Aquaponics: Questions and Answers

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1 Aquaponics: Questions and Answers Brian Nerrie and Chris Mullins Virginia tate University

2 Hydroponics Growing plants without soil Usually in a greenhouse Potential for building with grow lights

3 Aquaculture Farming in water In ponds, cages, raceways, indoor tanks, etc. Intensive aquaculture: high food input

4 Aquaponics Combination of intensive aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil)

5 o how does it work? Uneaten food and excreted waste Ammonia directly from gills and waste turned into usable nitrogen form through by bacterial mineralization This ammonia is in a form toxic to fish Water goes back to the fish cleaner Ecosystem sustained: fish, plant, and bacteria olid waste captured by filters and discharged from system Conversion of ammonia to nitrite and then nitrate Plants take up nitrates and other nutrients

6 ystem Requirements Location Fish ource ystem Design Health Post-Harvest Plant eed ource ystems Design Insect and Disease Management Back-up Power Greenhouse Cooler Freezer Material torage Biosecurity Processing

7 Fish Tank Aquaria Wood Tank Fiberglass Drums Polyethylene

8 TOXIC Ammonia Biofilter Nitrosomonas Nitrite Nitrobacter Nitrate PLANT UABLE

9 olids Filter Mechanical Clarifier

10 Pump ump Centrifugal Air Lift

11 Fish/Plant Guidelines Media Bed ystem Example 2 ft 3 pea gravel per 1ft 3 of fish production area Float Bed ystem 7 times plant area than fish production area grams of feed/m 3 of float area/day tock density for fish lbs finished biomass per gallon water

12 MARKET LOCAL MARKET ETHNIC MARKET

13 OURCE of FIH TOCKING Reliable hatcheries Water quality testing Acclimate

14 DENITY One pound of fish per 5-10 gallons of water Upper limit one pound per three gallons Key factor: Feeding Rate recommendations Raft system: g/m 2 /day NFT system: 25% of raft system

15 FEEDING Feed size and quality depend on species Commercially Available Fish Food (28-50% Protein) Floating (for observation) Pellet size (mouth size of fish) Feed Conversion: <2:1 Limit: Provide the amount consumed in 5 min.; Do not overfeed If feed is not consumed, stop feeding There is no UDA certified organic fish

TILAPIA Optimum Temperature: 82-86 o F; (eating slows at 75 F and die at 50 F) Positive characteristics:

16 TILAPIA Optimum Temperature: o F; (eating slows at 75 F and die at 50 F) Positive characteristics: Omnivorous, Palatable, Hardy Temperature: F, 85 F is optimal Dissolved Oxygen: 5-7 ppm (parts per million) ph: 7-7.5

17 Other Fish Rainbow Trout Koi Bluegill Goldfish Catfish *Freshwater hrimp

18 TILAPIA FEEDING Higher protein level for fry Adults do well on 32% crude protein Floating pellet (affnansquaponics.com, Malaysia) tomach with ph <2 Very long intestine Anal opening (Wing-Keong Ng)

19 MONO-EX PRODUCTION Tilapia males grow faster than females ystems for producing all-male populations 1. electing only males from normal populations 2. Hormonal ex-reversal 3. Genetic all-male production

20 RACOCY RULE + Follow feeding rate calculations Raft system: g/m 2 /day NFT system: 25% of raft system Keep feed input constant Water Quality Temperature Dissolved Oxygen (use excess aeration) Ammonia upplement with calcium, potassium and iron Remove solids: 25% of feed ends up as waste Oversize pipe system Control ph Have adequate biofiltration; NFT has less surface area than raft system so NFT needs biofilter Use only one pump at system low point for efficiency and have back up system Be careful with aggregates

21 Harvesting and Handling With care Ice Clean HACCP

22 Greenhouse ingle Gutter Connected Plastic Glass Hard Panel

23 Grow Bed Float NFT Media Bed Bag

24 What crops can be grown? Lettuce Herbs Tomato Pepper Cucumber Cut flowers

25 Lettuce Plant varieties Bibb types - Rex, Ostinata Red Oak leaf, Romaine ubstrate Rockwool Oasis Crop time approximately days seed to harvest, 9 to 11 crops/year

26 What types of systems? Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Float Bed or Raft ystem Ebb and Flood

27 NFT ystem

28 NFT Lettuce

29 Float/Raft

30 Media Bed

31 Tips for Growers Use a feeding rate ratio for design calculations Keep feed input relatively constant upplement with calcium, potassium and iron Use oversize pipes Use biological control Control ph

32 ph Adjust slowly Keep around ph = 5 (for plant, fish and bacteria) ph will drop due to respiration forming carbonic acid- add KOH or CaOH

33 ph Nitrification most efficient at ph >7.5 Nitrification ends at ph <6.0 Nitrification is an acid producing process Monitor daily and add base as needed: CaOH or KOH Nutrient solubility optimum at ph <6.5 Therefore, compromise to ph = 7.0

34 Post-Harvest Lettuce root off-on, clamshell, vacuum cool 32 F Tomato room cooling, 50 F 34

35 Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Key Areas Human sanitation afe produce harvest Managing warm-blooded animal feces Water source Prevention of zoonosis Waste water disposal 35

36 Zoonosis Prevention Human anitation Cover wounds before handling fish or fish system water Wash hands after contact with system water Wear gloves when handling or other personal protective equipment as appropriate Be mindful of what you have touched before harvesting Wash hands with liquid soap, rinse, use potable water, dry with single use paper towels Glove use Wash after every time after using bathroom, eating, smoking, changing diapers, handling fish, touching head (mouth, nose, ear, hair) 36

37 Harvesting Produce afely Keep harvest bins, cutting utensils, producecontact surfaces clean Examples Toilet within 5 minute walk ink with potable water and single use towels Covered trash can Rinse produce in potable water Labeling produce containers with farm name, address, phone number, product name, date, and location of harvest 37

38 Managing Warm-Blooded Animal Feces Keep animals (birds, dogs, rats, sheep, goats, ducks, cattle, pigs, etc.) from you commercial produce area Tanks off the ground will help Remove all contaminated produce and dispose of after harvested product has been removed 38

39 Food afety Modernization Act mall farm exemption - $25,000, compliance dates ramp in Qualified exemption Agriculture Water with covered produce Agriculture water that does not or is not intended to come in contact with harvested portion of produce is not considered agriculture water. Otherwise must meet the applicable water standards for agriculture water. Growth media ubpart F 39

40 Resources ATTRA: Aquaponics: Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture Aquaponics.pdf

41 Thanks Questions?

Aquaponics Basics. Jeni and Doug Blackburn ABC Presentation February 11, 2017

Aquaponics Basics. Jeni and Doug Blackburn ABC Presentation February 11, 2017 Aquaponics Basics Jeni and Doug Blackburn ABC Presentation February 11, 2017 AQUAPONICS Symbiotic relationship between plants and fish http://www.cocoponics.co/hydroponics/what-is-aquaponics/attachment/aquaponics-greenhouse