Aquaponics

 

Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture (growing fish and other aquatic animals) and hydroponics (growing of vegetables or plants without soil). Aquaponics combines these two technologies in a symbiotic combination in which plants are fed aquatic animal waste. The plants clean the water; the water, then passes through a water treatment facility before it is reused, as in a RAS facility. Within this type of system, the microbes produced have a very important role as the beneficial bacteria converts the fish waste into elements the plants can use to grow. There are many types of aquaponics systems including drip irrigation, flood and drain, nutrient film technique and deep raft culture. Aquaponics is an option that remote communities looking at addressing food security challenges, capacity building, nutritional concerns, and local business development might wish to consider.