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AUTOPONICS: Autonomous Aquaponics Controlling and Monitoring System

A Quantitative Research
Presented to the
Faculty of Senior High School Department
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Strand
Maliwalo National High School
Maliwalo, Tarlac City

_______________

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Subject
CS_RS12: Practical Research 2

________________

by

BUTCHAYO, Mikka T.
CANLAS, Mark Rafael G.
ESPINOSA, Iran Len L.
FLORES, Jaycee Y.
LACSON, Francis B.
PATAWARAN, Catherine Reynalyn B.
ROXAS, Zharia Jade H.

June 2023
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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter of the paper presents the problem and its setting. It includes the

background of the study, the statement of the problem, research hypotheses, significance,

scope and delimitation of the study, and definition of terms used in study.

Background of the Study

Food security has emerged as one of the world's top issues due to population growth

and the ongoing rise in prices. According to the most current State of Food Security and

Nutrition in the World report, "the world is progressing in the opposite way" and efforts to

eradicate hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity by 2030 are "losing momentum". The

report stated that the number of people affected by hunger globally rose to 828 million in

2021, which increased extremely since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Additionally,

nearly 2.3 billion people were moderately or severely vulnerable to food insecurity in 2021,

greater than the COVID-19 outbreak, and about 924 million were reported to be extremely

food insecure. On top of that, the analysis of the report predicts that approximately 670

million people, will still be malnourished and experiencing hunger in 2030, 78 million

higher than if the pandemic not have happened (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2022).

The Philippines, which placed 146th out of 171 countries in the Global Food

Security Index Q2 2022 developed by consultancy agency Deep Knowledge Analytics on

July 2022, with an overall food security index score of only 5.05 out of the possible 10.

Hence, the Philippines ranked last among its peers in the East and Southeast Asia, making

the Philippines most food insecure in East and Southeast Asia (Deep Knowledge Analytics,

2022). In order to address the issue, agricultural product yield must keep up with the
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population's rapid growth and the rising demand for food. But if we keep losing agricultural

areas, how can the agriculture industry supply this demand? Around three million hectares

of agricultural land are lost globally each year due to soil erosion, while another four

million hectares are lost due to agricultural land being converted for urban and industrial

development (Cunningham, 2022). The Philippines which has roughly thirty million

hectares of land, 13.42 million hectares are used as agricultural land (Statista Research

Department, 2022). A considerable amount of agricultural land will be lost due to soil

erosion, the spread of urbanization, and industrialization to cope with the modern world.

Therefore, exploring, developing, and adapting different farming methods are paramount

to achieving food security and sustainability.

In current situation of food and sustainability issue, the aquaponics farming

technique has emerged as a strategy to increase farming production. Aquaponics is a

method of agriculture that merges aquaculture (the cultivation of fish and other aquatic

organisms) and hydroponics (the cultivation of plants without the need of soil) in a

recirculating system (Go Green Aquaponics, 2022). Modern agricultural production uses

the aquaponics technology, which merges hydroponics with aquaculture. Fish cultures

therefore don't need many water changes, and fertilizing vegetable crops is no longer

necessary. Fish, cultivated crops, and microbes may now coexist peacefully and in mutual

relationships that maintain ecological balance (Yaoguang Wei, et al.,2019). Fish are fed,

and when they expel waste, microbes convert it into nutrients. Some of these nutrients are

used by plants, who also use these to filter the water in the system (David Love et al.,2015).

Given that aquaponics adheres to the concepts of nutrient and water reuse, it proved to be
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an effective method for sustainable hydroponic and aquaculture methods. (Simmon

Goddek et L.,2015).

Aquaponics systems have attracted increasing attention due to their resource

savings, high efficiency and low consumption, and they have become the trend and

direction of modern agricultural development (Ntobeko Mchunu et al,2018). An aquaponic

system has a simple design, uses resources that are readily available locally, and can be a

technique for ensuring food security, according to a research. This study also revealed that

the fish and plants benefit from the aquaponic system. Specifically, tilapia and lettuce

(Jericha et al.,2018).

Modern aquaponics systems can be exceptionally effective, however, they require

careful monitoring, management, and control. When aiming for high yields and quality,

designing and managing an aquaponic system is a challenging task. The parameters and

components (light, temperature, pH, moisture, etc.) that need to be regulated are diverse

since a greenhouse is a symbiotic ecosystem. When the system is expanded to commercial

levels, this renders the task of manually monitoring and maintaining such systems

extremely difficult (Reyes Yanes et al., 2020).

One of the major limitations of aquaponics systems is the labor required to maintain

ideal output levels and the time needed to manually adjust parameter to the necessary

levels. An aquatic ecosystem developed in nature was supported by the Aquaponics

system. Periodic monitoring of the Aquaponics system is essential due to the synergetic

uptake and release of wastes from fish to plants. An autonomous system is required in order

to solve this issue. The advantages of incorporating an autonomous control system for
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ongoing autonomous monitoring and control of a dynamic system are taken advantage of

in this manner (T. Sheena et al., 2016).

A new window has opened up for the advancement of these aquaponics systems

with the application of technology, smart farming practices, and connectivity in the

agricultural industry. Smart automation will result in a large reduction in human labor,

more efficient process control by enhancing the parameters' accessibility and connectivity,

and the use of computers to make data-driven selections (Reyes Yanes et al., 2020).

Aquaponics has a great deal of potential in ensuring food security in many African

countries since modern food production goals are no longer only focused on improving

productivity but also optimizing results throughout multiple productions systems (Felix

Kabwena Donkor, 2021). As the Internet of Things (IoT) has expanded, this has impacted

agriculture in the form of hydroponic and aquaponics systems.

Correspondingly, Arduino is an open-source electronics platform with simplified

hardware and software used of building electronic projects (Navarrete, 2020). It is

programmed to sense and control the objects in the physical world (Pantech eLearning,

2022). Due to its ability to develop creativity and problem-solving, along with being cheap,

easy to get on the market, and has a design where anyone with limited knowledge about

Information Technology can run it, Arduino has been widely applied in agricultural

activities, including monitoring plant growth, regulating irrigation, area monitoring,

measure water quality and parameters (Irfan Ardiansah,et al., 2020). Furthermore, Arduino

is the best choice for IoT projects because it is easier to program and maintain, as they are

robust and relatively simple than others. Arduino demands for smart projects increases due

to its open source and easy to use hardware (Kashif, 2022).

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The Internet of Things (IoT), is a network of physical objects that are embedded

with sensors, software, and other technologies. These "things" are open to sharing real-

time data with other linked devices and systems via networks because they are connected

to the Internet. These automated systems work with connected devices to collect IoT data

that can be used to assist with functions or discover ways to optimize a process (TWl Ltd.,

2022). The widespread use of IoT appears to have enormous potential for making

everything intelligent and smart. These days, even the agricultural industry is adopting IoT

technology. In agricultural fields, multiple projects and frameworks using IoT systems are

integrated, which results in efficient management and control of various activities such as

crop water management, precision agriculture, and food production and safety (Anand

Nayyar, 2016).

One study conducted an IOT based Aquaponics Monitoring System, where a

monitoring section was established in order to detect the water level, pH value, temperature

and humidity of Aquaponics system by the use of Ultrasonic sensor, pH Sensor module

and Temperature and Humidity sensor (DHT11) respectively. Also, relay Has been used

for light controlling feature. Raspberry Pi Has allowed the system to be Internet of Things

based. By the application of Internet of Things in this system, it has been possible to view

the readings from anywhere in the World and also it provided the graphical and analytical

view of the system parameters which define the IoT Based Aquaponics Monitoring System

(Abhay Dutta,2018).

One such way to address global food insecurity is by raising production, which can

guarantee food security. The Department of education (DepEd) took an action that will

make way to mitigate the food production issue in agriculture, the DepEd introduced the
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Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP) that aims to improve food security in public schools

and communities by encouraging self-help food production activities and raising awareness

of agriculture as an essential component of human survival. Through the aquaponics

system, it can greatly contribute to the GPP for its effectiveness in crop production.

Several studies have shown that an aquaponics system has the ability to increase

food production and provide food security by producing more environmentally and

economically sustainable food. According to studies, the Aquaponics method is also more

cost-effective than standard farming approaches. The benefits of aquaponics have enticed

many people to pursue aquaponics farming, which has now become a trend in the

agricultural industry. Having an Aquaponics system, however, is not without its obstacles

and difficulties, such as poor resiliency and especially the difficulty in monitoring

parameters and maintaining it. Dissolved oxygen, pH levels, temperature, and humidity

must all be closely monitored. This is why, in order to address the issues, the Internet of

Things is being used to implement automation and monitoring systems. With the

application of automation and smart technologies, it will bring the Aquaponics system to a

new level through the application of automation and smart systems. Smart technology

integration into aquaponics systems reduces production times, minimizes the need for labor

to monitor the systems, improves product quality, and increases sustainability. This study

will make way for a new opportunity for the use of automated and smart monitoring

systems in agricultural farming, particularly in Aquaponics farming method. Moreover,

through this study, the Automated Aquaponics System that has an application of the

Internet of Things, improves the monitoring system that helps to produce good quality of

food and will create the opportunity to be accessible in commercial levels. On a worldwide
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basis, several studies have already implemented automation and monitoring systems, but

just a few undertaken this locally. As a response, the goal of this research is to create and

assess an Arduino-based Automated Aquaponics System that uses the Internet of Things

to improve the monitoring and management of traditional or manual aquaponic systems.

Statement of the Objectives

This study aims to develop an Arduino-based Automated Aquaponics System

using Internet of Things to improve traditional or manual aquaponic systems monitoring

and management.

Specifically, this study is focused on the following:

1. To develop an Arduino-based aquaponics monitoring system using IoT that will

automatically monitor the following:

1.1. Temperature;

1.1.1 Water;

1.1.2Weather;

1.2 pH level;

1.3 Humidity; and

1.4 Dissolved Oxygen Level

2. To assess the effectiveness of developed Arduino-based automated aquaponics

monitoring system using Internet-of-Things in terms of:

2.1 Accuracy of Data

2.2 Growth of Food;

2.2.1 Plant growth of the lettuce; and

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2.2.2. Growth of tilapia

3. To determine the challenges that the researchers will encounter in the study and

determining the methods done to address the challenges

4. To determine the implication of this study in the fields of aquaculture and agriculture

Hypotheses

The research hypothesis of this study is:

1. There is significant difference between using the traditional aquaponics and automated

aquaponics in terms of:

1.1 the accuracy of the data of each parameters

1.2 the sustainability of arduino based aquaponics system in plant growth of lettuce

1.3 the sustainability of Arduino-based Aquaponics System in growth of tilapia

Significance of the Study

This study aims to improve the traditional aquaponic system, which is maintained

manually, by making it automated through the application of smart monitoring systems

using IOT (Internet of Things) that will help solve difficulties in monitoring and managing

the systems. Moreover, the aquaponic system provides an answer to the underlying

problem on food security and production.

More specifically, the following shall benefit from the product and findings of the

study:

The study will introduce and will pave the way for application of automation and

smart systems in agricultural farming. The results of this study will contribute knowledge

under the agricultural field. Also, the developments applied in the aquaponic system may

also serve as a basis in innovating further projects.

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Adopting an aquaponic system will allow farmers to produce fresh organic crops

in a secure and simple fashion. Farmers will no longer need to consider buying fertilizers

or worry about their water bill because this system uses a minimal amount of these.

Furthermore, automating the system's monitoring and management will result in less work

and provides accurate readings of critical parameters when monitoring the system.

This research study will be beneficial in Maliwalo National High School,

particularly the students. The school may build an automated aquaponic system that is a

great approach to increase the crop production of its garden and improve Maliwalo

National High School's overall attitude and dedication to sustainability and environmental

care. This will give students a practical approach to sustainability and learning, along with

cutting-edge teaching methods and concepts through STEM disciplines. Furthermore, it

gives students access to a healthy green space for wellness and contributes to the

awareness-raising of food systems and sustainability.

Teachers, notably those that teach STEM-related disciplines such as Biology,

Mathematics, Computer Science, and Engineering at various levels. Using and studying

the automated aquaponics system may make the teaching process of various topics and

approaches more exciting and participatory, as it provides students with new learning

experiences. Thus, increases the students' engagement in class.

Students, not just those in Senior High School, can use research-based data as a

source of information. The research will also broaden their understanding of the concepts

underlying aquaponics systems, automation, and the Internet of Things. The automated

aquaponic system may introduce and deeply understand some concepts in Science and

Mathematics concepts, particularly for STEM students, through direct observation or

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hands-on experiences such as learning about the ecosystem and the interactions of

organisms in Biology, building and designing in Engineering, the various sensors, circuits,

and automation in Robotics. The knowledge and skills gained by the study's researchers

may be related to their future careers and will be useful to them in pursuing their future

careers.

This study's research-based data and produced automated aquaponic system may

serve as a reference or basis for future researchers to perform research relevant to this topic.

Scope and Delimitation

This study is an experimental research project that focuses on the development and

assessment of an Arduino-based Automated aquaponics system using the Internet of

Things to improve manual or traditional aquaponic systems' monitoring and management.

The version of Arduino that the study will use is the Arduino UNO R3. Furthermore, the

fish fingerlings and lettuce seedlings were obtained in Science City of Muñoz. This study

will be conducted at Maliwalo National High School, Barangay Maliwalo, Tarlac City. The

duration of the study would be 4 months starting from February 2023 to June of the same

year.

This study is delimited to the development and assessment of an automated

aquaponic system and the assessment of the growth of the Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and

Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) yields in it. The automated aquaponic system that we will

develop is intended to be a school-based system.

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CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This chapter of the paper presents the review of related literature, related local and

foreign studies, conceptual framework, and the definition of terms.

Related Literature

Early Aquaponics System

Aquaponics is a modern term for a practice that goes all the way back to the 1970s.

The Maya Civilization was believed to have used the earliest examples of these systems

(Peter, 2021). Further on, Aztecs cultivated plants on rafts on the surface of a lake - around

1000 AD. Before they established a vast empire in Central America, the Aztecs were a

nomadic tribe located in what is now Central Mexico. They lived on the coast of the

freshwater lake Texcoco, which was not suitable to farming due to its swamplands and

rough soil. As a result, they were confronted with the issue of how they would grow food.

They solved this problem, and as a result, they became a great civilization (Kopsa,

2015). The Aztecs invented the concept of "chinampas," or floating gardens. They grew

their vegetable crops on these chinampas, which are channels of waterways and stationary

artificial islands where they grew crops that used nutrient-rich mud and canal water. The

Aztecs accomplished this by constructing large chinampas out of grasses and rushes found

around the lake. They floated these rafts in the water and covered them with soil collected

from the bottom of a shallow lake. The roots of the plants grew through to the soil as the

plants matured, and old chinampas are still found in Mexico (Peter, 2021).
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However, up until this point, the production system appeared to be more akin to a

simple soilless culture than an aquaponic system. Farmers in Eastern Asia, particularly

South China, Indonesia, and Thailand, were among the first to practice aquaponics and

were among the first to introduce fish into the established system. Farming in these areas

entailed cultivating rice in farmlands with the aid of fish. Many Far Eastern countries had

polycultural farming systems. They raised asian loach, swamp eel, common carp, and

crucian carp. In the fields, there are also pond snails. The ancient Chinese in South China

used a system of Finfish, catfish, ducks, and plants coexisted in a symbiotic relationship in

integrated aquaculture. Ducks were kept in cages placed on top of a finfish tank. Duck

feces will be fed to the finfish, and the finfish will produce waste for a lower system that

contains catfish. Any wastewater generated by the catfish tank will be used to fertilize rice

fields and other vegetable crops (Kirsten, 2014).

Development of Modern Aquaponics

These ancient agricultural methods set the stage for modern-day Aquaponics. The

advancement of current systems began in 1969, when the New Alchemist Institute, founded

by William McLarney, Nancy, and John Todd, modeled a bio-shelter called 'The Ark,' a

self-sufficient, solar-powered shelter created to accommodate the year-round necessities of

fish and plants, as well as provide shelter for a family (The Blue Atlas Project, 2022). In

bio-shelters, the New Alchemy Institute experimented with raising edible fish. Translucent

fish tanks were installed above ground, and the tank's fertile waters were utilized to nourish

vegetation in the greenhouse (Campbells, 2020). Dr. James Rakocy and his team at the

University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) established the most popular commercial-scale

aquaponics system in the 1980s. At the same time, the University of the Virgin Islands
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investigated wastewater treatment options for the fish farming industry. Dr. James Rokacy

devised a method for filtering water using plants. In 1997, Rakocy and colleagues

established the application of deep-water culture hydroponic growing beds in a large-scale

aquaponics system. In this system, wastewater from a fish tank was used to irrigate crops

such as cucumbers and tomatoes grown in sand-filled grow beds (The Blue Atlas Project,

2022).

These various records of developmental efforts in the historical past of aquaponic

production systems all contributed to the current level of effectiveness and system

prototype. Modern aquaponics is credited to researchers at the New Alchemy Institute and

North Carolina State University. Motivated by the desire to reduce reliance on limited

natural resources such as soil and water, these scientists created a modern and efficient

aquaculture and hydroponics system. The majority of research on aquaponics production

systems started in the 1970s, with scientists setting the course for research that we still

follow today (Okomoda et al., 2022).

Current State of Aquaponics

Nowadays, Aquaponics, which is now advancing and offering a sustainable

solution for agriculture that will minimize the use of natural resources by improving

farming productivity (Calone and Orsini, 2022) and was developed as a response to the

scenario of a food and environmental crisis (Yanes et al., 2019). This cutting-edge farming

method is now a well-known farming alternative, particularly in Asia countries where it

offers a replacement for fulfilling food demand while maintaining environmental

sustainability (Abdullah and Azalam, 2022).

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Aquaponic systems have the ability to address various agricultural sustainability

concerns, most significantly the capacity to generate high yields with minimum added

nutrients while simultaneously significantly reducing nutrient output and water loss in

aquaculture (Yep and Zheng, 2019). The future of socioeconomic and environmental

sustainability can also be greatly influenced by aquaponics, which similarly promises to

massively improve the world's food and water security. The implementation of aquaponics

can greatly increase food production (Taha et al., 2022) Due to the aquaponics system's

great availability, efficiency, and minimal resource consumption, demand in it has been

growing. For a smart aquaponics system, there are significant automation, monitoring, and

control requirements. Using Internet of Things (IoT)-based technology and artificial

intelligence (AI) algorithms is essential to boost aquaponics' productivity (Khaoula et al.,

2021).

Modern aquaponic systems can be extremely successful, but they necessarily

require careful monitoring, regulation, and supervision (Karimanzira and Rauschenback,

2019). Because a greenhouse is a symbiotic ecosystem, the parameters and elements that

must be regulated (light, temperature, pH, moisture, and so on) are various. When the

system is expanded to commercial levels, the task of manually monitoring and maintaining

such systems becomes exceptionally difficult (Yanes et al., 2020). Human resources

dedicated to aquaponics maintenance are ineffective in terms of work versus time spent,

even with today's technological advancements. To reduce the need for labor, aquaponics

must incorporate automation. Local farmers, on the other hand, have paid relatively less

attention to automating their aquaponics using technology (Mohd Pu'ad et al., 2020).
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The Application of Automation

Smart automation will lead to significant reductions in human labor, more effective

process control by enhancing the accessibility and connectivity of parameters, and the

application of computers to make data driven selections (Yanes et al., 2020). The network

capacity can be increased by using 4G and 5G technologies, making the use of Internet of

things (IoT) more realistic, as well as developing new communication technologies. Alert

system and monitoring systems based on an autonomous wireless sensing system are

crucial in the modern era of artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) and 5G. The Internet of

Things has been applied in three areas: monitoring interfaces, remote applications, and

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). Furthermore, incorporating smart technologies into

aquaponics systems reduces production periods, reduces the need for manpower to

maintain systems, improves product quality, and increases sustainability (Tahan et al.,

2022). The application of the Internet of Things in the Aquaponics system enabled for

monitoring of measurements from any location around the world, as well as a providing

graphical and analytical view of the system parameters (Dutta,2018).

The literature review revealed how aquaponics has evolved into one of the

sustainable farming methods that has made a significant contribution to increasing food

production and ensuring water and food security. Regardless, maintaining such sustainable

systems requires careful management and monitoring of parameters that may impact the

growth and health of fish and plants. To address the issue, new application technologies

have been implemented in Aquaponics systems. The application of emerging technology,

particularly automation and Internet of Things-based smart systems, resulted in significant

decrease in labor and accurate parameter monitoring, which improved system product
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quality and sustainability. Moreover, it has been deduced that the use of automation and

IoT-based monitoring systems is on the rising trend, and numerous foreign studies have

been discovered to apply these technologies. However, only a few studies have attempted

to apply this locally. Besides that, none were discovered to have developed a school-based

automated aquaponics system that can greatly benefit students.

Related Studies

Foreign

The study of Abu Bakar (2022) is about constructing an aquaponics system with

the used of sensors and a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) notifications

to send data and gives early signs or warnings to them. This includes the ultrasonic sensors,

pH sensors, temperature and humidity sensors and included the microcontrollers like

Arduino to maintain the stability of water, plant and fish quality. Other than sensors, they

provide GSM circuits to connect it to the system which will send notifications through

message. They saw the potential of Aquaponics to work through the issues that we are

facing right now which is soil degradation, climate change, water shortage and population's

expansion. They construct a Smart Plant Monitoring System’s which have units and system

to monitor the Aquaponics. The researchers provide the presentation of their coding and

how it should be done. The daily monitored data gives ways to maintain the stability of

parameters and to observe the growth of tilapia and plants.

The SMS notifications has excellent contribution in terms of monitoring and

keeping the stability of each sensors' parameter. As the result, they successfully achieved

their desired outcome considering that this would be a simplified monitoring systems to
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assist the farmers on their Aquaponics. The researchers suggested that updated IoT's could

not limit the use of having GSM Module. Furthermore, the Smart Plant Monitoring System

sensors and units helps to achieve the sustainability in terms of plant growth and fish

farming. This project would make big development using the Internet of Things (IoTs) in

Aquaponics to constantly measured and gives accurate data to the users or farmers in all

systems parameters.

A Raspberry Pi-based Advanced Aquaponics Monitoring system was proposed by

Rangeetha et al., (2021). To guarantee that the organisms present in the system can

maintain their existence in excellent condition, their system primarily focuses on pH

sensors, dissolved oxygen probes, and electrical conductivity sensors (i.e., fishes and

plants). In an aquaponics system, there are numerous demands for plants, fish, and

microorganisms. Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs), which calculate the sensor's value and

are used in alert messages, are consistently used in this project to generate healthy growth

for fish and plants. Sensors, temperature, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, a liquid

crystal display (LCD), a Raspberry Pi, analog to digital converter (ADC), and a Wi-Fi

module were among the system's components. Since the Raspberry Pi has an integrated

broad fidelity module for alert messaging, it is utilized in this proposal. The sensors are

connected to the computer, which monitors the environment and transmits the data it

gathers to the Raspberry Pi. The adequate amount of dissolved oxygen and pH is

continuously monitored and displayed. The desired results are achieved and the parameters

are maintained using motors to maintain the ideal environment for the plants to thrive in.

Elseviere (2021) proposed an IoT-based Aquaponics system consisting of a

traditional aquaponics system with sensors and a microcontroller to collect sensor data and
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automate the system's operations, which is powered by solar energy. It introduces new

contributions based on the Internet of Things that could control and monitor water quality

and environmental parameters by utilizing a wide variety of sensors such as water level,

temperature, electrical conductivity, CO2, Taux Amonian Nitrogen (TAN), sunlight, and

water to assess the environmental conditions of fish and plants. The researchers proposed

a prototype that involves a Solar Panel, Battery, NodeMCU, and Grove Base Shield

Module. The Solar Panel is intended to serve as the system's primary power source, while

the battery, which is powered by the solar panel, generates the microcontroller and sensor.

With the use of Grove sensors, the monitoring is implemented to detect pH, light,

temperature, water level, ammonia, electrical conductivity, and other parameters in an

aquaponics system. The Grove Breakout Board connects all of the sensors to the

NodeMCU. The NodeMCU is the microcontroller in this system that stores sensor data

from the fish tank and the hydroponics grow bed. It is used to operate the primary

embedded software program that will gather data from the sensors using Grove

connections. It uses a relay to control the pump, which pumps nutrient-rich water and fish

tank from the grow bed. A bell-siphon is being used to drain the filtered clean water from

the grow bed. Moreover, a number of artificial intelligence techniques will be used to

optimize key aquaponics characteristics, such as water quality, pH, air temperature,

humidity, CO2, etc., and predict the system's health in order to enhance productivity under

more favorable circumstances.

Pasha et al., (2020) conducted a study to create a monitoring system for water

temperature and pH value in an aquaponics system with a controlling system to maintain

the aquaponics environment stable and to feed fish autonomously through the use of the
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Internet of things. This study is a prototype of an aquaponic monitoring and control system

that can be accessed through a web browser. In this study, the researchers presented a

WebSocket API that defines a basic protocol for data transport and provides a method to

establish secure connections, which is important for authentication purposes. Users must

remember that WebSockets should be used as the required communication protocol,

therefore this task is performed by the Tornado library WebSocket. The data collector and

the processor in the controlling system are two Arduino devices. One is a control Arduino

Nano, and the latter is a monitor Arduino Uno. Meanwhile, a Raspberry Pi device serves

as a web server and gateway, allowing access through the web interface. It is also utilized

as a database storage center, storing data that can be monitored locally or remotely by

network users. The pH level, water level, and water temperature are among the parameters

that need to be monitored. The information provides data that can be turned on or off. The

information table presented in webpage that had been accessed using a variety of web

browsers on various devices. The system is indeed easy to monitor and manage. The

researchers added that it can be developed to monitor more parameter and control more

devices.

The study of Dutta (2018) discussed the making of IoT based aquaponics

monitoring systems model on Indian crops. They believed that when automated sensors

meet the traditional aquaponics it can make a development. Using the automated sensors,

it would show the real time data observations to maintain the growth of tilapia and plants.

The researchers used Raspberry Pi microcomputers to limit the power consumption and

have a high speed but other than that, it is use to apply the Internet of Things to start

developing their aquaponics system. The use of LCD to monitor the systems parameter and
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JavaScript Notation to access data. Furthermore, through Internet of Things (IoTs) they

monitored the real time observations and able to deliver accurate and continuously data.

They also make changes in specific range if there's a problem in order to maintain the

effectiveness of the system. But the researchers faced some problem in pH sensors that

used is unsuitable in microcomputer and they made it Arduino microcontrollers. The

aquaponics helps to reduce nutrient pollution in terms of aquatic habitats then the fish and

plants which are beneficial for us. The study also includes the automation of PH

concentration and maintaining it to have a better and healthy crop management in order to

produce more yields and income. Furthermore, it will make the plants healthy because of

the nutrients that supply on it. In addition, the IoT based aquaponic system will lessen the

usage of water in about 90% of usual usage of the conventional way of farming. The

upgraded aquaponics could bring innovation in the field of agriculture

Dutta (2018) conducted a research that is similar to Rangeetha et al., (2021), along

with Pasha (2020). In their study, they employed a Raspberry Pi and a web browser as their

microcomputer to create an automated system by using Internet of Things. They mainly

concentrate on the pH sensor, water temperature, and water level. They mainly concentrate

on the pH sensor, water temperature, and water level. Both Duta (2018) and Rangeetha

(2021) employed an LCD monitor to display the value of the determined sensor. Both

Duta (2018) and Rangeetha (2021) used an LCD monitor to display the value of the

determined sensor. Elseviere (2021) proposed an IoT-based automated aquaponics system

powered by solar energy, making the study distinct. A prototype that involves a Solar

Panel, Battery, NodeMCU, and Grove Base Shield Module. Furthermore, the grove

sensors manage the sensors in addition to the Grove Breakout Board, which connects each
 21

one of the sensors to the NodeMCU, the microcontroller used in this system. Abu Bakar

(2022) employed Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) that signals to

communicate data and provide early warning indicators. The researchers developed a

Smart Plant Monitoring System which includes units and a monitoring system. SMS

notification is also implied due to its outstanding contribution to monitoring and

maintaining the stability of each sensor's parameter. Only one of the foreign-related

research cited used Arduino, whereas the majority of the studies used Raspberry Pi. The

majority of the researchers mentioned the Internet of Things (IoT) in their research, which

we will also utilize in our study. Our study will develop an Arduino-based automated

aquaponics system using the Internet of Things. The main distinction is that our research

will concentrate on establishing an automated aquaponics system for schools.

Local

According to Dawa et al., (2022), factors such as the pandemic's immobility of food

supply, the world's changing climate, the population's rapid expansion, the loss of

agricultural land, and the decline in agricultural land have all contributed to rising food

demand. Their research includes the aquaponics system, a method of growing food in

which plants and fish are raised in a closed ecosystem. In this technique, the fish waste in

the nitrogen-rich water is transformed into fertilizer foods for the plants while the water is

filtered and returned to the tank. The aquaponics system, however, needs to be a balanced

environment where fish and plants can grow healthily. Therefore, the microcontrollerbased

system they utilized can track the water quality using a variety of sensors to measure the

PH, temperature, and oxygen content of the water. Based on the sensor characteristics

controlling the water, it may then automatically regulate the actuators. With cloud-based
 22

data repository features, it provides online and mobile applications that make remote

connections easy to use. It has the ability to operate autonomously, correcting aberrations

as soon as any changes in the water's properties occur. Additionally, their technology

employs solar energy. The system's average approval rating from experts and consumers,

which is 4.32, indicates its dependability, effectiveness, adaptability, portability, and

economic viability. Their project's output allowed for precise monitoring of the water's PH,

temperature, and oxygen content. The system contains features that, according to this

study, weren't discovered in previous studies. Since it is powered by both a solar panel and

electricity, this upgraded structure is self-sustainable in contrast to the existing equivalent

system.

Santos et al., (2021) conducted research on an automated tilapia-specific water

quality monitoring and control system for aquaponics. In their investigation of the current

aquaponics system in the Philippines, the water quality criteria of fish development is

hampered by the lack of control and monitoring in aquaponic systems. This is why their

research was on the creation of a tool for vertical farming that automatically monitors and

regulates the aquaponics system's water quality parameters. The apparatus' design is based

on the ideal qualities of the water: ammonia, dissolved oxygen, pH level, temperature, and

turbidity are examples of quality factors suited for tilapia growth. Ammonia, dissolved

oxygen, pH, temperature, and water turbidity could all be measured by the apparatus. The

test findings demonstrated the device's ability to maintain and monitor the water quality of

aquaponics in a vertical farm, demonstrating the accuracy and dependability of all of its

sensors. The test findings show that the pH level and temperature sensors are 98.42% and

97.07% accurate, respectively. The test results also show that the device's water and pH
 23

level sensors are 100% reliable because they worked properly as expected. It has been

suggested that employing an ammonia sensor compatible with a microcontroller board to

directly monitor the ammonia in water could further increase accuracy and reliability. The

provision of a user interface for configuring water quality parameters and improving

measurement presentation Due to their ideal pH ranges being suitable for tilapia, basil is

advised for the vertical farm, and coconut coir is suggested as the growing medium.

An automated aquaponics system is designed, built, and used in the study by

Egargue et al., (2020). Their layout includes a hybrid power source that enables operation

independent of the grid or solar power systems. Their system was created to adapt and

modify the monitored environment to make it more hospitable for the aquaculture, in

addition to enabling it to be partially dependent on renewable energy. They employed

relays, where it can be seen that there is a dump of energy. The system's state, power,

energy consumption, and dependence on the power source may all be simultaneously

recorded by users due to the design's use of a real-time monitoring system. As a result, they

were successful in achieving their major goal, which was to create an automated

aquaponics system with a hybrid smart switching power supply. The researcher was able

to create a solid aquaponics system that automatically tracks and logs the aquaponics

system parameters by using a control system. According to their data, the system was more

than 50% dependent on renewable energy sources as opposed to the grid. The established

system is therefore made to adapt to the Philippine climate, which does not have an

excessively hot summer and a cold winter as a result of the climate differences. In

comparison to the previous research, the system produced consumes a great deal less

energy. The researcher suggests to improve the automated aquaponics system with hybrid
 24

smart switching power supply by building the system not on a small scale but on a large

scale that might help produce more dumping energy.

Ladigohon et al., (2019) conducted a study regarding the Android-Based

Monitoring System of Aquaponics Farming with Sensor Technology and an Automated

Fish Feeder. In this study, the researcher developed an Android application for monitoring

the water and plant growth. Data is collected by the three sensors (temperature, turbidity,

and pH), and a servo motor is being used to move the fish feeder. A waterfall model and

survey type are used in the development strategy to test the study's usability, reliability,

and functionality. The evaluators came to the conclusion that the Android system is

working properly based on the testing's findings, despite there being issues when the testing

was being done. Failures occurred while the Arduino Uno was being tested by the

researcher. The Arduino Uno overheated first, couldn't upload codes on the second, and

couldn't read from the Arduino on the third. However, the overall functionality, reliability,

and usability of the Android were not significantly impacted by these issues. It is suggested

to monitor the feeding process of the automated fish feeder, use real-time communication

(RTC) to monitor the time for feeding the fish, and provide decision support if the

temperature of the water is above or below the normal range. It is advised to keep an eye

on the automated fish feeder's feeding process, use Real-Time Communication (RTC) to

track when to feed the fish, and use decision support to determine whether the water's

temperature deviates from or stays within the range that is considered normal.

Tolentino et al., (2019) propose an Internet of Things-based monitoring and

automatic correction system for an aquaponics setup in a temperature-controlled

greenhouse (IoT). The title of their study is "Development of an IoT-based Aquaponics

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Monitoring and Correction System with a Temperature-Controlled Greenhouse." The

system entails the collection of real-time data from the air temperature and humidity sensor

as well as the light intensity sensor. Additionally, it involves keeping an eye on the plant's

canopy area as well as the pH and temperature of the recirculating water in the system. The

correction devices, which include grow lights, exhaust and inlet fans, an evaporative

cooler, an aerator, and peristaltic buffer devices, are automatically activated by the system

to adjust the condition and return to its normal state if the acquired data is outside the

threshold range. The real-time wireless transmission and reception of the data report

between the system and an Android device using the Android application is included in the

Internet remote access. When compared to normal farming, their project has produced a

greater lettuce canopy area. They added that future researchers can expand this study to

incorporate fish tank development monitoring using image processing.

The study conducted by Tolentino et al., (2019) is identical to the study conducted

by Ladigohon et al., (2019). In their research, they both use an Android device to monitor

the aquaponic farming system. The only difference is that Tolentino et al., (2019) used an

Android with an automatic correction system for aquaponics set up in a temperature-

controlled greenhouse. Dawa et al., (2022) conducted a study that can track water quality

using a variety of sensors on a microcontroller-based system. This study, has the same

feature of Tolentino et al., (2019) and Ladigohon et al., (2019), that use online and mobile

applications that make remote connections simple to use. Egargue et al., (2020) conducted

a study with an automated aquaponic system equipped with a hybrid smart switching power

supply that automatically logs the aquaponic system parameters using a control system.

Santos et al., (2021) conducted a study on water quality monitoring and control systems as
 26

well; the only difference is that Santos et al., (2021) focused on the development of a

vertical farming tool that automatically monitors the aquaponic system. Apparently, most

of the studies were Arduino-based and used the Internet of Things (IoT) in their conduct.

Our study is also similar to most of the mentioned local studies, using Arduino and the

Internet of Things to develop an automated aquaponics system. The only difference is that

our study will focus on developing a school-based automated aquaponics system.

Conceptual Framework

This is a diagram that connects variables of the study with lines (correlations) or

arrows (cause-effect relationships).

Acquiring the sensors and Arduinos Gathering of the materials for the
school-based aquaponics

Programming and coding of the Acquiring Oreochomis niloticus

sensors and Arduinos fingerlings and Lactuca satica seedlings

Assembling of the monitoring system

Development of the school-based
aquaponics system

Combining the assembled monitoring

system and school-based aquaponics system

Transferring the Orechomis niloticus

fingerlings and Lactuca satica seedlings to
the automated aquaponics system

Data gathering procedure

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Analysis of data

Evaluation of the developed

automated aquaponics system

Drawing implications of the study

Fig 1. Paradigm of the Study

The development of automated aquaponics is divided into two major processes in

this study: the development of the automated monitoring system and the development of

the school-based aquaponics system. The researchers will first obtain the sensors, Arduino,

and other materials required for the development of the automated monitoring system for

the school-based aquaponics system. It will be developed separately from the school-based

aquaponics system so that researchers can test the sensors before connecting them to the

aquaponics system. After gathering the materials, the researchers will code and program

the sensor and Arduinos to perform their functions in the aquaponics systems. The

researchers will then assemble the programmed sensors and Arduino to develop an

automated monitoring system that will be connected to the school-based aquaponics

system.

For the development of the school-based aquaponics, the researchers will first

acquire the materials required to develop system as well as the Oreochromis Niloticus

fingerlings and Lactuca sativa seedlings. The researchers will develop school-based

aquaponics after acquiring the materials. Following the development of the school-based

aquaponics system, the automated monitoring system will be connected to it, resulting in

the development of the automated aquaponics system. The Oreochromis Niloticus

fingerlings and Lactuca sativa seedlings will be transferred to it after the two main parts
 28

are connected. After the fingerlings and seedlings have been transferred, time will be

allotted for data collection. Following the data collection procedure, the automated

aquaponics system will be evaluated in terms of monitoring accuracy, and the yielded

goods from the automated aquaponics system will be evaluated and compared to the

yielded goods from manual aquaponics. Furthermore, the study's implications will be

drawn after evaluating the automated aquaponics.

Definition of Terms

Arduino. It is term used to refer an open-source platform used for building

electronics projects. Arduino consists of both a physical programmable circuit board (often

referred to as a microcontroller) and a piece of software, that runs on your computer, used

to write and upload computer code to the physical board. Arduino is where the sensor used

for monitoring the parameters of the Aquaponics system are connected to give information.

It is programmed to control the sensors and make decisions based on the information it

received.

Aquaponics. A combination if aquaculture, which is growing fish and other

aquatic animal, and hydroponics which is growing plants without soil. In Aquaponics,

waste produced by farmed fish or other aquatic animals supplies nutrients for plants grown

hydroponically, which in turn purify the water. It is a sustainable system that the

researchers want to enhance by applying automation and IoT-based monitoring system to

address the challenges of its traditional form. It will be assessed based on the effectiveness

in monitoring and growth of its yielded crops and fish.

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Dissolved Oxygen. A term used to refer the level of free, non-compound oxygen

present in water or other liquids. It also refers to the amount of oxygen available to living

aquatic organisms. It is an important parameter in assessing water quality because of its

influence on the organisms living within a body of water. In this study, it one of the

parameters of the Aquaponics system that is carefully monitored by the monitoring system

of the automated Aquaponics system. Dissolve oxygen is essential for the respiration of

tilapia and the microbes in the system. The dissolve oxygen present in the water of

Aquaponics system will be measured and evaluated in terms of accuracy.

Food Insecure. It is a state of unable to consistently access or afford adequate food

or lacking reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. In this

study, the phrase "food insecure" is used to describe the Philippines' and other countries'

situation with regard to regular availability to food.

Food Security. The state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of

affordable, nutritious food. It is ensured by the developed automated aquaponics system

and will be determined through the growth of the yielded goods.

Humidity. A term used to a refer quantity representing the amount of water vapor

in the atmosphere or in a gas. In this study, it is one of the parameters of the Aquaponics

system that is carefully monitored by the monitoring system of the automated Aquaponics

system. Humidity affects the ability of the lettuce to cool themselves through evaporation.

The humidity level of the Aquaponics system will be measured and evaluated in terms of

accuracy.
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Internet of Things. A term referring to the interconnection via the internet of

computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data.

It is used in the study that enables accurate and improves the monitoring of parameters of

the Aquaponics system by collecting data from the sensors then transferring it to a central

processing point where the data is analyzed.

Lettuce. A cultivated plant of the daisy family, with edible green leaves that are a

usual ingredient of salads. It was also used to measure the effectiveness of the developed

aquaponics system in terms of its growth. Its growth will be measured through weighing

them before and after the development of the automated aquaponics system.

Parameter. It a term for a numerical or other measurable factor forming one of a

set that defines a system or sets the conditions of its operation Parameters are factors or

limits which affect the way that something can be done or made. In this study, parameters

such as temperature, pH level, and light are the factors that affects the growth of the fish

and plants. It is closely monitored and controlled in the study.

pH. It is a term used to refer a quantitative measure of the acidity or basicity of

aqueous or other liquid solutions. The range goes from 0 - 14, with 7 being neutral. pHs of

less than 7 indicate acidity, whereas a pH of greater than 7 indicates a base. In this study,

it is one of the parameters of the Aquaponics system that is carefully monitored by the

monitoring system of the automated Aquaponics system. A stable pH level and in optimal

ranges reduces stress on tilapia and microbes present in the system, helping them resist

disease and tolerate other stressors. The pH level of water in the Aquaponics system will

be measured and evaluated in terms of accuracy.

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Tilapia. It is a common name used for certain species of fishes belonging to the

family Cichlidae. Tilapia is an inexpensive, commonly consumed fish that is farmed all

over the world. Tilapia was used to measure the effectiveness of the developed aquaponics

system in terms of its growth. Its growth will be measured through weighing them before

and after the development of the automated aquaponics system.