What is AQUAPONICS?
Aquaponics is a form of agriculture that combines raising fish in tanks (recirculating aquaculture) with soilless plant culture (hydroponics). It is a sustainable method of raising both fish and vegetables. It is popular with individuals, entrepreneurs, educators, missions and governments. Furthermore, with this type of indoor farming, you grow substantially more food with less water, land and labour than traditional agriculture.
Aquaponics uses the best of all the growing techniques, utilizing the waste of one element to benefit another mimicking a natural ecosystem. It’s a game changer
In aquaponics, the nutrient-rich water from raising fish provides a natural fertilizer for the plants and the plants help to purify the water for the fish. Aquaponics can be used to sustainably raise fresh fish and vegetables for a family, to feed a village or to generate profit in a commercial farming venture, year ‘round, in any climate.
Aquaponics is a great example of year ’round, indoor farming. It can be done anywhere, providing fresh local food that is free of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. It is safe, easy and fresh
In other words, according to the Aquaponics Gardening Community, cited by Thorarinsdottir, aquaponics is the cultivation of fish and plants together in a constructed, recirculating ecosystem utilizing natural bacterial cycles to convert fish waste to plant nutrition. This is an environmentally friendly, natural food-growing method that harnesses the best attributes of aqua cult
HOW DOES AQAUPONICS WORK
The main input to an aquaponic system is fish food. The fish eat the food and excrete waste. More than 50% of the waste produced by fish is in the form of ammonia secreted in the urine and, in small quantities, through the gills. The remainder of the waste, excreted as fecal matter, undergoes a process called mineralization which occurs when heterotrophic bacteria consume fish waste, decaying plant matter and un-eaten food, converting all three to ammonia and other compounds. In sufficient quantities ammonia is toxic to plants and fish.
In an aquaponic system the heterotrophic and nitrifying bacteria will attach to the tank walls, underside of the rafts, organic matter, the growing medium (if used) and in the water column. The beneficial bacteria are natural and will inhabit an aquaponic system as soon as ammonia and nitrite Are present
ADVANTAGES OF AQUAPONICS
- It relies on the recycling of nutrient-rich water continuously. In aquaponics, there is no toxic run-off from either hydroponics or aquaculture.
- Aquaponics uses less water than normal farming
- It’s a natural ecosystem so there is no use of petrochemicals and harmful chemicals
- Aquaponic systems are scalable. They can fit most sizes and budgets, from small homes to big sizes farms
- Harvesting of plants and fish together
- The water is reusable and clean
AQUAPONICS LIMITATATIONS
- Its require high quality budget to be allotted
- It requires more of whole knowledge of hydroponics and normal farming and technical knowledge is must
- It is often hard to find a perfect match between the needs (such as pH, temperature, substrate) of fish and plants;
- Mistakes managing the system can quickly cause its collapse;
- Aquaponics requires daily management and requires mostly technical and knowledgably persons
- It requires high kind of energy
- Proper care and diet should be given to fishes
COMPANIES /STARTUP WHICH ARE ASSOCIATED WITH AQUAPONICS
- Pentair Aquatic Eco-System, Inc.
- NELSON AND PADE,INC
- AQUAPONICS USA
- Red Otter Farms, INDIA
- Fusion Farms – Aquaponics