DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A PORTABLE AUTOMATED

AQUAPONICS AND HYDROPONICS SYSTEM WITH AN INTERACTIVE

WEBPAGE

__________

A Study
Presented to the Faculty of
Lyceum of Subic Bay

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering
and
Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering

__________

by
Paul John Dominado
Francis Nicole Quiroz
Hazel D. Custodio
Ellen Mae Olaguer
Jhon Cell Celestial
March 2017

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction
"We're growing in 16 days what otherwise takes 30 days in a fieldusing 95
percent less water, about 50 percent less fertilizers, zero pesticides, herbicides,
fungicides" (Brennan,2009)
Aquaponic and Hydroponic gardening is a very hot topic of conversation for
people interested in having a sustainable lifestyle. With these systems, we can grow a
fresh vegetable gardenall organic and raise fish at the same time.
Aquaponics is a combination of traditional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals
such as fish and prawns in tanks) and hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a
symbiotic environment. This is an environmentally friendly and natural food growing
method that is sustainable because of its natural recirculating ecosystem which is to
convert fish waste to plant nutrients. The fish waste provides an organic food source for
the growing plants and the plants provide a natural filter for the water the fish live in. The
third participants are the microbes (nitrifying bacteria) and composting red worms that
thrive in the growing media. They do the job of converting the ammonia from the fish
waste first into nitrites, then into nitrates and the solids into vermicompost that are food
for the plants.
Hydroponics is basically growing plants without soil. It is a more efficient way to
provide food and water to your plants. Plants dont use soil they use the food and water

that are in the soil. Soils function is to supply plants nutrients and to anchor the plants
roots. In a hydroponic garden, you provide your plants with a complete nutrient formula
and an inert growing medium to anchor your plants roots so they have easier access to
the food and water.
An interactive website will be used in this study. A website is a collection of web
pages (documents that are accessed through the Internet). A web page is what you see on
the screen when you type in a web address, click on a link, or put a query in a search
engine. A web page can contain any type of information, and can include text, color,
graphics, animation and sound.
In this study, the website will contain step-by-step updated videos in creating and
assembling portable aquaponics and hydroponics systems where visitors/users can
comment and interact with other users. This website will be responsive to the users; it
will entertain questions and ideas exchanged between other users and keep up-to-date the
changes in technologies in terms of the two systems. It also includes the weekly data of
the progress in the subject (growth in plants) and lastly, this website will promote and
merchandise the products produced and the system itself through ordering it on the
website.
This study overall contains an informative facts about aquaponics and
hydroponics system. It also provides comparison between the two systems and proves
which system produces more products in terms of quantity and quality in equal amount of
time.
The researchers chose to design and construct an aquaponic and hydroponic
system to gain knowledge and explore the principles applied in building and/or

maintaining the system. Since, these types of systems improves in such a short amount of
time, the researchers can gain more techniques and apply their knowledge to any future
assembly of a-like system. The researchers also chose the study to scrutinize which
system is more effectivewhich system produces better and faster growth in plants.

Statement of Objectives
The main objective of the study is to design and construct a Portable Automated
Aquaponic and Hydroponic System with an Interactive Webpage during Academic Year
2016-2017.
Specifically, this study aims to achieve the following:
1. Design and construct a portable aquaponic system.
2. Design and construct a portable hydroponic system.
3. Design and construct a webpage to educate people about two different planting
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

systems and market the system itself and the products produced.
Design and construct an indicator circuit for the sensors.
Design and construct a PPM (parts per million) sensor.
Design and construct a water level sensor.
Design and construct a relay module circuit.
Design and create a program for indicator circuit, PPM, water level sensor, pH
sensor and relay module.

Significance of the Study

The study is deemed significant to the following:
Students. This system will serve as a guide and encouragement for students to
expand their knowledge and creativity in making their own system in future use.
Professors/Instructors. This study can be used as a reference in conducting
advanced projects using Arduino Uno.

People in Urban Areas. This system could help people living in urban areas to
produce their own source of food. With its advantage of consuming lesser space than the
usual farming, people in urban areas can purchase and install these systems at their own
home. Through this system they can produce healthy fruits or vegetables and take care of
fishes that could be serve as their source of food.
Other researchers. This study will serve as a reference to other researchers
interested to conduct a study about advanced aquaponics and hydroponics system.

Scope and Delimitation

The duration of this study is for the second semester of academic year 2016-2017
at Lyceum of Subic Bay.
This study will furthermore enhance and explain every detail of both aquaponics
and hydroponics system to give knowledge and encourage people to have any of this
system at their own homes. This study also covers which system is more effective in
terms of growth in plantsthe quality and quantity produced by each system. A data will
be presented and proved through process.
The handicaps for the successiveness of this research are (a) the proper use of
principles to be applied on the system, (b) the type of plant that is best to be used for this
study (c) the financing in completing and assembling the two systems, (d) the timetable
and the availability of materials needed to assemble the systems and, (e) the software in
creating and designing the webpage for this study since these systems (Aquaponics and
Hydrophonics system) will be shown and can be purchased through the researchers

website fed with all the information needed in installing and maintaining either of these
systems.

Notes in Chapter I

Japan Aquaphonics (2012). Who can use aquaponics?, http://www.japanaquaponics.com/who-can-use-aquaponics.html. Retrieved: 19 November
2016.
Hydrofarm
contributors
(2013).
Introduction
to
hydroponics.
http://www.hydrofarm.com/resources/intro-to-hydro.php. Retrieved: 19
November 2016.
Freeservers
contributors
(2011).
What
is
a
website?.
www.freeservers.com/WebHosting101/WhatIsAWebsite.html. Retrieved: 19
November 2016.