Aquaponics is a closed loop system mimicking nature to grow food
Fish are kept in a tank. The fish waste is cycled to a biofilter with beneficial bacteria that converts the ammonia of the fish waste to nitrates and nitrites. This nutrient rich water is pumped to vegetables, herbs, fruits in aquaponic systems, they take the nutrition from the water, clean and filter it and the water goes back to the fish
Natural systems
of growing food:
In nature, there are lakes in the mountains, these lakes have fresh water from snow peaks around them or rain water refilling them.
The lakes contain fish and other water body creatures that sustain themselves by the food they find in the lakes.
The water from the lakes flows down in streams down the mountains and on the way various species of fish , worms and so on grow in the water.
This water flows down to the plains into rivers and the nutritious waste in the water, lines the river sides , and there agriculture can be done without fertilizers. An example is the rich gangetic plane in India around the rivers, which is a fertile bed of soil to grow crops
The water then flows into the sea, where fish and other species grow.
The sun causes evaporation of water from the seas, clouds form and the winds take them to the mountains, they precipitate into rain and the lakes get filled again. A natural ecosystem, maintaining various living creatures and providing food.
Aquaponics Mimics Nature :
Fish are kept in tanks and are fed, the waste from the fish circulates to a bio filter which has beneficial bacteria that breaks down the waste which is mainly ammonia into nitrates and nitrates, which nutrient rich water is then circulated to plants grown without soil. The plants take the nutrition from the water, clean and aereate the water , which then flows back to the fish tank.
A closed loop natural system growing fish in the tanks and vegetables and fruits in the food growing system in aquaponics.
A pump in aquaponics system pumps the water to the highest point of the system from where it flows back to the fish tank by gravity, so the pump mimics clouds forming and rain refilling the lakes in the mountains.
Aquaponics is an organic natural system of growing food without petroleum derived fertilizers.
We combine Aquaponics with Permaculture, a natural system of growing vegetables, herbs and fruits using natural fertilizers like vermi compost .
The most important lesson in life for children to learn is that food and water is becoming a scarce commodity and that using aquaponics and permaculture , you can grow organic food where you live
We at Aanant Aquaponics have been developing systems to grow food by sustainable agriculture in greenhouses around our home combining aquaponics and permaculture. We have set up aquaponics systems where in fish tanks around our home we grow 120 kg of fish a year.
Water from these tanks circulates to plants grown hydroponically without soil in various systems to grow vegetables , herbs and fruit .
The pots and containers growing vegetables, herbs and fruits in the system are filled with home made vermicompost and cocopeat. The greenhouses around our house grow organic fish : Seabass and Carp, and grow 15,000 plants of vegetables, herbs and fruits for our home and also generate an income by the sale of vegetables from our home.
