Is aquaponic farming truly viable on a commercial scale?

[crsublette]

Yeah, unfortunate how folk instantly think of "marijuana" whenever the word "hydroponic" comes up. Although, in the states where it is legal here in US of A, the price tag per pound of marijuana being bought is crazy high! Last I heard something like $1,800 per pound back in 2011. This would definitely make aquaponics much more commercially viable.

 

[MitchM]

...
Anyways... I need to get back to updating this thread since there is much more to share in regards to minerlisation, better bell siphons, better grow bed constructions, clever ways to insulate a greenhouse, and much more!

Looking forward to your updates, Charles.
I'm having challenges with my system at the moment.

 

[crsublette]

Sure feels like forever since I have been back to this forum... Been very busy with the farm along with all sorts of studying... Any-who... Thought I would do a quick update.

Everything is back to normal for Mr. Van der Werf and the Earthan Group... His calculators, website, and articles are back!! AND... His incredibly inspirational videos are back!

However, now he has a specific website just for the hobbyist crowd called Earthan Edge. The other website, Earthan Group, is still there, but there are bigger plans for it.

Funny reading this thread now after I have learned so much since it was first created.... At least... an interesting primer for folk whom want to be interested in increasing their pond's functional and sustainable diversity to include edible garden plants... Just keep in mind to stop using carcinogenic pond products, by paying attention to the label, if desire to grow edible food from the pond...

One vital aspect to being successful with growing more complex blooming and fruiting edible, such as tomatoes, is to capture as much fish waste as possible from your mechanical filtration and dump it into a mineralization tank... A mineralization tank is simply just a tank with a powerful aerator inside it... This huge influx of oxygen and mincing up of waste actually allows microbrial life to thrive so to mineralize the fish waste. Mineralization is the process of reducing complex organics into more plant soluble products. There is much more to it... can get very complex... but... also mineralization, just like nitrification, happens just fine on its own without tinkering, except at a much slower rate when done directly in the grow bed. I don't want to get too much more into it, but that is the general jest of mineralization and is important to be done...

Mineralization is basically just liquid composting of fish waste. Here is a facebook post of Mr. Van der Werf showing how easy it is done. Just don't be shy with the aeration and don't worry about the aeration harming the microbes (because it doesn't)... If unsure, always over-do the aeration.

Here are some articles that might help... Just keep in mind... when he says "fish tank", think "pond"....

7 Great Tips to Start Your Home Aquaponic System

Organic Solids - 12 Nuggets You Need to know


Now... for the more advanced enthusiast... Then look into creating using a "flow through" system for the pond... The pond is the "source of origin", which only receives fresh water (not plant water), and the flow through is what feeds the edible garden. Unbelievable how much water an edible garden consumes and, if the garden is built large enough, then the garden can easily fix all of your phosphate, nitrate, and other nutrient problems that leads to those aggravating pond algae outbreaks.

To understand this system a bit better... Then study Mr. Van der Werf's UAE project design flow diagram. This design also gives so much more flexibility as to how the garden system can be managed.

Biological Integration - A Revolutionary Approach to Design

Simply substitute "pond" for "integrated aqua farm".



To begin... Simply start growing heavy nitrate feeders (that is annual-type vegetables), such as various leafy greens and particular herbs that do not require significant iron supplementation.... These plants will soak up your Nitrates and Phosphates incredibly well, they grow quite fast, and you get benefit of their nutrition.

 

[crsublette]

Looking forward to your updates, Charles.
I'm having challenges with my system at the moment.

Definitely will do... Ugh, for one reason or another and then its another, this renovation is taking me forever to do... At first, I thought I had all the free time in the world to do this... and then I am told otherwise... Grrr... But... it will be done!!.

 

[crsublette]

Also... now due to the new URL for the new website... Here are the articles I have mentioned before... Grrr... annoying to have to do this... Hopefully, everything is back to normal now.

Earthan Beds - How they go together

Plumbing an Earthan Bed

Biofilter Sizing Calculator

The Magical 100 Fish in 1000 Litres

Be sure to check out the rest of his articles... Some of his articles are quite brief, only give a general idea without much detail, but still provides valuable guidance.

 

[crsublette]

Here is the above garden one year later...

Keep in mind folks... This above garden is essentially making the "ponds" attached to be self sustaining... except for the fish food part of course...

• No pH adjustments needed for the fish....
• No algae concerns... even though the "pond" water is very poorly shaded...
  
• No water chemistry adjustments nor concerns...
  
• Very little fertilizer to the garden if the soil profile is built correctly and these nutrients do not return to the pond water....
  
• You can easily fertilize the soil garden portion on top or spray neem oil on top of the soil garden portion without worrying about it getting into the water hurting the fish.

Now, this garden is being supported by around about 112 fish...

So... there are applications of when a mineralization tank is not necessary... However, over time, I believe there were comments made hinting that a mineralization tank might have helped.


For filtration... The design goes like this....

• Fish tank to...
• Raft system to...
• Gravel/hydroton system to...
• Soil wicking bed to...
• Moving K1 bio-filter (or could be any other type of bio-filter) to...
• Sump tank to...
• Fish tank... to... etc etc.

Raft system is aerated (acts like a crude mineralizer) and acts as a settlement chamber where the heavy fish waste reside...

Gravel/hydroton system acts as a polisher where the finer, suspended solids are trapped....

Soil wicking bed removes any remaining nitrates....

Bio-filter converts any potentially existing ammonia within the water before the water goes to the fish tank...

Sump tank significantly aerates the water before the water returns to the fish tank....


Quite simple... Just takes some effort to build...

 

[crsublette]

Important to note that there are many asterisks (such as controlled/managed feedings) as to why a system, like the one above, maintains a stable pH without any maintenance nor additional material. This is not the only system that proves such benefits.

Personally, I would do the design slightly different than above, but it is just an example.

 

[crsublette]

For an easy, traditional, no filtration, single loop system that provides most of the same benefits above as Mr. Van der Werf's Basin View system, then checkout the McMurtry's iAVS. ( Integrated Aquaculture-Vegetable System )

Dr. McMurtry is considered to be the grandfather, or creator, of traditional single loop, "ebb & flow" aquaponics.

At North Carolina State University, back in the early 1980s, Dr. McMurtry created and began his work with the iAVS as a student to a professor, D.C. Sanders, whom significantly dwelved into hydroponics irrigation of sand grow beds. Dr. McMurtry wanted to adapt the professor's knowledge to incorporate a fish system, which the fish system (rather than hydroponics) provided the nutrients for the plants.

The iAVS system was actually developed to be a low tech, "off the grid" system for third world countries where there is minimal access to electricity (primarily solar) and summer heat temperatures are quite extreme. The iAVS system has undergone university and doctoral trials over a short period of time. The USDA in the 1990s actually funded a small project to try to prove the commercial feasibility. The references are provided at the very bottom of this post.

Again... remember, just substitute "aquaculture" and "fish system" with "pond".


The iAVS is a pump fed, with gravity flow return, system primarily utilizing sand as mechanical filtration, mineralization, biological filtration, and oxygenation. To help explain the design flow....

• Dirty solid waste water is pump fed to the top on a timer that can be anything such as, 15 minutes pump is on and 1~2 hours pump is off...
• Solid waste is trapped near the surface where algae grows...
• Algae acts as the primary decomposing mineralizing actor and nutrient storage until the plants get larger...
• As water percolates through the sand, then the sand's surface area performs the proper duties of nitrification...
• As water drains through the sand, then fresh oxygen is pulled into the sand also oxygenating the water.... This is why the pump is only turned on for 15 minutes and turned off for 1~2 hours...

For a hobbyists implementation of the iAVS, then check out: Ravnis' Sand Bed #1.


To understand more about the exact specifications to build the iAVS with clarification from Dr. McMurtry, then check out the threads: 1) Sand Bed Details; 2) Raft vs Flood/Drain.


Here are the references, published articles, and resources involving the iAVS.

• Water Quality Maintenance and Mineral Assimilation by Plants Influence Growth of Hybrid Tilapia in Culture with Vegetable Crops
• Yield of Tomato Irrigated with Recirculating Aquaculture Water
• Mineral Content and Yield of Bush Bean, Cucumber and Tomato Cultivated in Sand and Irrigated with Recirculating Aquaculture Water
• Sand Culture of Vegetables Using Recirculated Aquaculture Effluents
• Food Value, Water Use Efficiency and Economic Productivity of Integrated Aquaculture-Olericulture System as Influenced by Tank to Biofilter Ratio
• IAVS Folio Reprints from Inside Dr. Mark R. McMurtry's Research Greenhouse
• Aquaculture in Greenhouses: Fish and Vegetables Grow Together
• Fish Increase Greenhouse Profits

Quick heads up so to avoid confusion... When iAVS is the subject... the word "biofilter" refers to the sand grow bed... Often times, when the iAVS is the subject, the words "biofilter" and "sand grow bed" is used interchangeably.

 

[crsublette]

Personally, if my desire was to do a single loop system with my pond and you can obtain the sand, then I would do the iAVS rather than grow medium involving gravel or hydroton.

For folk that want attach a gravel or hydroton grow bed system to your pond, then check out Dr. Lennard's calculator...

Backyard/Hobby System Aquaponic Domestic System Design Tool

Dr. Lennard has become quite involved, alongside with Dr. Rakocy, in helping to improve the hobby of aquaponics... To learn more about these two, then check out the The Aquaponic's Doctors' Story.

This calculator might also help in other areas when you are trying to decide on how to plan a vegetable grow system to attach to your pond.

 

[crsublette]

For folk whom want to use a siphon device to drive the ebb & flow mechanics, then check out the Bernoulli Bell Siphon. This is really the best bell siphon construction I have come across and the involvement of using the Bernoulli effect, which is used in fluid dynamics engineering, is what really makes the device perform quite well

 

[crsublette]

Unfortunately, tough to find diverse information in one concise area since everyone seems to have their own agenda...

There is just so much more information out there I can share... but...

I think the information I have shared helps to explain the fundamentals and the immense potential there is for our ponds...


And... Hopefully, I have helped motivate some folk's imagination on what can be done with their ponds...

If anyone has any questions... I'll do my best to answer them...


Water is a valuable resource and water changes is a necessity of proper pond husbandry... So... put that discharged water to good use... such as a vegetable garden...


I will leave ya'll to it...

 

[crsublette]

Here are the references, published articles, and resources involving the iAVS.

• Water Quality Maintenance and Mineral Assimilation by Plants Influence Growth of Hybrid Tilapia in Culture with Vegetable Crops
• Yield of Tomato Irrigated with Recirculating Aquaculture Water
• Mineral Content and Yield of Bush Bean, Cucumber and Tomato Cultivated in Sand and Irrigated with Recirculating Aquaculture Water
• Sand Culture of Vegetables Using Recirculated Aquaculture Effluents
• Food Value, Water Use Efficiency and Economic Productivity of Integrated Aquaculture-Olericulture System as Influenced by Tank to Biofilter Ratio
• IAVS Folio Reprints from Inside Dr. Mark R. McMurtry's Research Greenhouse
• Aquaculture in Greenhouses: Fish and Vegetables Grow Together
• Fish Increase Greenhouse Profits

Quick heads up so to avoid confusion... When iAVS is the subject... the word "biofilter" refers to the sand grow bed... Often times, when the iAVS is the subject, the words "biofilter" and "sand grow bed" is used interchangeably.

Better yet... Just checkout the just released official website....
http://iavs.info/
iAVs - Integrated Aqua-Vegeculture System

There is also more information on the iAVS website that I did not previously reference. Good stuff.

 

[crsublette]

Earthan Edge is now going to progress far beyond what has ever been done before within aquaponics... that is.... Unfettered access to an individual who has actually been, for over a decade, and continuing to be an extensively involved industry engineer within the aquaponic sector, which requires significant knowledge surrounding both the horticulture and aquaculture industry... The individual I speak of is Mr. Van der Werf.

In the past, Mr. Van der Werf has had to restrict himself as to the information he could share since his knowledge and experience is the reason why very high level capital investors, such as the owners of the UAE project, and other very major operations hire Mr. Van der Werf as their primary engineer. Just as a lawyer or medical doctor would not give you free advice, Mr. Van der Werf has had to be careful exactly how much he could publicly share, free of cost. Not anymore!

Far too often, especially within aquaponics, there are many academics, non-profit organizations, small business "flashes in the pan", and armchair forum generals whom are quick to give their expertise on commercial applications where they have near zero, or just a few years at best, of extensive and proven commercial expertise within what is taught.

Now, to unshackle Mr. Van der Werf beyond the limited advice he could share, Earthan Edge has become a premium subscription service for only $12 per month for the first year and subsequent years is only $8 per month. Of course, Mr. Van der Werf will still keep some secrets, but this additional protection on intellectual property rights and compensation will allow Mr. Van der Werf to be more of an open book on, from a proven industrial engineer's perspective, how to get the most out of your aquaponic systems without paying an arm and a leg for a $999.99 "training" course.

For you hippies out there that think all information should be FREE.... Just look at it this way.... first year is only $12 per month FROM FREE and then, each year after, only $8 per month FROM FREE.

Guess what also cost me $8 this morning... Two breakfast biscuits from McDonalds with a large specialty coffee and taters... So... for only 1 day, just give up this fancy breakfast for something much more valuable, that is a subscription to Earthan Edge.

Mr. Van der Werf, an actual proven industry engineer, will also be more open to help individuals looking for commercial consultations on how to properly build operations and marketing. However, his advice will not be restricted to those whom wish to sell their produce.

Whether you are a backyard hobbyist or a budding entrepreneur, everyone will benefit from learning how to get the most out of building and operating their aquaponic system. Keep in mind his advice can also apply to goldfish ponds as well that desire to connect a vegetable garden.

Get ready for an exciting ride.

 

[crsublette]

Here is a 54 minute PodCast (Febrary 22,2015), Aquaponics from Down Under, by an outfit that does a once a week radio show, called WeGrowOurs. The podcast is quite informative involving aquaponics. Also, an interesting writeup about Mr. Van der Werf's background.

Enjoy!

 

[Dave 54]

in the future they are going to have to figure something out as the population explodes .We don't have enough food now but they keep having babies .Last time hubby was in the emergency room there was a girl in there 24 years old with 7 kids and pregnant again .Welfare momma .The kids were wild and causing nothing but head aches for the hospital staff .I would not have had the patience the staff had .I was glad I was not out in the waiting room for long .But sure did hear lots of people complaining in the back .2 am and she is there because she has an upset stomach .That's what free health care pays for in the U.S..If this keeps up where will we get food from that can be grown fast and at higher yields and extends the growing season

That's what free health care pays for in the U.S.. oh dear whats the problem with it , Sissy the concept of free health care works well in the UK
Its free at the point of entry to the hospital its called the National Health Service, one does not have to be on welfare to get health care in the UK even you if you visited the UK would find it free at the point of entry.
Free health care is something that your country time and again fails to grasp, it has its faultsm just like your own.
Tell me Sissy what do you do if your medical insurance doesnt cover your treatment which is something that sometimes happens ?
I believe thats what President Obma wanted to bring to you in the US but was forced by congress to water it down, namely by the republicans

Dave