The Benefits Of Aquaponics

Introduction

First of all, what is Aquaponics? Aquaponics refers to any system that combines conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as snails, fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. In normal aquaculture, excretions from the animals being raised can accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity. In an aquaponic system, water from an aquaculture system is fed to a hydroponic system where the by-products are broken down by nitrifying bacteria initially into nitrites and subsequently into nitrates, which are utilized by the plants as nutrients, and the water is then recirculated back to the aquaculture system. In short, the plants will provide food and nutrition for the

While in ponds, mixed-sex populations breed so much that parents and offsprings compete for food and become underdeveloped. A tank allows the tilapia culturist to easily manage stocks and exert a really high degree of environmental control over parameters such as water temperature, ph. level, and waste and food quantity. It can be easily adjusted for maximum production. With tanks, feeding and harvesting operations require much less time and labor compared to ponds and aquaponics. Small tank volumes make it more practical and economical to treat diseases with therapeutic chemicals dissolved in the cultivated water. Intensive tanks culture can produce very high harvests on a small parcel of land. Tank cultures also have some disadvantages. Since tilapia has limited access to natural foods in tanks, they must be fed a complete diet including vitamins and minerals. The cost of pumping water

and aeration increases production costs. The filtration technology of recirculating systems can be fairly hard and expensive and requires constant and more attention. Any tank culture system that relies on continuous aeration or water pumping is at risk of mechanical or electrical failure