Aquaponics

Aquaponics is a new type of compound farming system that combines aquaculture and hydroponics, two originally completely different farming technologies, to achieve scientific synergy through clever ecological design. , thereby achieving the ecological symbiotic effect of raising fish without changing water without worrying about water quality, and growing vegetables without fertilizing and growing normally.

In traditional aquaculture, as fish excrement accumulates, the ammonia nitrogen in the water body increases, and the toxicity gradually increases. In an aquaponics system, aquaculture water is transported to a hydroponic cultivation system, where bacteria decompose ammonia nitrogen in the water into nitrite and then into nitrate by nitrifying bacteria. The nitrate can be directly absorbed and utilized by plants as nutrients. . Aquaponics allows animals, plants, and microorganisms to achieve a harmonious ecological balance. It is a sustainable, cyclic, zero-emission, low-carbon production model, and an effective method to effectively solve the agricultural ecological crisis.

There are three things that make aquaponics most attractive to consumers: The first planting method can prove its innocence. Because there are fish in the aquaponic system, no pesticides can be used. A little carelessness will cause the death of the fish and beneficial microbial populations and the collapse of the system. Second, aquaponics is separated from soil cultivation and avoids heavy metal pollution in the soil. Therefore, the heavy metal residues in vegetables and aquatic products in the aquaponics system are much lower than those in traditional soil cultivation. Third, vegetables in the aquaponics system have unique aquatic root systems. If the aquaponics farm delivers the roots with them, consumers can easily identify the source of the vegetables, avoiding consumers’ doubts about whether the vegetables come from the wholesale market.

Trapped in dry and water-scarce climate conditions, Australian gardening enthusiasts have become early pioneers of aquaponics since the 1970s, using the openness of the Internet to sow fire around the world. In the process of sharing knowledge and experience, aquaponics gardening has developed rapidly and gradually become a global hobby.

In order to achieve a reasonable combination of fish and vegetables and large-scale cultivation, the mainstream practice in the world is to separate the fish pond and the planting area. The fish pond and the planting area realize water circulation and filtration through water pumps. In the cultivation part, the main technical modes are as follows:

1. Substrate cultivation: Vegetables are planted in substrates such as gravel or ceramsite. The matrix plays the role of biochemical filtration and solid fertilizer filtration. Nitrifying bacteria grow on the surface of the substrate and are specifically responsible for biochemical filtration and solid fertilizer filtration. This method is suitable for growing all kinds of vegetables.

2. Deep water culture (DWC: Deep water culture): Vegetables are grown on tanks and held up by floating materials such as foam. The roots of the vegetables extend down through the holes of the raft into the water to absorb nutrients. This method is more suitable for leafy vegetables.

3. Nutrient Film Technique (NFT: Nutrient Film Technique): PVC pipes are usually used as planting carriers, and nutrient-rich water is pumped into the PVC pipes. The plants are fixed in the planting basket and planted in the opening above the PVC pipe, allowing their roots to access water and absorb nutrients. This method is mainly used for leafy vegetables.