Village Aquaponics

John S. Pade and Rebecca L. Nelson

Nelson/Pade Multimedia/Aquaponics.com
PO Box 1848, Mariposa, Ca 95338
USA

Abstract
Over the years we have gathered information about aquaponics from research-
ers, hands-on growing, hobbyists, aquaculturists, commercial hydroponic growers and
manufacturers of greenhouses. We put that knowledge together with properly
manufactured components and come up with practical, commercially viable, food
producing machines. When that food producing machine uses fish waste to provide
the nutrients for the plants, it is generally called aquaponics. When an aquaponic
system is used to provide nutrition, in the form of fish and vegetables, to people who
live nearby, we call it “Village Aquaponics”. We believe “Village Aquaponics” can be a
viable means of providing protein and vegetables to people in developed as well as
developing nations.

WHAT IS VILLAGE AQUAPONICS?

Aquaponics is the combination of hydroponics and recirculating aquaculture. The
reference “Village Aquaponics” refers to an aquaponic system specifically set up for the
purpose of providing a protein crop (the fish) and a vegetable, herb or fruit crop (the
plants) to people in a specific region surrounding the operation. Commercial
transportation of the food produced in a “Village Aquaponic” system should not be
necessary. Those living near the system should be close enough to pick up the fish and
vegetables themselves. The accessible radius could vary depending on where the system
is located. In a remote village the access may be by foot trails limiting the area the system
can serve. In downtown Singapore, a rooftop system may service a population located
very nearby. This could be the case in many of the world’s larger cities where hundreds of
these systems can collectively provide a great deal of food that doesn’t have to be
commercially transported into the city from great distances. In the United States and
many other nations where public and private transportation is available on an established
network of roads, small commercial aquaponics systems of a ½ acre or less can be very
profitable. The term “village” can refer to a small remote community in a developing
country or it can refer to an aquaponic system that is providing fresh fish and produce for
the guests of a 5-star beach resort on an island that has limited agricultural resources.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
In aquaponics, the nutrient-rich waste-water from recirculating aquaculture
provides a food source for the growing plants and the plants provide a natural filter for the
water the fish live in. This creates an ecosystem where both plants and fish can thrive.
Aquaponics is the ideal answer to a fish farmer’s problem of disposing of nutrient rich
water and a hydroponic grower’s need for nutrient rich water.
The key to a successful aquaponic system is a healthy colony of beneficial
bacteria. These bacteria convert fish waste into nitrate and other elements which are used
by plants as they grow. Without the bacteria, ammonia and nitrite levels, which are toxic
to fish and plants, would quickly rise.
Aquaponics can be used to produce large quantities of food in very small spaces in
an environmentally friendly way.
In a developed country with a steady supply of electricity, a “Village Aquaponic”
system can use high-tech components that maximize production. In a country where
electrical power isn’t as dependable, lower-tech systems can be used. The basic
components (the fish tank and hydroponic grow bed) can be made from a range of
materials, from manufactured tanks to cement block with liners.

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 The bio-filter, which provides habitat for the beneficial bacteria, can be the water
in the system, the growing medium, the inside walls of the tanks and/or float boards and
even the plant roots.
A water pump is used to circulate the water throughout the aquaponic system. In
some designs, water constantly circulates. In others, the water flows periodically. In small
systems, the pump is usually located in the fish tank. In larger systems, the pump is
located in a separate holding container or return tank. The water pump can be run on
alternative power or a design that does not use electricity. An aquaponic float valve has
been developed in the US by Travis Hughley that can use any power source. An
aquaponic system in Haiti is pumped manually several times a day.
Aeration is required in aquaponic systems with a densely stocked fish tank. An air
compressor or blower is used to keep the dissolved oxygen levels high enough for both
the fish and the plants. This air is channeled through tubing to air stones, which break the
stream of bubbles into micro-bubbles, providing maximum aeration to the water. In a low-
tech, low-stocking density system, additional aeration comes from the movement of the
water, splashing and air exchange.
In most high-density stocking systems, a clarifier or solids-filter is used to separate
the solid waste from the water stream. A clarifier isn’t required in a low-tech system.

CAN AQUAPONICS REPLACE HYDROPONICS?

We believe it can and we believe it will. Yes, of course, many will ask, why?
Hydroponics can produce so much in a very small space using a fraction of the water,
machinery and labor that field produce needs. Also, hydroponics, when done in a
screened clear poly-roofed greenhouse, can be herbicide and pesticide free and not pollute
the soil and ground water. In a hot climate, screened walls and a clear rain cover work
well and in a cold climate clear walls, heaters and clear poly roofs on a greenhouse frame
make production possible year-round. Well, all these advantages of hydroponics that
makes it an option for feeding tomorrow’s world also apply to “Village Aquaponics”.
There are two clear advantages that aquaponics has over hydroponics: 1. the
nutrient source comes from fish waste and is, therefore, organic and 2. aquaponics
provides something that hydroponics does not, a protein crop. Now, it is true that they
both need an input, fish food in aquaponics and fertilizer in hydroponics. It is easier to
provide fish food than to provide the myriad of chemical fertilizers that hydroponics
needs. I do recognize the contribution hydroponics has made to the world’s food supply
and I think it will continue to be an important source of food in the future. I also think
improvements will be made in nutrient sources for hydroponics in the near future, making
it less dependent on the manufacture of chemical fertilizers.
Improvements in the manufacture of fish food have resulted in the availability of
fish food that is plant-based and has no fish meal or animal by-products in it. Also, I see
that many countries throughout the world have a well developed aquaculture industry
already in place. This well established industry provides the perfect skilled labor force to
manage the aquaculture portion of an aquaponic greenhouse operation. A network to
distribute fish food is already in place so the start up of an aquaponic system can be easier
in many cases than starting a hydroponic operation.

EXAMPLES OF VILLAGE AQUAPONICS

• Luke’s Mission – an aquaponics project in Haiti established to provide food for
villagers. This system was developed and setup by mission workers and is now run by
Haitian farmers.
• Growing Power – is an urban greenhouse project in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that
utilizes aquaponics and vermiculture to provide food and education to inner city
neighborhoods. A food co-op distributes food to residents. This project has now been
expanded into Chicago.
• New Horizons Outreach program in Jamaica will be using aquaponics and organic
gardening to provide food for residents and teach job skills.

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• Re-Vision Urban Farm – is an innovative shelter for women that uses aquaponics and
gardening to grow food and help teach life skills and encourage individual
responsibility.

IS AQUAPONICS COMMERCIALLY VIABLE?

There are very few commercial aquaponic operations compared to the number of
commercial hydroponic operations. This is true. But we believe the research that has been
extensively done is making aquaponics a viable method of agriculture and research will
continue which will refine it even more. We are not starting from ground zero.
Aquaponics is so similar to hydroponics that much of the knowledge gained over the past
decades is transferable to aquaponics. Another revenue stream that aquaponics can
generate is from giving tours of this unique food growing system. While the clickity-clack
of dosing devices used in hydroponics can put you to sleep, the activity of the fish in an
aquaponics system seems to really draw a crowd.
We have been involved with agri-tourism in both hydroponic and aquaponic
greenhouses and can assure you that an aquaponic growing system fascinates people far
more than a hydroponic greenhouse tour. The aquaponic system lends itself well to
educational groups as it is a complete living system that demonstrates many science
related subjects. Educators can develop an entire semester’s curriculum around a visit to
an aquaponic greenhouse.
The work that Dr. James Rakocy and associates has done at the Agricultural
Experiment Station located at the University of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix, USVI, over
the past 25 years or so has proven aquaponics works well. The application of this
knowledge at the Crop Diversification Center in Alberta, Canada has had impressive
results. Not only are leafy vegetable crops being grown, but high nutrient demanding
vegetables and fruit crops are doing as well as they do in hydroponics, sometimes better.
Valuable information also comes from the many aquaponic growers who contribute to the
process by trial and error. These days the errors are fewer and the trials more successful as
innovative new growers take advantage of the knowledge developed by others. The
Aquaponics Journal has become the “voice of aquaponics” and is a major contributor of
information to the aquaponics industry.
THE FUTURE OF VILLAGE AQUAPONICS?
The aquaponics industry will develop rapidly for both salt and fresh water fish and
crops. Many different organizations, both private and public, are taking up this
technological quest with a passion dictated by their own particular needs. The resulting
improvements will have a far reaching, world-wide effect on the aquaponics industry. It
has been said that visionary thinking is the dream of fools. To that, we say, let the fools
sleep soundly, for we are going to need the results of their dreams if we are to meet
tomorrow’s demand for food world-wide.

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