Systems
Fish, Plants, Nitrosomonas
Aquaponics is fish, plants, and bacteria working in tandem to grow plants and fish for consumption. Fish and plants have different needs at different stages of maturity, maintaining a balance of nutrient load and plant mass is essential to growth. This provides a continuous supply of plants and fish, and ensures that the nutrient supply and the plants are kept in a healthy balance.
The fish are selected for the best balance of nutrition, hardiness, and marketability for the given community. The fish have a relatively slow turnover rate, with an average gestation period of 9-12 months. Their primary purpose is to provide the fuel for the bacteria in the ecosystem.
The harvestable plants are the most valuable output due to their accelerated growth rate. When selecting produce, a balance is struck between optimizing the space available and growing times.
The bacteria needs a place to grow, typically a lava rock or a commercially manufactured plastic medium with high surface area. The bacteria, Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter, can be seeded into the system or allowed to occur naturally with time. The bacteria’s job is to convert the ammonia from the fish waste to nitrates for the plants
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Fish:
The fish are selected for the best balance of nutrition, hardiness, and marketability for the given community. The fish have a relatively slow turnover rate, with an average gestation period of 9-12 months. Their primary purpose is to provide the fuel for the bacteria in the ecosystem.
Bacteria:
The bacteria needs a place to grow, typically a lava rock or a commercially manufactured plastic medium with high surface area. The bacteria, Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter, can be seeded into the system or allowed to occur naturally with time. The bacteria’s job is to convert the ammonia from the fish waste to nitrates for the plants
Plants:
The harvestable plants are the most valuable output due to their accelerated growth rate. When selecting produce, a balance is struck between optimizing the space available and growing times.