Home garden, Home aquaponics

credit to http://quantitativemetathesis.blogspot.com/

Aquaponics Is the Next Generation Name for House Garden

We have all observed of veggie plants, kitchen landscapes and bought clean vegetables from the grocer's shops and observed about The Lawn of Arden. At some point of life most of us might have used veggie agriculture, be it in the property garden or portable pots but I think most of us have not tried Aquaponics yet. Aquaponics is a recent innovation in the field of agriculture and shall become another name for home landscapes in the days to come.

                      

What is Aquaponics?

Aquaponics is the combination of hydroponics and aquaculture. Hydroponics is the method of growing vegetation in h2o or sand without the use of ground. Aquaculture is the agriculture of seafood. Aquaponics is the farming of both vegetation and seafood part by part. Fish is kept in an fish tank. The h2o made up of the toxic release by the seafood is sent to the hydroponic program through a pipe, where the vegetation utilize it to obtain their meals. The h2o becomes free from toxics and is sent returning to the aquaculture program.

                         

Vegetables can be expanded in multiplexes

All types of clean vegetables flourish in the Aquaponics program. Cucumber green beans, clothes or chili peppers any veggie can be expanded inside your house. Aquaponics can be used both, outdoors or in the house. No area is needed and this decreases the cost significantly especially, in cities and places where area for agriculture is hardly available. People living in multiplexes can also grow their clean vegetables.

Aquaponics gives you clean and natural vegetables

Since the vegetation obtain their nutritional value from the seafood fertilizer, no substances or bug sprays are needed. This means you get clean and natural veggie for your your meal. You do not need to pay high costs or even visit the Grocery stores store. These self produced clean vegetables involve no appearance, rating, marketing and marketing, which are the reasons for the rise in the costs of products in shops.

                                     

Saves h2o efforts and energy

All you need is a continuous supply of meals for the seafood. Difficult and time consuming washing of the fish tank is also reduced. The vegetation obtain the nutritional value from the h2o containing the natural waste of the seafood. Most of the washing is done by the vegetation. The h2o becomes clean and is supplied returning to the fish tank. It helps you to save a lot of h2o too.

                              

Easy accessibility to packages of different sizes

Aquaponics kit can be easily bought from plant centers, agriculture shops or via internet. Kits are available in different dimensions from huge tanks, to be used in verandas or mini ones for indoor preparations. The blooming bed too can be a huge tank or just a huge pail. Other necessary equipment is provided in the kit along with related information and training.

Relaxation of mind

Aquaponics gives an ultimate experience of staying close to nature in the grouped and disorderly places. The joy of eating self-cultivated meals is tremendous and no exotic supper at any cafe could ever meet it. It makes a relaxing green environment and gives pleasure to the brain. It can prove to be a treatment for many illnesses which owe their birth to stress and extremely stress.

Aqua Vista Topic: Future of Farming #1

Looking at the past and current state of agriculture, we have come to the conclusion that it is failing to provide nutritious foods, it is insufficient to sustain us in the future and the ecological destruction caused my modern farming methods has taken an incredible toll on our planet. 

  

Dr. Despommier's solution is to utilize skyscrapers to grow food hydroponically in the middle of cities. According to Dr. Despommier, the vertical farm has a number of advantages over traditional agricultural methods used currently worldwide.

1. Year-round crop production. By growing crops inside controlled environments, crop production is not dependent upon the seasons. Instead of one season of tomatoes, staggered planted tomatoes can be harvested year round.

2. No Weather-related Crop Failures. By growing foods in controlled environments; droughts, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural phenomena are irrelevant. 

3. New Employment Opportunities. When farming exists in a skyscraper there are plenty of job opportunities created in the cities. In the Vertical Farm, the crops exist in all of these stages all the time, necessitating the need for labour.

4. No Agricultural Runoff. "According to the USDA, Agricultural nonpoint source pollution is the primary cause of pollution in the U.S." - The Vertical Farm. By growing hydroponically in a controlled environment, these toxic chemicals are essentially unnecessary.

5. Allowance for Ecosystem Restoration. By moving agriculture into city skyscrapers, Dr. Despommier argues traditional agriculture won't be necessary and the land can be turned back over to nature for recovery.

6. Animal Feed from Post-harvest Plant Material. You don't eat all parts of a plant and what is leftover can be used as animal feed.

7. No Use of Pesticides, Herbicides, or Fertilizers. Guess what? There are no weeds to pull in hydroponic/aeroponic/aquaponic systems! So there's no water pollution caused by this method of farming.

8. Use of 70-95 percent less water. According to The Vertical Farm, "Today, traditional agriculture uses around 70 percent of all the available freshwater on earth, and in doing so pollutes it." Of all the benefits on this list, this is the most important of them all.

9. Purification of Grey Water to Drinking Water. Grey water reclamation will become an even hotter topic as the scarcity of clean water becomes more desperate. Plants provide a natural (bio) filtration process that can cleans the water.

10. Greatly reduced food miles. A common argument for alternative farming is that the average distance food travels from farm to table is 1500 miles, on average. The Vertical Farm proposes growing food in the centre of cities, drastically cutting this distance down.

11. More Control of Food Safety and Security. The Vertical Farm is designed using the same equipment hospitals use in intensive care units to prevent pathogens and pests from affecting the crops. Security is proposed to prevent people from sabotaging the environment produced.

credit to OHIO AQUAPONICS

Aquaponics + Farm Towers

Vertical Farms 
(credit to: http://www.verticalfarm.com )


Problem Statement

By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth's population will reside in urban centers. Applying the most conservative estimates to current demographic trends, the human population will increase by about 3 billion people during the interim. An estimated 109 hectares of new land (about 20% more land than is represented by the country of Brazil) will be needed to grow enough food to feed them, if traditional farming practices continue as they are practiced today. At present, throughout the world, over 80% of the land that is suitable for raising crops is in use (sources: FAO and NASA).

Potential Solution

The concept of indoor farming is not new, since hothouse production of tomatoes, a wide variety of herbs, and other produce has been in vogue for some time. What is new is the urgent need to scale up this technology to accommodate another 3 billion people. An entirely new approach to indoor farming must be invented, employing cutting edge technologies. The Vertical Farm must be efficient (cheap to construct and safe to operate). Vertical farms, many stories high, will be situated in the heart of the world's urban centers. If successfully implemented, they offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.

Vertical Farms' Advantages

• Year-round crop production; 1 indoor acre is equivalent to 4-6 outdoor acres or more, depending upon the crop (e.g., strawberries: 1 indoor acre = 30 outdoor acres) 
• No weather-related crop failures due to droughts, floods, pests 
• All VF food is grown organically: no herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers 
• VF virtually eliminates agricultural runoff by recycling black water 
• VF returns farmland to nature, restoring ecosystem functions and services 
• VF greatly reduces the incidence of many infectious diseases that are acquired at the agricultural interface 
• VF converts black and gray water into potable water by collecting the water of evapotranspiration 
• VF adds energy back to the grid via methane generation from composting non-edible parts of plants and animals 
• VF dramatically reduces fossil fuel use (no tractors, plows, shipping.) 
• VF converts abandoned urban properties into food production centers 
• VF creates sustainable environments for urban centers 
• VF creates new employment opportunities 
• We cannot go to the moon, Mars, or beyond without first learning to farm indoors on earth 
• VF may prove to be useful for integrating into refugee camps 
• VF offers the promise of measurable economic improvement for tropical and subtropical LDCs. If this should prove to be the case, then VF may be a catalyst in helping to reduce or even reverse the population growth of LDCs as they adopt urban agriculture as a strategy for sustainable food production. 
• VF could reduce the incidence of armed conflict over natural resources, such as water and land for agriculture

Vertical Farms' Designs

Courtesy of: http://archdezart.com/2011/09/25/loft-london-farm-tower-competition/

 Courtesy of: http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_59707.shtml

Courtesy of: http://www.inspirationgreen.com/vertical-farms.html

Comment:

Farm Towers are nicely suited for Aquaponics system. The fish tanks would be located on the ground floor since it is where the sunlight is most deficient. The hydroponics will then occupy all the floors above it. Using minimal pumps, the water flow would be highly energy efficient since it travels back to the fish tank using gravity. In addition to that, the tower could also be energy independent if renewable energy sources such as wind and solar are tapped.

Aquaponics Trial #2

Hey guys, its been a while.

Here's the second trial I've been doing at my house. Had the first prototype moved out of the shade plus additional 2 pods. Also added a fish tank i acquired from a fish store that's about to move out of town.

Actually these photos here are outdated by 2-3 months, since I've already started to harvest them from August. Anyway, here's a close-up of the pods.

I've been trying a lot of different kinds of vegetable; kailan, lettuce, salad, cabbage, sawi, etc. But the most success I've had so far is the kangkung (water spinach).

The two tanks shown are connected underneath; the right tank receives freshly filtered water from the pods. It has 9-10 lampam fish. The water then travel to the left tank (along with fish faeces), before being pumped to the highest pods to begin the cycle again.

Aquaponics and Worms

Credit to Vermiaquaponics article by Great Lakes Aquaponics
http://greatlakesaquaponics.wikispaces.com/Vermiaquaponics

Vermiaquaponics is actually a word my father and I invented. It is in laymans terms the same thing as aquaponics but with a combination of worm breeding. You use the worm castings to make a nutrient tea which is then used to feed the plants through their roots directly and in the form of foliar feeding. Foliar feeding is when you feed a plant through its leaves. You spray the tea onto the leaves directly and the goal is to have the nutrients be absorbed in more than one way. Then the worms themselves are used to feed the fish thus eliminating some of the cost of fish feed, and making these aquaponic systems more self sustainable.

Vermiaquaponics will soon become the future of aquaponics. In a way many people use certain aspects of it by feeding their plants with extra micronutrients and such.(for example chelated iron, manganese, zinc, etc) But what makes this version so unique is that it will help eliminate the cost of fish feed which becomes an enormous expense. In addition you are feeding your fish great protein which should theoretically help them to grow faster and bigger. Although worms do not give fish 100% of their diet, and are nearly 90% composed of water, so supplements will be required. So essentially your getting your fish wish less cost improving your profit. 


One concern I have about this new form of growing is when it gets to the commercial scale. Places like the University of the Virgin Islands are harvesting over 5 tons of fish annually and in order for something like this to be beneficial to them you would need a very vast number of worms. Making vermiaquaponics less practical on a commercial scale but definately beneficial on the hobby scale. Something to consider if trying to convert from aquaponics to vermiaquaponics is that you will need the space to grow your worms, and to make sure you will have enough worms to be able to integrate this technology into aquaponics.

The focus on vermiaquaponics is to not incorporate it in systems producing such high quantities of fish. For the Urban Farmer, primary focus should be on plant growth in order to make profit. Using as little fish as possible and supplementing with tea will reduce other costs. The key is to get the right number of fish to plant growth ratio and also adding the vermiaquaponics side of the equation. When all these numbers can be worked out maximum plant growth to cost can be achieved giving you maximum profit.

Aquaponic Trial #1

Alas, my first trial setup

The view from a distance, tier 1 = koi pod, tier 2 & 3 = flower pod, tier 4 = biofilter pod.

The flower pods below (tier 2 & 3) with seedling starting to grow. It took awhile for them to pop up due to the location of the system under the porch roof which is preventing precious sunlight. Nonetheless, they still grow.

 

The biofilter pod (tier 4) is located on the topmost of the system, comprises of 4 filter elements with 3 aeration outlets between them. This pod is designed to capture solid fishwaste and dissolves it into elements which the plant then could absorb, such as ferum, potassium, kalium, etc. It is an essential to have this pod as described in the aquaponic cycle below.

The fish pod, basically contains my 3 koi fish and a pump. Since the system is practically new, the fish is quite stressfull and is a bit jumpy. So i didnt manage to take a picture of them, maybe next time, in the next update.

Aquaponics Design #2

Ok, its been 5 months since my last post. But I've been wanting to post this for a long time. So here goes.


Continuing the 'Concept' topic on which I'll base my system on, here are the findings I got from the net apart from the last post.

The system from University of Virgin Island. One of the first systems I encountered back in 2006. Used as a learning field for Aquaponics study. Too big for me of course, just wanted to share it with u guys.

This would be how that system looks like under the raft. Remember that this is a deep water raft system much like the one I tend to adopt in my trial system at home.

Going back to my previous post, first image. This is the realization of it. Somebody must have build up this system according to that design and made it work. Nice looking system, but still too big for me to try, unfortunately.

Great design to accommodate the vege raft on the fish tank itself. Thus saving space for a more bigger fish population. But having too big fish to vegetable ratio will be problem for this setup I reckon.

Having seen all the design I could search in the net, this one of the smallest and simplest of aquaponics design I've came upon. Suitable in urban area where space is tight while still having all the features of an aquaponics system. I am in the construction phase of my system as of now. A little DIY assembling and I'll be posting my own system in a few days. Stay tuned.

Aquaponics Misconception

Mythconception #6 – Aquaponics is Easy
October 26, 2009
By gary, http://www.microponics.net.au/?p=322

There are some people who would have you believe that operating an aquaponics system is just…..easy!

The people most likely to tell you that aquaponics is easy are those who want to sell you aquaponics kits or equipment – so their interest is fairly obvious. You’re much more likely to sell something to someone if you can convince them that it requires little or no effort or learning to operate.

Others like Dr Mike Nichols (a horticultural research scientist at the College of Sciences at Massey Universtity, Palmerston North NZ) have a different view.

In the March/April 2009 issue of Practical Hydroponics and Greenhouses he reported:

“Sadly, I must report that aquaponics may be too difficult for many people. Theoretically, it should involve an equal marriage of aquaculture and hydroponics in which the two separate disciplines respond synergistically, and the nutrient waste from the fish is ‘purified’ by the bacteria and the plants and the clean water is then returned to the fish. In fact, because of the difference in the skills required for aquaculture and for hydroponics, it would appear that in many cases the synergy does not exist.

The majority of the income from aquaponics comes from the horticultural component, but as the majority of aquaponics projects evolve from aquaculture there is a distinct lack of horticultural knowledge by the participants. The result is that the aquaponics producer has to compete with the specialist hydroponics grower, but without the necessary skills base. It is my view that aquaponics (except on a very small scale) requires two specialists, an aquaculture specialist and a hydroponics specialist. Without this any large project would appear to be at risk.”

While Dr Nichols makes it clear that he’s talking about commercial aquaponics systems, I believe his contention is just as applicable to any aquaponics system – large or small.

While I acknowledge that the financial cost of incompetence may be far greater in a commercial operation, the practical outcome is the same….dead fish and plants that fail to thrive…..regardless of the size of the operation.

I guess I’m puzzled (and faintly suspicious), therefore, at how quickly many people (who have no previous experience of either aquaculture or hydroponics) develop confidence in their ability to undertake aquaponics.

Their excitement and confidence is understandable when you realise that it is the product of what they are told – that that the mere combination of these two disciplines creates something which is somehow easier to comprehend than either of the component parts.

They’re told that “the fish produce waste that the bacteria convert to plant food. The fish feed the plants and the plants clean the water for the fish.”

“It can’t be that simple” say the interested onlookers. “There must be more to it than that.”

At this point, the kit maker or their agent produces a few ”guidelines” – sage little wisdoms that are easy to remember and which still leave the novice with the illusion that aquaponics is easy to do.

The ”guidelines” include:

• True aquaponics requires that the water recirculate from the fish tank through the growing system and back into the tank. See Recirculating or Open Loop?
• That you stock the system at the rate of one fingerling per 10 litres of water (according to one kit maker). See Mythconception #1 – Stocking Density
• For each litre of water in the fish tank, you must have one litre or two (depending on the source) of grow bed volume. See Mythconception #2 – Component Ratio
• Grow beds must be 300mm deep. See Mythconception #3 – Grow Bed Depth
• That you don’t need to clean out your aquaponics system because worms will turn all of that fish poop into plant nutrients. See Mythconception #4 – Removal of Solid Wastes.

Tart these ‘guidelines’ up with a few exaggerated claims about sustainability (see Mythconception #5 – Sustainability) and productivity and our onlooker is (with pen poised over the order form) rushing headlong into a Damascus Road conversion to aquaponics.

While the symbiotic relationship between fish and plants is the essence of aquaponics, the simplistic fish/plant dialogue trotted out by some vested interests is a very long way from explaining its intricacies.

My own experience of small-scale food production spans 30 years. In that time, we’ve kept all sorts of birds and animals and attempted to grow many types of plants using a variety of production systems and achieving proficiency in aquaponics has been as big a challenge as any of them…..and it is ongoing.

Now, having spent this time attempting to convince you that aquaponics is not as easy as some people would suggest, I don’t want you to believe that it’s beyond those who are prepared to make a reasonable effort to learn.

Aquaponics will, of itself, offer a reasonable return on your investment of time and money. Like any other investment, however, aquaponics may prove risky for those who are too lazy to do some basic research.

If your interest is in small-scale aquaponics, there are several books available. My personal favourite is The Urban Aquaponics Manual – 2nd Edition. While I confess to a certain bias (I wrote it), it is also the most up-to-date publication of its type in the world.

If you’re still itching for more on recirculating aquaculture – and if you’re well-healed – I’d recommend Recirculating Aquaculture Systems by Timmons, Ebeling, Wheaton, Summerfeldt and Vinci. It even contains a 40 page section on aquaponics.

Couple that with some reading about hydroponics. I recommend:

• Hydroponic Food Production by Howard Resh
• Commercial Hydroponics by John Mason
• Hydroponic Crop Production by Joe Romer

By the time you’ve digested these books, you’ll be in the top 2 percentile (in terms of your knowledge of aquaponics) in the world.

If you’re just starting out in aquaponics, you will have a distinct advantage over those who have gone before you. Notwithstanding the hocus pocus, there’s more information out there than ever before. You’ve just got to sort the wheat from the chaff (like this little gem from another kit maker)……..

“Running an aquaponic system CAN be easy… I know of people who had no idea about fish keeping and no idea about growing plants yet with a few simple guidelines they are producing and harvesting their own produce from their systems.”

And here’s my point…..everything is easy until something goes wrong. When that something happens, the simplistic little guidelines don’t prevent the fishkill……or the subsequent anguish and the inevitable loss of confidence that occurs.

Forums like www.aquaponicshq.com/forums chronicle the trials of many people who have taken such advice and had bad experiences. But for these forums, and the technical support (and the occasional bit of group therapy) that they provide, such people would simply founder and drift away from aquaponics.

To summarise, aquaponics will provide:

• crops of plants and fish for the same amount of water that it would normally take to just grow the plants.
• clean, fresh, affordable food for you and your family.

…..but, like any worthwhile pursuit, your rewards will be commensurate with your efforts. The more you know; the more you grow!