants are grown on the raft boards
supported within holes by net pots. Plant roots
hang down in the nutrient-rich, oxygenated
Systems water, where they absorb oxygen and nutrients
to grow rapidly. The nutrient-filled water flows
Work? continuously from the fish tank through the
filtration process, then to the raft tank where
the plants are grown, and finally back to the
fish tank. Most often, the raft tank is separate
from the fish tank.
 1. High productivity of crops with cheap labor
requirements.
2. The roots are more exposed to water nutrients.
3. Simple and can be the most economical to build of all
aquaponics systems.

Advantages 4. Plants are easier to harvest since roots are submerged

of Raft
in water and not in any media.
6. The water volume in a raft system ensures it is more

System
stable in water quality and temperature than in other
systems.
8. Easy maintenance as raft beds is easy to clean. Since
rafts can be placed in the tank itself, it allows for the
efficient use of space.
9. It is suited for commercial production.
10. It allows for a higher stocking of fish.
 1.It is somewhat restricted to growing small leafy greens
like lettuce and basil.
2. Unsuitable for roots, some fruits, and a few other plants.
3. It can be a mosquito breeding ground if not designed

Disadvantages
correctly.
4. It needs filtration since the roots are entirely immersed.

of Rafts 5. The filtration process increases costs, besides requiring

System
regular filter-cleanups.
(If using a filter and not media beds)
6. Roots are susceptible to microbial attacks or may be
consumed by herbivorous fish.
7. There is little surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow.
8. Because the roots are entirely submerged, oxygen through
aeration is often required.
 The Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
is a hydroponic growing technique
adapted to aquaponics because of
Nutrient its simple yet effective design that
works well in some environments.
Film This method uses horizontal pipes
Technique (PVC) with shallow streams of
nutrient-rich water flowing through
(NFT) them. The NFT is famous for
commercial aquaponics and is also
helpful in urban places where space
and food production are problems.
 In the NFT method, the plants are
grown on long, narrow channels. A
thin film of water continuously flows
How do down on each channel to provide
Nutrient plant roots with water, nutrients,
Film and oxygen. Like the raft system,
the water flows from the fish tank
Technique through filtration components,
Aquaponics through the NFT channels where
Systems plants are grown, and then back
into the fish tank. A separate
Work? biofilter is required in NFT because
there is not enough surface area for
the beneficial bacteria to live.
 1.Compared to other systems, the NFT
uses fewer materials and less space.
2.NFT systems are easy to set up.
3.You don’t need a large land space to
set up an NFT system.
4.NFT allows for continuous water
Advantages purification.
of NFT 5.NFT systems do not need grow media
to grow plants.
6.Plant roots in NFT systems remain
above the waterline at all times,
allowing them to expel waste gas and
absorb oxygen, which results in better
plant growth.
 1.The water temperature is harder
to control in NFT because of the
thin film of water that flows in
the pipes.
2.The narrow channels or the
pipes are susceptible to
Disadvantages clogging.
of NFT
3.The grow pipes may be clogged
with roots. The roots may be
deprived of water when the
pump fails.
4.Suitable only for small rooting
plants.