Aquaponics

Trends in food markets

Demand for more locally grown, organic

foods
Increasing demand for vegetables and fish
for health reasons
Need to increase economic and
environmental efficiency (energy, water,
land area, recycling of nutrients)
 Global food crisis

 Rapidly increasing population

 Diversion of foods to bio-fuels
 Increased costs for water, fertilizer, fuel
 Multiple demands for farmland (urban
sprawl, industrial and mining, solar and
wind generation, wildlife conservation,
watershed protection, global warming,
etc.)
 Demand for locally produced food
 What is Aquaponics?

…‘Aquaponics is the art of “Essentially, all life depends upon the

growing food with fish soil ... There can be no life without soil and
no soil without life; they have evolved
poop’, Anonymous together.” Charles E. Kellogg
An integration of two systems:
Hydroponics and Aquaculture

The process of growing food in an The cultivation of aquatic

inert medium by controlling and animals or plants for
adding nutrients but without soil food.
History

Chinampas
Built by Incas and Aztecs
Between 14th -16th century A.D
History

Paddy Fields
In China and Thailand
Since the 6th Century
 AQUAPONICS

HOW DOES IT WORK?

What do plants and fish need to live?

Plants
•Light Fish
•Water •Food
•Carbon Dioxide •Clean
•Nitrates Water
(nutrients) •Oxygen
 What do plants make?

•Oxygen and
Sugars through
photosynthesis
•Clean Water
 What do fish make?

•Waste in the form

of ammonia
•Carbon dioxide
through
respiration
Carbon Cycle

CARBON CYCLE
 Basic Carbon Cycle in Aquaponics

Plants take in carbon dioxide

Plants produce oxygen, and sugars (plant
biomass) through photosynthesis (Equation 1)
 Basic Carbon Cycle in Aquaponics

Fish consume sugars and breath in oxygen

Fish produce carbon dioxide through
respiration, Complete! (Equation 2)
Nitrogen Cycle

 How
does
ammonia
turn into
nitrates?
The Nitrogen Cycle
 Fish and Plant Nitrogen Cycle

1. Fish eat food

2. Waste is rich in ammonia
NH4
3. Ammonia converted to
Nitrite NO2 by nitrosonomas
 Fish and Plant Nitrogen Cycle

4. Nitrite converted to Nitrates NO3

by nitrospira
5. Nitrates used by plants a nutrients
6. Plant material eaten by fish
* Dead plant and animal material
decomposes and releases ammonia
also
Nitrogen Cycle
in Aquaponics
 What can we grow?
FISHES
 Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.)  Yellow perch (Perca
 Catfish (Ictalurus spp.) flavescens)
 Pacu  Koi
 Trout  Goldfish
 Barramundi (Australia)
 Various ornamental tropical fi
 Silver perch (Bairdiella sp.) sh such as guppies, tetras, sw
 Golden perch (Macquaria sp ordtails, mollies, and many ot
.) (Australia) hers.
 Freshwater prawns
 Crayfish
 What can we grow?
PLANTS
 Green  Mint
leaf, red leaf, and other le  Watercress
afy lettuces
 Chives
 Pak choi (bok choi)
 Mizuna and other
 Swiss chard micro-greens
 Arugula
 Basil
Deepwater, established systems
Tomatoes Peppers
Cucumbers Beans
Peas Squash
3 primary forms of Aquaponics

Nutrient Film Technique (N

FT)
Flood and Drain
/ Ebb and Flow
Raft or Deep Water cultur
e
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
Pros:
Both components (fish and
plants) may be decoupled
from each other whenever
required and can/do operate
independently of each other
if required. This is important
in a commercial situation
because it allows fish or
plant production to continue
when and if there are any
problems with the other
component
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)

Cons:
· Water susceptible to
temperature fluctuations
· Requires additional filtration
to remove solids
· Roots that die and detach
from plants can cause
blockages in water flow
· NFT is only really suitable for
certain types of plants,
generally leafy green
vegetables, larger plants will
have root systems that are too
big and invasive, or they
become too heavy for the
lightweight growing gutters
Flood and Drain/Ebb and Flow

Pros:
· The grow bed can be
separated from the fish
reservoir
· Simple design - Only two
major system components -
lower cost
· It is easy to understand and
learn
· Great if you have a tall fish
tank
Flood and Drain/Ebb and Flow

Cons:
· Requires a timer or bell
siphon
· Pump is in fish tank, exposed
to fish and waste
· Water level in tank fluctuates
a little
Raft or Deep Water Culture

Pros:
· Resistant against water
temperature and pH
fluctuations
· Excellent root development
due to easy access to oxygen
· There is plenty of surface area
for the beneficial bacteria to
grow
· Very good for lettuces and
leafy vegetables – used
extensively by commercial
farmers
Raft or Deep Water Culture

Cons:
· Requires additional
filtration to remove solids
· Large plants such as
tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.
can be difficult, if not
impossible, to support
 Equipment in Aquaponics
Basic Parts and
Supplies
 Fish Tanks, Ponds a  Biological and Mec
nd Barrels hanical
 Grow Trays or NFT Filter
Channels  Air pump / Diffusers
 Growing media  Air Stones
 Tubing  Lighting (if indoors)
 Water Pump  Timer
 Fish Tanks, Ponds & Barrels

A variety of containers can be used to hold

your fish. Aquariums, blue barrels, prefab
ponds, pond liners.
You can also purchase pre-made systems
from many manufacturers.
Or you can build your very own….
 Grow Trays and NFT Channels

Specialty growing trays and NFT channels

can be purchased through hydroponic and
agriculture equipment companies. You can
use plastic cement mixing trays and plastic
storage containers. For NFT you can use
rain gutter downspouts and drop in
growing pots.
 Grow Media

Hydroton LECA
(lightweight expanded
clay aggregate) is a
popular hydroponic grow
media. It’s inert,
reusable, and highly
porous, providing
extensive surface area
for biological filtration.
 Tubing

 Water pumped through the system runs through

tubing. Black, 1/2 inch tubing is best because the black
prohibits algae growth. Most pumps are set up for 1/2
inch tubing.

 The air from the air pump is 1/4 inch tubing. This is
your typical aquarium tubing. Black tubing, again, is
best. You can also use the 1/4 inch tubing that is sold
for drip irrigation systems. It’s more durable and less
expensive than that sold at aquarium stores.
Auto Siphons
Bell Siphon Stand Pipe
Loop Siphon
 Water Pump

The water used in your system is

recycled. The water pump starts the
cycling process by pumping the water
from the fish tank into the plant
trays. The water then flows through
the plant medium and drains back
into the fish tank.
 Filtration
Biological
 In a recirculating system, bio-filter is a critical piece of
equipment, because it serves as home for the nitrifying
bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate.

 Lava stone is a great medium for growing bacteria, so it’s wise

to run your water through some rocks, and if you want, you
can include material that filters out the sediments as well.

 It can be as simple as gravel in the bottom of the tank, or it can

be a separate system. In fact, the plant growing material may
be porous enough to be used for bacteria growth.
 Filtration
Mechanical
 Removal of solids waste before broken down by biological
processes. This may be achieved by passing the water through
a fine material such as a foam sponge, filter sock, or other
synthetic barrier, which traps the solids and is manually
removed and cleaned on a frequent basis.
 This is important, as your fish need that oxygen as well. If there
is too much solid waste in the system – uneaten food, plant
matter, etc., the dissolved oxygen may drop to dangerously
low levels.
 Air Pump/ Diffuser

 An air pump is needed to aerate the water in

the fish tank to achieve good levels of oxygen
for both the fish and the plants. It works by
taking air from outside the system and pushing
it into the water. Sometimes air stones are
used in conjunction with the air pump to
further break up the air bubbles and provide
even better oxygenation.
 Lighting

 The sun is the finest light source for

aquaponics. For growing indoors, however,
there are a number of artificial light
options for indoor gardening, including
high output fluorescent, metal halide,
mercury vapor bulbs, LED, and plasma
lights.
 Timer

The water can’t run full time. If it

does, you’re roots never get oxygen
from the air, and they get root-rot,
effectively drowning. A timer is used
to turn the water pump on and off,
typically in 1/2 hour increments in a
home system.
 Air Stones

An air stone breaks apart the air

bubbles that come out of the air
tubing, and more effectively aerates
the water. Air stones are plugged
into the end of the tubing.
 Why Aquaponics ?
Advantages
• Symbiotic relationship between plants and fish
(both thrive due to one another)
• Reduced labour
• Higher production rate
• Provides income from two separate products
• Aquacultural waste products are used
• A lot of current research and improvements
going on
 Why Aquaponics ?

Advantages
• Less pests and diseases (if controlled)
• Reduced carbon footprint
• Reduced water loss
• Makes use of dead space
 Rooftops
 3-D vertical dimension
 Why Aquaponics?
Disadvantages
• High initial cost
 To fill up water tanks
 To build the system (Greenhouse, pumps etc.)
• Requires skill and know-how
• Constant monitoring of water parameters
• Pests and diseases can be devastating
• Limitations concerned with fish species reared
• Competitive market prices
Other Possibilities in Aquaponics

Organic Aquaponics
• Natural fertilizer
• Natural minerals (snail shells)
• Good marketing – labelling
- Check out ‘urban aquaponics in
Oakland’ on youtube or Kijani Grows
on a search engine for more ideas -

Use of Technology
• Smart phone applications
• Pipe blockage warning
• System automation
 Other Possibilities…

Growing Indoors
• Can be used underground
and indoors
• Artificial lighting
• May be a life-saviour in
post-apocalyptic scenarios
• The Great Tennessee Pot
Cave drug bust
 Other Possibilities…

Growing Upwards
• Futuristic Concepts
• Growing locally
• Dedicated Skyscraper
Farms
• Makes use of limited
space availability
• Space missions
Other Possibilities…

Taken from the movie ‘Sunshine’

 Thank You!
To GOD be the HONOR and GLORY!

“The ultimate goal of

farming is not the
growing of crops, but
the cultivation and
perfection of human
beings.” 
― Masanobu Fukuoka, 
The One-Straw Revolution