Aquaponics enables the healthy growth of both fish and plants with the help of microbes in an integrated circuit. How? Let’s find out.
Farming of vegetables in nutrient-rich solution instead of soil is the basis of hydroponics, while farming of fish is called aquaculture. When the two fields merge, we have a new system called aquaponics, which draws on the benefits of both hydroponics and aquaculture.
Aquaponics enables the healthy growth of both fish and plants with the help of microbes in an integrated circuit. The water containing the excreta of the fish from the aquaculture section is channelled into the hydroponic system.
The fish waste is converted into compost naturally by nitrifying bacteria, thus enriching the water in which the hydroponic plants grow. The plants in turn extract the nutrients from the water and the filtered water is fed back into the fish tanks, completing the aquaponic cycle. Aquaponics eliminates the disadvantages of aquaculture and hydroponics. In aquaculture, fish waste accumulates in the tanks, polluting the water. In aquaponics, the waste is composted by natural means and used for the plants. In hydroponics, the nutrition is supplied by chemicals dissolved in a solution, which has to be constantly monitored. In aquaponics, the plants receive natural fertilizer. The process thus provides for an organic, chemical-free mode of growing plants.
This method has its roots in ancient China. It is suitable for growing green leafy vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, lettuce, basil, spinach, watercress and cabbage. Other vegetables such as tomato, cucumber, sweet potato, cauliflower, broccoli and eggplant can also be grown. Freshwater fish like tilapia are commonly used in this system as they can tolerate crowding and changing water conditions.
DID YOU KNOW?
Aquaponics has its roots in ancient China. It is suitable for growing green leafy vegetables and others such as tomato, cucumber, sweet potato, broccoli and eggplant.
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