An Overview on Aquaponics

Aquaponics is nothing but the symbiotic merger of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (soil less plant culture). In the aquaponics system the water gets enriched with fish waste that happens as a result of raising fish. Such nutrient-rich water provides the plants growing within the aquaponics system a source of natural fertilization. The water that’s used for raising the fish gets purified as the plants keep consuming the nutrients present in the water.

Both the fish and the plants are kept healthy by a natural microbial process. The whole cyclic process results in a self-sustainable ecosystem which allows both the fish and the plants to thrive.

In the aquaculture process, the water gets quickly enriched with nutrients as a consequence of the fish eating and digesting their food intake and later excreting the waste. The resulting waste water is normally filtered and recycled or disposed in order to keep the fish tank water devoid of any large-scale toxic buildups.

In the hydroponics process, the plants are grown in a solution comprising of water and nutrients devoid of any soil. This solution is created by mixing the nutrients needed by a plant along with water, and this solution is directly fed to the roots of the plants. In a few hydroponic systems the plant roots are embedded in a growing medium that in turn keeps them aerated, moist and as well supports the plant. Hydroponics provides the plant with the ideal water and nutrient ratios and optimum conditions for growth.

In the aquaponics process, the fish waste serves as the food source needed by the plants to grow and, in turn, the plants serve as a natural filter for the fish. This process enables a mini closed ecosystem in which both the fish and the plants thrive. Thus aquaponics becomes the ideal answer for two issues: the disposal of nutrient rich water problem faced by the fish farmers and the need for nutrient-rich water problem faced by the hydroponic growers.