THURSDAY, JAN 26, 2023: NOTE TO FILE
Module 3-20
Aquaponics
Aquaponics is the marriage of aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (the soil-less growing of plants) that grows fish and plants together in one integrated system or closed cycle system. The fish waste provides an organic food source for the growing plants and the plants provide a natural filter for the water the fish live in. The third participants are the microbes (nitrifying bacteria) and red worms that thrive in the growing media. The bacteria do the job of converting the ammonia from the fish waste first into nitrites, then into nitrates and the worms turn the solids into vermicompost. Both are food for the plants. The worms are also food for the fish. In combining both systems aquaponics capitalizes on the benefits and eliminates the drawbacks of each. The closed loop cycle and an example are illustrated in Figures 4.8a and 4.8b.
Aquaponics can be used on a wide range of scales, from small applications on a balcony in an apartment to a large scale industrial application (more information). Aquaponics also presents a great opportunity to retrofit conventional hydroponic systems dependent on chemical fertilisers to more sustainable systems with an aquaponics component, thereby reducing external input costs, increasing diversity and quality of crops. There are literally dozens of how-to and short documentary videos on Aquaponic systems on Youtube, here is one of them (15mins):
Figure 4.8a: The Aquaponics Cycle
Figure 4.8b: How Aquaponics works
Module 3, lesson 21
