Aquaponics

           Aquaponics is the way of the future and is growing in popularity, but what is aquaponics? Basically aquaponics is an more energy efficient and cost effective way to grow your desired own plants, Flowers or vegetables by mimicking a natural ecosystem. 

 

What is Aquaponics ? 

        Aquaponics is both fish and plants in a symbiotic relationship in a closed loop system, simply fish excrete their waste into the water. This study water is pumped to the plants where beneficial bacteria converts the waste into plant food. The plants feed on this and this cleans the water. The Clean water is then returned to the tank. There is no soil unnatural fertilisers or chemicals in play at all in the aquaponics system. The nutrients that the plants needs comes directly from the fish.

What's its Advantages ? 👍

• The benefits of aquaponics are its natural and organic uses. 
• 90% less water than traditional farming
• Mercury free healthy fish, no reading, no soil pests, no watering & it promotes Self sufficiency.
• It produces more food/square metre than any other gardening system on Earth for a sustainable environment.

Then its Disadvantages ? 👎

• High Initial cost for Installation
• Not to Grow Many crops especially Root crops
• High Electricity Consumption and requires 24/7
• Single component fails lead  to loss

Working Principle of Aquaponics

• Fish living in aquaponics tanks excrete waste and respire NH3 into water. Ammonia is toxic to fish in high concentrations, so it has to be removed from the fish tanks for fish to remain healthy.
• Ammonia water is processed to harvest helpful types of bacteria such as Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter. Nitrosomonas turns ammonia into nitrite, while nitrobacter converts into nitrate. Both of these nitrates can be used as plant fertilizer.
• Nitrate-rich water is introduced to the hydroponically grown plants (plants grown without soil). These plants are placed in beds that sit on tubs filled with water, and the water was enhanced by the nitrate harvested from the fish waste. The plants' bare roots hang through holes in the beds  in the nutrient-laden water.
• The roots of the plants absorb nitrates, which act as nutrient-rich plant food. These nitrate, which come from fish manure, algal and decomposing fish feed, would otherwise build up to toxic level in the fish tanks and kill the fish. But instead, they serve as fertilizer for the plants.
• The hydroponics plants roots function as a bio filter -- they strip ammonia, nitrates, nitrites and phosphorus from water. Then, that clean water is circulated back into fish tanks.

Because fish waste is used as fertilizer, there's no need for chem fertilizers. The money it would take to put those chemicals to work is saved. In fact, the only conventional farming method that's used to operate an aquaponic system is feeding the fish.

Conclusion:

        In order to overcome issues such as these it is imp that aquaponics systems are installed professionally, and that those responsible gain information or assistance and are fully aware of the systems expectations and function.

         Aquaponics is the way to go, but you don’t need to build a farm to get started in aquaponics if you are not the DIY type.