Why Aquaponics?
Traditional farming needs lots of land and produces large amounts of waste. Fish hatcheries also use lots of space and make lots of waste. Aquaponics uses a smaller amount of space for a pond in which both plants and fish are grown. It is healthier, more efficient, and less work than traditional farming and raising of fish. The best part is that it can all be done in your home!
Large scale aquaponics is already in production in several places in the world, the technology being used for such large scale operations is not of concern to us as it has more or less been fully exploited.
Our mission is to target the one market that has not been taken advantage of yet: personal aquaponics. Aquaponics kits and set units are much too expensive for what they produce, and if we use recycled materials and organize it so that it can be cheap and adjustable to fit each person’s individual needs.
Large scale aquaponics is already in production in several places in the world, the technology being used for such large scale operations is not of concern to us as it has more or less been fully exploited.
Our mission is to target the one market that has not been taken advantage of yet: personal aquaponics. Aquaponics kits and set units are much too expensive for what they produce, and if we use recycled materials and organize it so that it can be cheap and adjustable to fit each person’s individual needs.
Team Aquaponics
QuikSCience 2013
Fish Farms (AKA Aquaculture - raises fish in tanks or enclosures)
Pros:
Not depleting wild fish population
Able to raise large quantities of fish
Less expensive
Cons:
Many harmful products are discharged into the environment
Non-native fish species can escape enclosures
Excess wastes (fertilizers) discharged into waterways can cause eutrophication and harmful algal blooms
Higher infection rates / disease than in the wild due to high density of fish
Pathogens from the farms infect the surrounding environment
Pharmaceuticals to manage problems: antibiotics, hormones can leach into waterways
Water must be discharged; therefore more water is used
Pros:
Not depleting wild fish population
Able to raise large quantities of fish
Less expensive
Cons:
Many harmful products are discharged into the environment
Non-native fish species can escape enclosures
Excess wastes (fertilizers) discharged into waterways can cause eutrophication and harmful algal blooms
Higher infection rates / disease than in the wild due to high density of fish
Pathogens from the farms infect the surrounding environment
Pharmaceuticals to manage problems: antibiotics, hormones can leach into waterways
Water must be discharged; therefore more water is used
Aquaponics
Pros:
Sustainable; These systems mimic nature and cycle all nutrients and waste products.
An enclosed system prevents the contamination to the environment frequently experienced with fish farms.
Non-native fish species can’t escape from the tanks.
Additional fertilizers are not needed to grow plants.
Additional filtration system is not needed to remove fertilizers.
More disease in the farm infects fish, which is also released into the environment.
Pharmaceuticals to manage problems: antibiotics, hormones can't leach into waterways.
Water is recycled through the system, so less water is used.
Cons:
More expensive
More individual parts to the system
Pros:
Sustainable; These systems mimic nature and cycle all nutrients and waste products.
An enclosed system prevents the contamination to the environment frequently experienced with fish farms.
Non-native fish species can’t escape from the tanks.
Additional fertilizers are not needed to grow plants.
Additional filtration system is not needed to remove fertilizers.
More disease in the farm infects fish, which is also released into the environment.
Pharmaceuticals to manage problems: antibiotics, hormones can't leach into waterways.
Water is recycled through the system, so less water is used.
Cons:
More expensive
More individual parts to the system
Pro's and Con's of Aquaponics VS Fish Farms
