Here are a few photos of my first project in building aquaponics systems. This system was the final project of a student collaboration at Maharishi University of Management in 2009.
This system was a medium based grow system utilizing gravel. I have learned a lot since then and would not use the same design although it functioned great!
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Check out this video! Very cool! From Bigelow Brook Farm
Just wanted to let everyone know my exciting news! I have been working to get a aquaponics system in on campus at The Evergreen State College. My project has been approved! We will be installing a system at the Organic Farm and this system will be utilized in the Spring 2012 Practice in Sustainable Agriculture Program as the first project in the new Urban Agriculture Component. I also applied for funding and was awarded $5,500 with an additional $5,000 for running electricity and installing metering equipment so we can monitor exactly how much power we are consuming!
Hooray!
I had a lot of questions going in to this phase of research about how to supply the needed nutrients to the system without having to buy chemical substances. I haven’t found a lot of resources online or otherwise about this. Max Meyers had quite a few ideas…
Snails, crustaceans, prawn shells can be dried and fed to fish to increase calcium, or ground into a fine powder and added directly to the system. Shells can be added to the filter to allow calcium to leach into the system as needed. Chicken manure as well as other bird droppings can be added directly or composted and added to supply potassium and phosphorous. Iron can be supplemented by creating comfrey tea. Allowing the leaves to soak in water for a week, strain/drain and then add the water to the system. As well as seaweed, dehydrate the plant matter and then crush and soak in water for a week, then straining the solids from liquid and adding the water directly to the culture water. Other dynamic accumulators can be used, the same plants that leave nutrient residues in the soil for other plants to consume can be used in aquaponics as an additive. Blood can also be used to add iron to a system. Rusty nails do not produce the right kind of iron and should be avoided.
I had estimated about 50 crops would do well in aquaponics systems, lettuce, basil, tomatoes, and strawberries were all expected plants. I did not expect it would be possible to grow carrots in aquaponics, not only do they grow but they flourish in a media bed, as well as fruit trees including bananas and avocadoes. Over 280 plants, vegetables and fruits are currently being successfully cultivated in aquaponics systems around the world! I was amazed I had no idea about the versatility of aquaponics! Those of you who have systems up and running what have you been successful at growing? What didn’t work for you?
One of the complaints about tilapia is that they are low in Omega-3’s. I had assumed this was due to their diet. Most aquaculture and even most aquaponics systems feed their fish corn and soybean based fish foods. Yuck! This means GMO fish food. There are organic feeds on the market, but even most of those still use corn and soy. Cows shouldn’t eat corn and soy, neither should pigs, surely corn is not a naturally occurring food for fish! Omnivorous fish will eat commercial food if trained to, not that this makes it good for them or those who in turn eat the fish. Fish can be fed flax seed as part of their diet which increases their Omega 3’s. Fish can process and absorb more of the flax seed than we can. We can absorb more of the benefits after it has become part of the fish than taking flax seed on its own. Fish food can be made of; black soldier fly grubs, duckweed, water hyacinth, water lettuce, worms, and even worm castings! Flax seed, wheat grass, smaller fish, snails and bugs can also be utilized. Food scraps can also be fed to some fish after being dehydrated. Algae can be grown or scraped off tank sides and then combined with other ingredients after being dehydrated to for super food! There are many opportunities to close the loop further growing the fish feed yourself rather than using cheap commercial food while at the same time increasing the health of your fish and producing higher quality food.
systems are still my favorite, I learned more about the possibilities of a raft system. Malaysian prawns can be grown in the bottom of a deep culture or raft tank. These prawns grow fast, clean detritus and algae from the roots of the plants and can be eaten. Also growing small minnows or guppies under the rafts is also a good option. They reproduce quickly, require little food and can be used as food for omnivores or carnivorous fish. Raft systems also require less cost to build and less labor at all stages of production. Starts are easier to plant in a raft, easier to remove and replant. During harvesting all of the roots are easily removed from the tank, where as in media beds lots of roots are left in the media which can lead to clogging and anaerobic growth. Root and soil fungi and diseases are greatly reduced by using the raft method. Also in a raft culture the root temperature is stable which leads to faster healthy plant growth. By insulating the raft tank heat can be retained in the system, and for plants that need a warmer climate for growth, keeping the roots warm and at a constant temperature the plants can be grown out of season. Also in a deep culture tank an even distribution of nutrients can occur as well as more even distribution of dissolved oxygen.
I enjoyed collaborating on three different projects over the last few months. Which includes designing, planning, budgeting and getting approved the soon to be on campus aquaponics system. I also attended a Commercial Aquaponics with Applied Permaculture Training Course. It was fantastic, the connections and networking alone was worth the time and expense, plus the instructor Max Meyers was amazing! It was exciting to hear someone so passionate about aquaponics, permaculture, and social justice speak and teach for a week. It was also energizing to hear someone who has been designing and running aquaponics systems for a long time come to the same conclusions as I have, coming up with the same solutions for fish food, waste reclamation, and alternatives to chemical additives. I am uplifted, recharged and ready to start moving into the construction and management phase.
Check out Max Meyers website:
Living Mandala, they have courses and trainings in
permaculture, aquaponics, biogas and more!
Here is an example of an aquaponics layout.
It is becoming necessary to consider the inputs and outputs of our production systems. As resources become more expensive and less available, our designs need to be more efficient. Bi-products need to be seen as valuable resources and reused or repurposed as many times as possible. Our food production systems are no exception. Food cannot be grown in isolation, nutrients have to be provided and plant wastes have to be disposed of. Food production systems such as Aquaponics can be incorporated into sustainable closed loop systems.
In an aquaponics system the interactions between the basic three components are easy to understand. The fish produce wastes which are broken down by bacteria; the bi-products of this process are available nutrients which are utilized by the plants grown in the system. These plants can include vegetables, fruiting plants, rice, grains, herbs and medicinal herbs. In this type of system many of nutrients are lost, as well requiring a lot of outside inputs. Input of nutrients such as fish food and water additives, for plants, has to originate from outside the system. They have to be manufactured, processed, shipped and purchased before these inputs can become part of the nutrient cycle. Wastes from this system include plant matter, fish solids, and leftover fish parts. There are many different ways that fish production can become a closed loop system; by developing systems to utilize principals of biomimicry; reproducing natural plant and animal relationships in our food system designs.
The next step is find a way to utilize wastes from this system. Decaying unusable plant matter, including the root mass can be reused in a few different ways. Some fish will nibble certain plants, retaining the nutrients in the system. One of the problems with feeding fish vegetable scraps is that large pieces of plant matter settling on the bottom can start anaerobic processes which cause ammonia spikes. Chickens could also be included in this food production system. Chickens really like leafy greens; they could also be used to retain some of the nutrients in this cycle. The remaining plant matter they discard or won’t consume can be composted.
Plant matter can be composted three main ways. Plant matter can be composted in the normal pile fashion and later used as a soil additive. Plants and food scraps can be broken down by worms; this is referred to as vermiculture. Red worms are grown in bins and fed food scraps; they do an amazing job at breaking down these plant wastes. The red worms are prolific and will multiply quite quickly in the bins; these worms can then be fed to fish or chickens. The worm poop, also known as castings is held at high value in horticulture as a soil additive. Compost tea or Vermi-tea is a liquid produced during the breakdown of plant and food wastes which is high in nutrients and microbial activity. This compost tea can be used as a soil additive, sometimes added back into the aquaponics system or sold.
Another option is Black Soldier Flies, Hermetia illucens, referred to as BSF. BSF larvae are basically eating machines, they are amazing living composters. They do a job similar to red worms but can break down waste products worms cannot handle. Hard to break down nutrient rich wastes including; fish, chicken, swine, and cattle manures can be consumed and broken down by these heavy feeders. Black fly larvae have shown in studies that they “reduce the nutrient concentration and bulk of the manure residue, thus reducing pollution potential 50-60% or more.” (Williams 2005) BSF cultivation has potential in other areas of food production dealing with wastes. BSF larvae can also consume meat. In an aquaponics system they could be utilized to process dead fish, as well as used to breakdown the fish remains after harvesting. When these BSF larvae reach the most nutrient rich and fat stores of their life cycle they self-harvest and separate themselves from the rest of the colony. This makes collecting them an easy process. These little digestion machines are great protein and fat source for other components of our food production system. They can be fed to chickens as well as fish. They can be frozen for later use as well as ground and processed into a component in fish food. They can even be processed to separate the oils fats to create biodiesel, even after the oil is extracted the remaining matter can still be used as a major component in fish food.
After the Black Soldier Fly larvae process the compost, the remainders can be put into a vermiculture system. Wastes that normally would be toxic to the red worms can now be safely be broken down by the worms. This is just another step in making this a closed loop system, BSF larvae breakdown wastes that are later fed to worms, this one link in the system produces Black Fly Larvae and worms, both which can be fed to chickens and fish. In addition this step produces soil additives and helps cut down on wastes produced.
The other fish food that can be grown quite readily is duckweed. It is fast growing, easy to cultivate. Since it floats on the surface of the water it is easy to harvest with a net. One component in an aquaponics set up is a settling tank. Solids are left in culture water to allow for more mineralization to occur. Using one of these tanks duckweed can be grown and harvested and the nutrients returned to the fish. Duckweed alone is not a good fish feed but when combined with the fat and protein from BSF, it can become another way to keep nutrients in the loop.
In this system chickens would be eating left over greens from the floating grow beds, sharing BSF and red worms with the fish, and then producing eggs and manure. The manure will be turned into BSF food, then vermi-food, then into a soil additive. After the eggs have been eaten the shells are returned to the system and added to one of the filter tanks to slowly leech calcium into the system. Another link in the aquaponic cycle is calcium, normally added to an aquaponics setup to help foster plant growth. Calcium can be added through prepared mixtures or by adding oyster shells or egg shells. Using egg shell closes one more loop in the system.
Observing systems already in place in the natural world provides insight into how to design sustainable food production systems. As in this example; growing food including fish, chickens, eggs, fruit and vegetables can all be part of one system which mimics natural processes. Each part of the system helps to maintain another portion of the cycle, each able to flourish because of the support of the other system components. This type of design approach needs to be used in all areas of our production and consumption. This type of system is just one way to approach sustainability.
Here are a short list of suitable fish for Aquaponics:
Tilapia
Walleye
YellowPerch
Lake Perch
Bluegill
Channel Catfish
Hybrid Striped Bass
Northern Crayfish
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
All Carp Goldfish
Sunfish Bream
Crappie Pacu
Koi
reference from: http://ezinearticles.com
The following plants have been found to work in an aquaponics set-up. Many different lists around the web list the same plants, as well as current aquaponics projects have been using these plant successfully.
Solids Removal
Fish effluent is directed in to settling tanks and filters to remove fish waste solids. Solids can accumulate an create anaerobic pockets as well as clog pipes. Suspended solids will also coat plant roots which will eventually prevent nutrient uptake and will also starve plants of oxygen.
The three primary types of filtration are gravity separation, filtration and flotation.
Gravity separation includes clarifiers or settling tanks, and hydrocyclones. Swirl filters pictured below are part of this type of filtration.
Filtration removal can be utilized to remove finer particulates from culture water. This can be done by using a screen, using granular media or porous media filters.
Also flotation process uses air bubbles, particulate attaches to the bubbles as they rise from the system and are then separated from the culture water.
Biofilters
Tanks filed with porous material or other media gives nitrifying bacteria a place to colonize. In raft aquaponics there is little growing media for the bacteria to attach. Bacteria do colonize sides and bottoms of grow tanks as well as undersides of the rafts and plant roots. By providing a separate tank for bacteria to break down ammonia to nitrite, plants have a better opportunity to uptake nutrients and remove them from the culture water. Two types of required bacteria; Nitrosmonas and Nitrobacter.
Degassing Tank
Anaerobic conditions are created in the solids and sludge formed. Toxic gasses form such as hydrogen sulfide, methane and nitrogen. Air diffusers help to vent gasses from the culture water before they reach the plant production area.
Hydroponic Production grow space
Deep troughs 12 to 16 inches are constructed to grow vegetables. In the raft system a rectangular pallet holds vegetables above water line with the roots dangling down below into the water flowing from the fish rearing tanks. Troughs can be made from poured concrete or concrete blocks with a polyethylene liner or tanks made from fiberglass can be used. The University of Virgin Islands aquaculture research center recommends a 11.5 to 1 ratio of grow bed surface area to fish tank surface area in a high density system.
Aquaculture is the production of fish, either in containment nets or in a recirculating system. Aquaponics is the combination of fish culture and hydroponic vegetable production.
Aquaponics systems are more economically and environmentally feasible than typical recirculating aquaculture systems. By growing a secondary crop, such as vegetables or herbs, costs associated with construction, operation and maintenance can be distributed across both fish and vegetable production and make both more viable in cost return. Plants/vegetables via the nitrogen cycle help break down ammonia and nitrates and remove them from the culture water. This is mutually beneficial for both plant propagation and fish culture.
It is expensive and relatively difficult to filter, and sanitize culture water from fish propagation before disposal. When water is introduced to the environment before concentrated wastes are removed it can cause huge environmental impacts. Current aquaculture can devastate the surrounding environment, especially in open water systems that have no filtration or waste removal. In these systems waste disposal is left to the surrounding environment. Unable to handle such concentrated waste the ocean floor becomes covered in fish bi-product suffocating the floor life. In other systems cleaning and filtering fish effluent is costly and difficult, typically what is left is then let into the municipal waste stream, which then the water is left to be handled by the sewage treatment systems. This cost is not figured into aquaculture systems but this is also a problem with current aquaculture.
In aquaponics the fish effluent and the nutrients left by leftover decomposing fish food can be utilized by plants and other aquatic life as food. Rather than just throwing away these nutrients food can be produced. Creating a closed loop is not only economically more viable but is also more environmentally sustainable.
Water use is also a concern. In typical aquaculture water has to be moved out of the system consistently to maintain proper PH and ammonia levels. To high of either in fish culture water is toxic. This water not only has to be cleaned but replaced. This cost of water can be expensive especially in arid areas as well as have drastic environmental impacts. Aquaponics has a much lower water exchange rate typically 5%. This is due mostly to evaporation and plant uptake. This allows aquaponics to be more viable where water shortage is a problem. Aquaponics also consumes much less water than typical soil farming, about 90% less. Most irrigation water in farming is lost to the soil and into the water table than used by the plants.
Aquaponics could be used in areas where normal farming practices are impossible due to contaminated or otherwise unusable soil, as well as in areas with water scarcity. Aquaponics systems could also be utilized in areas after natural disasters, such as Hati, as part of relief efforts. Food production could be introduced on site rather than continuously imported. Teaching locals how to operate these systems could provide new jobs in a damaged economy.
Looking at these factors aquaponics is a much more viable option than aquaculture alone. Economically aquaponics produces much more than aquaculture without a lot of extra costs involved. The plants and bacteria take care of a lot of the waste treatment actually alleviating a lot of costs associated with water purification and eliminates the need for extra bio filters. From the environmental impact perspective aquaculture is not a viable option; in aquaponics the manmade ecosystem can handle the toxicity and turn it into food rather than a burden on the environment. Aquaponics could be a viable, profitable, sustainably sound addition to our food production system.
Aquaponics is the combination of Aquaculture and Hydroponics. Combining these two systems creates a closed loop system. Eliminating the environmental impacts caused by disposing of the water solutions in each systems. In combination these systems work in harmony and create a more sustainable system.
In aquaculture fish are raised in enclosed tanks relying heavily on filtration and chemicals to keep the water viable for the fish. The water has to be changed out often to alleviate the ammonia and nitrites in the water. This nutrient water has to be disposed of, often dumped into rivers or streams. Cleaning this water is expensive and difficult. This is the main downside to aquaculture, when utilizing monoculture the environmental impacts are huge.
In Hydroponics, plants are grown in nutrient rich water. This method is reliant on chemicals being added to the water to supply the proper food for the plants. This method is effective and results in high yields. Growing plants in this way allows the grower to provide the exact amount of nutrients evenly across a whole system. The downside to hydroponics is that the water becomes to salinized due to the chemicals added, after a while the water and nutrient mix has to be completely removed. This has to be disposed of as well. Then all the tanks and growing medium have to be sterilized. This process is wasteful and time consuming and the water mixture has negative impacts on the environment where it is dumped.
In an aquaponics system the benefits of aquaculture and hydroponics are utilized; both the high yield in fish production as well as the high yields of produce in hydroponics. Combining the two systems creates a closed loop. The waste products from the fish are turned into food for the plants and the plants help purify the water, making it viable for the fish again.
In an aquaponics system the fish effluent builds up in the tank, along with uneaten food then it is converted into ammonia by heterotrophic bacteria. Too much buildup of ammonia will kill the fish, which is why in a typical aquaculture system the water has to be flushed out and replaced frequently. The ammonia is converted to nitrites and then the nitrites are converted to nitrates via nitrifying bacteria. Now as nitrates the plants can use what was originally fish waste as food. After the plants absorb the nitrates the water is again suitable for aquaculture.
There are three main types of Aquaponics systems; Media filled, Nutrient Film Technique and the Raft method.
The media filled method is the most common, especially for the hobby or backyard type system. In this method plants are grown in gravel, peat, coir, or other medium. The nutrient rich water flows through these tanks either constantly or on an ebb and flow system. The media filled method is less complicated than the other two because there is no need for a separate tank for the bacteria to colonize. In this system the bacteria live in the growing medium.
In the Nutrient Film Technique plants are grown in long channels with a small amount of water flowing over the roots. In the Raft Method, plants float in rafts over deep channels. In both of these systems a separate bio filter is required to encourage the nitrifying bacteria to live. There is a higher volume of water required than in the Raft system vs. the NFT systems. This extra water helps maintain water quality and enables a slower shift in PH which reduces stress on the fish. This higher water load however requires more infrastructure to support the weight of the extra water in the grow beds. A lot of research has been done on the raft method and once up and running can produce very high yields per sq. ft.
By combining the beneficial properties of both aquaponics and hydroponics the negative and costly impacts can be alleviated while maintaining the high yields of both systems. Aquaponics also uses one tenth of the water used in typical farming, which would be a huge benefit anywhere fresh water is a limited resource. Aquaponics is beneficial in many ways and promises to be part of the solution to our food production needs.
