Aquaponics-Sustainable Vegetable and Fish Co-Production

Aquaponics combines hydroponic plant and aquaculture fish production into a sustainable agriculture system that uses natural biological cycles (nitrification) to supply nitrogen and reduces the use of non-renewable fertilizer and water inputs. This paper provides a review of existing aquaponic systems with emphasis on opportunities and challenges to systems sustainability. Preliminary data from a startup aquaponic greenhouse research/demonstration project at UF/ IFAS Extension-Orange County's Exploration Gardens show the potential for growing two vegetable crops concurrently to facilitate the recirculation and re-use of aquaponic waste water. In addition, microbial water quality testing of the aquaponic system water was conducted across three sampling dates. No Escherichia coli was detected in either re-circulating irrigation or filter-return water samples or from a single sampling of flake and pellet fish feed.