A Deep Dive into Aquaponics!
Aquaponics is a unique regenerative agricultural technique that uses hydroponics, the method of growing plants without soil, and fish to create a symbiotic system. This farming method has gained significant attraction over time as it has an efficient use of resources, reduces environmental impact, and can potentially maintain fresh produce year-round. But how exactly does aquaponics work?
The Method:
The purpose of aquaponics is to create a small ecosystem using the waste of aquatic animals as nutrient rich water for plants. Here is how it works:
- The Tank: This process starts by creating an area for fish to live in, either a tank or pond. In these living spaces, the fish produce waste that is rich in ammonia, which will be converted into an essential nutrient for the plants.
- Filtering: As the fish create this waste, the wastewater from the fish tank is moved into a biofilter or grow bed where nitrifying bacteria convert ammonia into nitrites, later converted to nitrates in a two-stage nitrification process. This nitrification process is critical as ammonia is harmful to both fish and plants, while nitrates are an accessible form of nutrients for plants.
- The Plant’s Turn: Once the plants receive this wastewater, they extract the nutrients, absorbing the nitrates along with other dissolved nutrients, purifying the water in the process. It is at this point that the plant has received its plant food from fish waste and is now ready to return clean filtered water back to the fish.
- Repeat!: Now that the fresh water has returned to the fish, it is time to repeat the process!
Some Crucial Information:
Ammonia and nitrites can be highly lethal to fish and plants, but once they are converted into nitrates, they become valuable nutrients for plants. For aquaponics to work, the biofilter which houses the nitrifying bacteria must play a critical role in maintaining health and balance for both the plants and the fish.
So What are the Exact Benefits?
Aquaponics offers many advantages in both sustainability and growing healthy organic produce.
Water Efficiency: Because of the double filtering process from wastewater to nutrients, and from nutrients to clean water, aquaponics shows to be a very efficient method in recycling water. This allows for up to 90% less water usage overall compared to traditional soil-based agriculture.
Year-Round Production: A key factor in aquaponics, both indoors and outdoors, is the ability to work year-round. This is great when wanting to produce year-round, without worrying about the seasonal shifts.
Space Efficient: Although these farms are not meant for the cosmos, they do offer benefits that are out of this world, and more importantly, in such a small space! Using vertical racks, raft systems, or modular units can be used to create multi-layered gardens. This makes them a fantastic addition to already existing farms, urban agriculture, or even backyard gardens.
Health is Wealth: Aside from the efficiency that this practice already brings, aquaponics is also pesticide free, which makes the produce grown in them safe, and often more nutritious!
Why is it Not More Common?
While aquaponics offers lots of benefits in efficiency and sustainability, there are some key challenges that farmers face when wanting to go this route.
Initial setup costs can be a lot higher than other traditional farming methods. This makes it a bit riskier for farmers to implement them into their farm, especially without the technical knowledge.
Which brings us to the second point, technical knowledge. When maintaining an aquaponics farm, it requires knowledge in both aquaculture, and in plant cultivation techniques. Without both, it could mean a system that is unbalanced, which can have negative effects on both the produce and the fish.
Lastly, aquaponics takes time, and lots of care. System maintenance such as PH levels, temperature, and oxygen levels are particularly important to make sure both the plants, and the fish are living in optimal conditions. Without proper care, neither the fish nor the plants may see much growth in their ecosystem.
Summary:
Overall, aquaponics is an efficient, sustainable, and sophisticated method of farming that utilizes a great blend of nature, and a bit of science to create harmony among fish and plants. While there are challenges, the benefits it gains embrace an eco-friendly farming practice proving that organic farming may still be done in abundance.
