subject: How To Boost Your Plant Growth With Aquaponics [print this page] Boost Your Plant Growth Boost Your Plant Growth
An aquaponics system is a modern farming technology that aims at raising fish with plants in a symbiotic environment. The wastes of the fish contain nutrients that are utilized by the plants for their growth. The fish also feeds on the waste materials such as leaves and roots of the plants. Once the by-products of the aquaculture have been filtered out by the plants, clean and oxygenated water is circulated back to the fish. The unique design of the aquaponics system helps eliminate solid fish waste from water and increases nutrient availability for the plants.
Components of an Aquaponics System
An aquaponics system is comprised of two parts: 1) Aquaculture part 2) Hydroponics part. The aquaculture part is utilized for raising the fish, whereas the hydroponics part is used for growing the vegetables. Fish feed that is essential for the nutrition and growth of fish is the only external factor in an aquaponics system. The aquaculture part is comprised of rearing tanks for keeping the fish. With the passage of time, water in the tank becomes filled with fecal matter of the fish, thus polluting the environment. The aquaculture part contains a solid removal device for catching wastes and uneaten food, and unlocking the minerals in the solids to make the macro- as well as micro-nutrients available to the plants. The aquaculture part is also comprised of a place known as Biofilter which contains the good bacteria that help convert ammonia into nitrates. Nitrate is the form that the plants can easily uptake and utilize for their growth.
The hydroponics part is comprised of rafts and the plants sit in the rafts. After passing through solid filters and biofilters, water full of nitrates and minerals flows towards plants. This also ensures that no wastes and solids will build up on the roots and plants have access to the nutrients they need for growth. The underside of a raft also acts as a biofilter to minimize the toxic build up of ammonia in water. After the water has passed through the hydroponics system, it is oxygenated. The lowest point of the system is known as Sump where the oxygenated water is pumped back to the rearing tanks.
Application Spectrum
Freshwater fish such as tilapia, catfish, salmon, black tetra, black molly, angelfish, bronze cory, cherry barb, clown barb, clown loach, danio, discus, dwarf gourami, firemouth, goldfish, guppy, jewelfish, oscar, rainbow fish, bluegill, silver dollar, koi, swordtail and white cloud are now almost exclusively raised commercially in the aquaponics systems. The vegetables that grow well in the aquaponics include peas, Chinese cabbage, radishes, lettuce, basil, sweet-potatoes, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, turnips, okra, parsnips, and cantaloupe.
Benefits
An aquaponics system makes a green way to conserve the natural resources and eliminate the solid wastes. Not only does it reduce the need for agricultural lands to produce crops, but it also helps preserve environment by removing the dependence on pesticides and fertilizers for the production of crops. Moreover, an aquaponics system also recycles water between the hydroponics bed and the fish tank, minimizing the requirement for water. The absence of soil and dependence on minimal water make this system a practical possibility in any environment.
