Matthew Barker

English IV Honors

Mrs. Wilson

4-27-18

The Future of Sustainable Farming

Thesis: Aquaponics is a rapidly growing type of farming that offers many advantages with very

few drawbacks and provides many new opportunities for food production while having less

environmental impact.

I. What is Aquaponics?

II. How does it work?

III. Nitrogen Cycle

IV. Practicality/possible applications

V. Aquaponics by the numbers

VI. Advantages/Disadvantages

VII. Potential/Future of aquaponics

VIII. How to start how your own aquaponic system

IX. Conclusion

Matthew Barker
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English IV Honors

Mrs. Wilson

4-27-18

The Future of Sustainable Farming

We live in a world where the population grows by twenty thousand people every day and

we continually have to find ways to feed this growing population(“Frequently Asked

Questions”). Aquaponics could be that solution. Aquaponics provides many new capabilities,

including a new source of food production. Aquaponics is a rapidly growing type of farming

that offers many advantages with very few drawbacks. It provides many new opportunities for

food production while having less environmental impact. Aquaponics is the combination of

aquaculture and hydroponics. This mutualistic relationship produces higher yields and no need

for expensive chemicals or fertilizers. The best part of aquaponics is that it can be done on many

different scales. Aquaponics can be done on a large commercial scale or can be used as a hobby.

Many farmers have also started commercial aquaponic operations as an additional income

source, or the average homeowner can have a backyard aquaponic setup to make their families

more self-sustaining. Many people have started aquaponics as a way to raise their own fish and

vegetables. Even a small setup can be very successful, the author of one website says that in just

six months he can produce about one hundred and ten pounds of fish and hundreds of pounds of

vegetables in an area of approximately fifteen by twenty-five feet (What Is Aquaponics -

Backyard Aquaponics). Another awesome feature of aquaponics is that the plants get organic

fertilizer and the fish water remains clean without the use of any chemicals.

The most common response when aquaponics is mentioned is “what is aquaponics?”. In

summary, aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture and hydroponics. Aquaculture and

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hydroponics both have some serious drawbacks but by combining the two, one can essentially

eliminate the disadvantages. Hydroponics is growing only plants in water, this requires

expensive nutrients and the water must be flushed periodically. Flushing the water is expensive

and can lead to waste disposal issues(“Aquaponics: How Does It Work?”). Aquaculture is

growing only fish in water and is currently very common. This causes problems because excess

nutrients must be removed from the water frequently by draining part of the water and replacing

it(“Aquaponics: How Does It Work?”). Having to drain part of the water causes issues because

the water is polluted with rich nutrients from fish waste that must be safely disposed of. This

also requires a lot of water to be used, especially when growing fish on a commercial scale.

Aquaponics is growing both fish and plants using the same water, essentially eliminating the

negative things stated prior.

To know how truly awesome aquaponics is, one first needs to understand how it works.

Well, it’s not magic but sometimes it seems like it. Essentially, fish produce nutrients in their

waste like ammonia, which can become toxic to fish when it accumulates in large amounts. The

plants absorb the water and nutrients they need to grow like nitrogen, which removes the

ammonia from the water. The growing material the plants are grown in also promote the growth

of beneficial bacteria by providing large amounts of surface area which convert the nutrients like

ammonia into nutrients that can easily be absorbed by the plant(“What Is Aquaponics - Backyard

Aquaponics.”). This cycle is beneficial for both the fish and the plants for several reasons.

Firstly, the fish get clean water without the use of expensive chemicals or frequent water

changes. Next, the plants get free nutrients which saves the grower money by not having to buy

commercial fertilizers. Another awesome feature of aquaponics is that all of the fish and plants

grown can be one hundred percent organic.

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Now let's take a closer look into how the cycle of an aquaponics tank works. When the

fish excrete waste, more than fifty percent is in the form of ammonia (Aquaponics: How Does It

Work?” Greengro Technologies). In a tank without filtration, this ammonia would build up and

the fish would die due to water toxicity. Thankfully, beneficial bacteria live on any solid surface

in the tank and perform an invaluable task. These microbes convert ammonia into nitrite and

then into nitrate(Mullins et al.). This process is called nitrification and although it can occur

anywhere a solid surface touches the tanks water, aquaponic systems usually have an area

designated just for nitrification. This area is called a biological filter or, more commonly

referred to as a biofilter. As stated by the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center, a complete

biofilter needs two main things. The first of these things is media that provides high surface area

which gives the bacteria more area to grow and complete the nitrification process. Biofilter

media can be bought in many stores and ordered online very easily. The next essential thing for

a biofilter is sufficient aeration. The microbes cannot complete the nitrification process if the

water is not properly aerated. If the biofilter is successful, the water will contain little to no

ammonia after passing through the filter and plants will have a source of nitrogen to use for

fertilizer. Some aquaponic systems combine the grow beds and biofilters. If the media in the

grow beds provides lots of surface area then the tank doesn’t require a specialized biofilter

because the microbes can colonize on the grow bed media. Any complete aquaponic system will

also contain a screen filter that can filter out solids like unconsumed food.

When most people hear the word aquaponics they instantly think it is too complicated for

them; that it is only something big companies or universities can do. A quick search on Youtube

or Google would debunk that statement because thousands of people across the United States

have recently started the practice of aquaponics. Although aquaponics is a great option for at
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home gardeners, it has also grown in popularity among farmers. The reason many farmers have

taken up aquaponics is to act as an additional income source and a financial backup plan.

Farmers have no guarantee of how much crop they will yield and are not guaranteed any harvest.

Things like disease, wildfires, drought, and early frost can leave a farmers with large investments

lost at their means of making ends meet. Although aquaponics may not currently be as profitable

as traditional farming, farmers can depend on the income it brings and it is very reliable, unlike

traditional farming. Aquaponics is not just beneficial for homesteaders and farmers but, it is also

fitting for those who live in the city and do not own much land. Being a self-contained system

that contains no soil, it can be tucked in beside a house or in a backyard without the need for a

huge farm or property. Even a small setup that only has one fish tank and only a few growing

troughs is capable of producing a substantial profit. Restaurants will usually buy locally and

organically grown fish like tilapia and catfish at high prices, as well as local farmers markets. By

promoting their fish and plants to local businesses, aquaponic farmers may be able to not only

grow products for themselves, but also for profit. Many high schools and universities have begun

to buy or build their own aquaponic systems because they can see how fast this technique is

growing. Companies have started to emerge that sell only aquaponic systems and supplies; there

is even a company that offers training for people who are interested in starting a large scale

aquaponic system. Often people think only tilapia can be grown in these kinds of systems, but

aquaponic systems can actually grow a broad range of fish including perch, tilapia, catfish,

peruvian pacu, oscars, koi, goldfish, bass and many varieties of aquarium fish, along with

freshwater prawns (NMSU: Is Aquaponics Right For You?). Depending on what kind of fish are

in the tank, most kinds of lettuce, most varieties of herbs, watercress, tomatoes, cucumber,
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squash, zucchini, peppers, broccoli, melons, and strawberries can all be grown in aquaponic

systems.

It’s often hard to grasp just how beneficial aquaponics is from just reading about how it

works, so now let's look at aquaponics by the numbers. As stated earlier, when the fish excrete

waste, more than fifty percent is in the form of ammonia (Aquaponics: How Does It Work?”

Greengro Technologies). This should be alarming because when fish are grown in aquaponics,

that contaminated water could end up in water supplies. The average meal travels over 1500

miles before coming to our table(Aquaponics: How Does It Work?” Greengro Technologies).

Why do we eat food that is not fresh when we could have our own sustainable, organic, and

environmentally friendly food source right in our backyards? Small scale aquaponic systems

only lose one to five percent of its total water daily(Mullins et. al.). This means a grower would

only have to add water occasionally, compared to having to water plants very often when grown

traditionally. The most commonly grown fish in aquaponic systems is tilapia(Love et al.). This

means aquaponics can be used to grow fish that are not only healthy but also good tasting.

Traditional gardening requires about twenty or more times more water than a recirculation

system like aquaponics(Baptista, Perry). That means we can produce the same amount of fresh

fruits and vegetables with twenty times less water than it would take with traditional gardening

and also be able to harvest fresh fish.

It’s fair to say aquaponics is an awesome concept that has many opportunities and offers

solutions to many problems, but it wouldn’t be honest to say that aquaponics doesn’t have any

disadvantages. Let’s compare the advantages and disadvantages of aquaponics. Aquaponics

uses twenty percent less water than traditional farming(Baptista, Perry). This is a huge benefit

for countries that have water shortages or face drought issues. The catch to this is that
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aquaponics requires a constant energy source to power the pumps. Many third world countries

that could benefit exponentiallyfrom aquaponics are unable to implement the systems because

power is unavailable to them or too expensive to be practicable. An advantage that is often

overlooked is the fact that both the fish and plants produced are organic. With the recent

movement, especially among millennials, people want more locally grown and organic products,

so aquaponics appears to be especially popular among young adults. Although a small

aquaponic system would supply a family with an addition food source, it would require a very

large system to be able to provide a family with a year round food source. Many families would

appreciate the sense of self sustainability that you get from having an aquaponics system. There

are two main reasons we don’t see aquaponics in every farm operation and every backyard. The

first reason is that aquaponics has an extremely high capital, it requires buying expensive items

like tanks, filters, pumps, fish, and much more. Although to be fair, the capitol for any type of

farming is also very expensive. The second reason we don’t see it in every farm operation and

backyard is that it is relatively complicated and a new concept to many people. The majority of

people don’t know what aquaponics is and and would be very confused as how to manage a tank.

Aquaponic systems must have the proper pH, dissolved oxygen levels, contain the right plants

and fish, and the water must stay within a particular temperature range. This being said,

aquaponic systems are quickly becoming more automated and easier to maintain. Another

disadvantage of aquaponics is that one is limited in the different plants that can be grown. Tall

growing plants like corn and okra cannot be effectively grown in aquaponic systems. The plants

that perform the best with aquaponics are leafy greens and culinary herbs. They are the best

choice due to their consistent nutrient needs throughout their lifecycle(Mullins et al.). From this

paragraph one can probably conclude that aquaponics is not intended to feed everyone or replace
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traditional farming but, it is rather a new type of farming that fills a unique niche and has offered

lots of new opportunities. Now let's discuss the potential and possibilities of Aquaponics.

Aquaponics has rapidly grown in popularity in recent years and is predicted to keep

growing. This is most likely because of its advantages and capabilities. Aquaponics can be done

in many different climates by changing the plants and fish being raised. This makes aquaponics

a great solution for areas that have poor growing soil and other factors that make traditional

farming difficult. Aquaponic systems are also calling urban areas home due to their small space

requirements. Rooftops, balconies, small backyards, and hobby greenhouses are all capable of

housing an aquaponic system that can make each American more self-sustainable and educated

on food security. Aquaponics is a great solution for areas or even countries that face water

shortages. One of the benefits is that aquaponic systems use about one twentieth of the water

needed to grow plants in the soil. This means in third world countries, aquaponics could be used

to lessen the food insecurity that millions of people, especially children, face. Some people think

that the lack of reliable energy sources would pose a problem for the development of aquaponics

in third world countries but, that could easily be solved with solar panels or small wind turbines.

It is also fair to conclude that within the near future, aquaponics will be even more popular than

it is now and will have more advanced capabilities than we can imagine. Interested in starting

your own aquaponic system? Let's discuss the steps of how to do that next.

The hardest part about aquaponics is getting started. This is because it requires the most

work, money, and time. When designing and building a system, there are many important

decisions one must make. The first thing to consider is the climate in which the aquaponic

system will be setup in. As most already know, all plants need warm and sunny environments to

grow best and to produce the most crop. Fish are a little different, some fish such as catfish or
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goldfish can grow in cold water, but other fish such as tilapia and aquarium fish need warm

water to grow and live. For this reason, about thirty-one percent of operations grow the fish and

plants in a greenhouse (Love, David C., and Ken Semmens. “Commercial Aquaponics

Production and Profitability: Findings from an International Survey.”). To avoid the large cost of

buying a greenhouse and heating it, a grower could buy new plants and fish in the spring and sell

all the fish and plants in fall before it becomes too cold. Although this saves the grower a lot of

money by not having to buy or heat a greenhouse, it also has a lot of drawbacks. The grower has

to order or purchase new fish, which can be very expensive every year; they also have to take the

time to get the biofilter established because the fish and plants are removed. Removing the fish

leads to the loss of the nitrifying bacteria every fall. The greatest drawback is the fact that there

is no source of profit or harvest for many months. One should take their own climate and

circumstances into effect when building a system; but any successful system that will provide

substantial profit will run year round. An additional option that may be suitable for many people

is having the tank indoors or in a garage. The fish do not really need a lot of sunlight because

they are in the water and tanks are relatively easy to heat. Although, the plants would need to be

by a window providing sufficient sunlight or under grow lights, which are expensive and take a

lot of electricity to run. Most people who have small aquaponic systems have them outside and

pick the fish they grow based on the climate they live in. Aquaponic systems being grown in a

controlled climate can grow just about any fish they want, but if the grower wishes to grow fish

in a cold environment, a hardy fish like koi, trout, catfish, bass and goldfish would be most

suitable. In comparison, almost any fish can live in warm water with the exception of trout. Trout

like cooler water because they are native to mountain streams and lakes. The grower should take
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into consideration their own climate, needs, and budget when deciding what fish and system is

most suitable for them.

Now that the advantages, disadvantages, components, and capabilities have been covered,

it is obvious why aquaponics is the farming of the future. Aquaponics will most likely never be

as popular as traditional farming, but it is useful in so many environments and would be

especially useful in areas that do not receive much rainfall. Aquaponics will bring many new

opportunities to people who otherwise may not have been able to grow fish or plants previously.

This newly refined type of farming that combines aquaculture and hydroponics is capable of so

many things and it is already spreading rapidly across the United States and even the world.

Works Cited

“Aquaponics: How Does It Work?” Greengro Technologies, greengrotech.com/what-is-

aquaponics-and-how-does-it-work/.

Baptista, Perry. “Water Use Efficiency in Hydroponics and Aquaponics.” Zipgrow Blog Library,

blog.zipgrow.com/water-use-efficiency-hydroponics-aquaponics/.
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Christopher Mullins, Nerrie Brian, Todd Sink “Principles of Small-Scale Aquaponics”.

Southern

Regional Aquaculture Center. SRAC publication NO. 5007, September 2015

https://srac.tamu.edu/serveFactSheet/284

“Frequently Asked Questions.” World Population Balance,

www.worldpopulationbalance.org/faq.

“How Aquaponics Works.” Nelson Pade Inc, aquaponics.com/how-aquaponics-works/.

“How to Build and Operate a simple small-to-large scale aquaponics system”. CTSA publication

#161, http://www.ctsa.org/files/publications/CTSA_aquaponicsHowTo.pdf

Love, David C., and Ken Semmens. “Commercial Aquaponics Production and

Profitability:

Findings from an International Survey.” Elsevier, 17 July 2014,

ac.els-cdn.com/S0044848614004724/1-s2.0-S0044848614004724-

main.pdf?_tid=b2e2c14-c32-11e6-b2ce-

00000aacb362&acdnat=1481853500_8011984dc9ea4d4feb54cdc7b43ee73a.

“NMSU: Is Aquaponics Right For You?” NMSU: Is Aquaponics Right For You?,

aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/H170/welcome.html.

“What Is Aquaponics - Backyard Aquaponics.” Backyard Aquaponics,

www.backyardaquaponics.com/guide-to-aquaponics/what-is-aquaponics/.