AQUAPONICS - A NEW GENERATION SYSTEM TO HARVEST FOOD & FISH

TOGETHER

In an era of shrinking land area and ever rising population people are in search of
new, innovative and integrated farming methods that require less space and other resources.
The growing use of chemicals and related health hazards are insisting people to invest some
quality time in family farming. Apart from vegetables, there is a sharp decline in the quality
of fish and fish products reaching our markets. Therefore there is a growing demand
integrated systems that provide more than one source of food, for example vegetables and
fish. Here comes the relevance of modern aquaponics systems which combines conventional
aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as snails, fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with
hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic manner. Basically, aquaponics is a
combination of aquaculture, which is growing fish and other aquatic animals, and
hydroponics which is growing plants without soil. In an aquaponic cycle the water from fish
tank containing excreta is slowly supplied to a media bed with plants where, the microbes
will decompose waste in to simpler forms of nitrogen which can be absorbed by the growing
plants and finally the filtered water will be circulated back to the fish tank.

a.

There are three major components in an aquaponic system; the plant, fish and microbes
which symbiotically work together and support each other. The plants do not just receive all
the benefits of the aquaponics system. They actually play a highly important role in
maintaining the overall cycle of the system. They act as a natural filter for the water,
absorbing the nitrates, therefore detoxifying the water allowing for recirculation back to the
fish. This process reduces the need to clean waste (nitrates) accumulated in the fish tank,
which will otherwise can be toxic to fish. Fish is the aquaculture component of the
aquaponics system. The excretions from the fish eventually provide the nutrients needed to
grow the plants. The edible fishes suitable for aquaponics include Tilapia, Red-bellied Natter,
Rohu, Mrigal, Catla, Anabas and some ornamental fishes such as gold fish and kol fish. The
bacteria play a highly integral part of the cycle. The bacteria are in between the fish and the
plant stage. The bacteria are what transform the waste into the nutrients able to be absorbed
by the plants. They do this through a process known as nitrification.

Aquaponics systems are suitable for homestead farming as well as for commercialization.
Based on the designs there are different systems commonly such as nutrient film technique,
media bed and deep water culture. Film Technique systems are popular in the commercial
industry because of their space efficiency and lower labour costs. Because crops can also be
grown on a vertical plane (or shelf), they are easily accessible and harvestable. Most popular
with hydroponic production, this method is best suited for leafy greens. This design is not
suited for large fruiting plants as their root masses may clog the channel and their weight may
not be supported. The plant roots are exposed to more air and less water in an NFT system
which can leave the plants vulnerable to extreme heat or cold fluctuations. The media bed
form of aquaponics uses containers filled with rock media such as gravel or to support the
roots of plants. The bed is flooded and drained of nutrient rich water to give the plants the
nutrients and oxygen they need. The media used to support the plants acts as both a
mechanical and biofilter to capture and breakdown wastes. This technique is best used for
backyard gardeners and beginners because it does not require an engineering, aquaponics, or
plant science background to function well. It is inexpensive, simple to put together, and
productive at small scale. Because the media supports the plants like soil would, you are able
to produce large root mass plants such as fruits, flowering plants, vegetables, and root
vegetables. Because the media is not space efficient and requires considerably more inputs of
labour, media bed designs are hard to scale into commercial use.

Also known as raft or float systems, this method uses floating rafts to suspend plant
roots into nutrient rich and aerated water. The plant roots float directly into a pool of water
about 1 foot in depth. Since there is no media to capture and process the solid wastes,
filtration techniques must be built into the design. This necessitates more advanced
aquaculture techniques and system requirements, leading to higher upfront costs. This design
is common with commercial production as it is the most stable of the three system types.
Because there is much more water in the system, drastic nutrient and temperature fluctuations
are much less likely to occur. It is best suited for warmer climates because although it would
resist daily temperature swings, heating the water in colder climates is costly. In addition,
larger root zone plants can be used and removing plants is much easier than in media beds.

Deep water culture

Picture credit: www.aquaponics.com

There are many factors that makes aquaponics systems attractive. Aquaponics uses less water
than any other gardening i.e up to one tenth of the amount used in traditional soil-based
gardening, it requires less time than regular fishkeeping, because plants do some of the
cleaning work for you. Growing with aquaponics is completely organic, you simply can’t use
any harsh chemicals, because they will be fatal for the fish. Food can be grown anywhere:
indoors, outdoors or in greenhouses. Systems can be adapted for your needs—small enough
to feed a couple or large enough to feed a community. So based on your need and availability
of resources it is always good to start with a small unit which can be scaled up and modified
to meet more demand.