مرجع تخصصی آب و فاضلاب

Constructing a classroom aquaponic system

Introduction

Aquaponic is a polyculture consisting of a fish-farm (aquaculture) and crop plants grown soil-less (hydroponic) wich are cultivated in the recirculation water of the fish tank . In an aquaponic system, the nutrients contained in the fish faeces are reused to grow crop plants. This first experiment "Constructing a classroom aquaponic system" is about how to set up a simple aquaponic system, to afterwards run different experiments. It doesn"t deal with the fish and the plants yet, for it is very important to make sure the system is running properly before any higher organisms are involved. Thus it can be assured that no harm to animals will be done
Learning goals

Know what elements an aquaponic system contains and what their use and function is when the system is running
Being capable of using different materials in a creative way in order to set up the system
Know how to check the functionality of the system
Background information

Water is our most precious resource. It moves through earth"s systems in many ways, beginning with its evaporation from the oceans into the atmosphere. In modern society man has interfered with nature in a large-scale way. For example most fish farms and agricultural farms are highly industrialized and contribute severely to the pollution of natural water resources
Growing fish in an aquaponic system is an approach to sustainable fish farming. Nutrients contained in the water are recycled into plant biomass, the plants and the substrate they are growing on acting as a natural filter for the nutrient rich water. In this way, the water doesn"t need to be exchanged except for the water lost through evaporation, and there is no harmful wastewater leaving the system
Time requirement

It will take 4-8 hours to build the system. It should be tested for 1 - 3 weeks to make sure it is save to add the fish and the plants
Material requirement

Aquarium (volume 50 - 100 litres
Plant growing boxes with hose connection (volume 50 - 100 litres
Water pump with hoses and distributions to the plant boxes, approx. pressure > 1m
Air pump with hose and a diffusor (oxygen-stone
Pea sized gravel to cover the aquarium bottom, 5 cm deep
light expanded clay (LECA, see picture below) or pea sized gravel for the plant boxes, 40-80

www.aquaponics-shop.com

www.peacechief.org

blizzard.rwic.und.edu