Aquaponics Food Production Systems: Aquaculture and Hydroponic Methods

The farming of fish, algae, crustaceans and mollusks is known as aquaculture or aquafarming. It involves the cultivation of saltwater and freshwater populations in a controlled environment. Hydroponics involves growing plants without soil, using only mineral nutrient solutions in an aqueous solvent. Aquaponics is a food production system which combines the principles of both aquaculture and hydroponics. The nutrient rich aquaculture water is fed to the hydroponically grown plant. The process also comprises nitrifying bacteria for the conversion of ammonia into nitrates. Components of an aquaponics system include a rearing tank, settling basin, biofilter, hydroponic subsystem and a sump. Aquaponics systems are being extensively used around the world as they allow to raise fish and grow vegetables simultaneously. This book traces the progress of this field and highlights some of its key concepts and applications. There has been rapid progress in this field and its applications are finding their way across multiple industries. This book is a vital tool for all researching and studying this field.