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Aquaponics—Integration of
                                         Hydroponics with Aquaculture
   A Publication of ATTRA—National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service • 1-800-346-9140 • www.attra.ncat.org

By Steve Diver                           Aquaponics is a bio-integrated system that links recirculating aquaculture with hydroponic
NCAT Agriculture                         vegetable, flower, and/or herb production. Recent advances by researchers and growers alike
Specialist                               have turned aquaponics into a working model of sustainable food production. This publication
Published 2006                           provides an introduction to aquaponics with brief profiles of working units around the country.
Updated by                               An extensive list of resources points the reader to print and Web-based educational materials for
Lee Rinehart, NCAT                       further technical assistance.
Agriculture Specialist
© 2010 NCAT

                                         Introduction
Contents

                                         A
                                                 quaponics, also known as the integra-
Introduction ..................... 1             tion of hydroponics with aquaculture,
Aquaponics:                                      is gaining increased attention as a
Key Elements and                         bio-integrated food production system.
Considerations ............... 2
Aquaponic Systems ...... 3               Aquaponics serves as a model of sustain-
Organic                                  able food production by fol low ing
Aquaculture .................. 11        certain principles:
Evaluating
an Aquaponic                                  • The waste products of one biological
Enterprise ........................ 12            system serve as nutrients for a second    Aquaponic vegetable bed in Australia.
                                                                                            Photo by Joel Malcolm, Backyard Aquaponics.
References ...................... 13              biological system.                        www.backyardaquaponics.com
Resources ....................... 13          • The integration of fish and plants
Appendix I:                                       results in a polyculture that increases   into the fish tanks. The nitrifying bacteria
Bibliography                                      diversity and yields multiple products.
on Aquaponics ............. 20
                                                                                            living in the gravel and in association with
Appendix II:                                  • Water is re-used through biological         the plant roots play a critical role in nutrient
Dissertations ................. 25                filtration and recirculation.              cycling; without these microorganisms the
                                                                                            whole system would stop functioning.
                                              • Local food production provides
                                                  access to healthy foods and enhances      Greenhouse growers and farmers are taking
                                                  the local economy.                        note of aquaponics for several reasons:
                                         In aquaponics, nutrient-rich effluent from                • Hydroponic growers view fish-
                                         fish tanks is used to fertigate hydroponic                 manured irrigation water as a source
                                         production beds. Th is is good for the fish                of organic fertilizer that enables
                                         because plant roots and rhizobacteria remove              plants to grow well.
                                         nutrients from the water. These nutrients
ATTRA—National Sustainable                                                                       • Fish farmers view hydroponics as
Agriculture Information Service          – generated from fish manure, algae, and
(www.attra.ncat.org) is managed
                                         decomposing fish feed – are contaminants                   a biofi ltration method to facilitate
by the National Center for Appro-
priate Technology (NCAT) and is          that would otherwise build up to toxic levels             intensive recirculating aquaculture.
funded under a grant from the                                                                    • Greenhouse growers view aquapon-
United States Department of
                                         in the fish tanks, but instead serve as liquid
Agriculture’s Rural Business-            fertilizer to hydroponically grown plants.                ics as a way to introduce organic
Cooperative Service. Visit the
NCAT website (www.ncat.org/
                                         In turn, the hydroponic beds function as a                hydroponic produce into the market-
sarc_current.php) for                    biofilter – stripping off ammonia, nitrates,                place, since the only fertility input is
more information on
our sustainable agri-
                                         nitrites, and phosphorus – so the freshly                 fish feed and all of the nutrients pass
culture projects.                        cleansed water can then be recirculated back              through a biological process.
• Food-producing greenhouses – yield-        all of the nutrients supplied to the crop are
                                   ing two products from one produc-         dissolved in water. Liquid hydroponic sys-
                                   tion unit – are naturally appealing for   tems employ the nutrient film technique
                                   niche marketing and green labeling.       (NFT), f loating rafts, and noncirculat-
                                • Aquaponics can enable the produc-          ing water culture. Aggregate hydroponic
                                   tion of fresh vegetables and fish pro-     systems employ inert, organic, and mixed
                                   tein in arid regions and on water-        media contained in bag, trough, trench,
                                   limited farms, since it is a water        pipe, or bench setups. Aggregate media used
                                   re-use system.                            in these systems include perlite, vermiculite,
                                                                             gravel, sand, expanded clay, peat, and saw-
Related ATTRA                   • Aquaponics is a working model of           dust. Normally, hydroponic plants are ferti-
Publications                       sustainable food production wherein       gated (soluble fertilizers injected into irriga-
Aquaculture Enterprises:
                                   plant and animal agriculture are          tion water) on a periodical cycle to maintain
Considerations and                 integrated and recycling of nutrients     moist roots and provide a constant supply
Strategies                         and water filtration are linked.           of nutrients. These hydroponic nutrients are
Agricultural Business           • In addition to commercial applica-         usually derived from synthetic commercial
Planning Templates                 tion, aquaponics has become a popular     fertilizers, such as calcium nitrate, that are
and Resources                      training aid on integrated bio-systems    highly soluble in water. However, hydro-
                                   with vocational agriculture programs      organics – based on soluble organic fertiliz-
                                   and high school biology classes.          ers such as fish hydrosylate – is an emerg-
                           The technology associated with aquaponics is      ing practice. Hydroponic recipes are based
                           complex. It requires the ability to simultane-    on chemical formulations that deliver precise
                           ously manage the production and marketing         concentrations of mineral elements. The con-
                           of two different agricultural products. Until      trolled delivery of nutrients, water, and envi-
                           the 1980s, most attempts at integrated hydro-     ronmental modifications under greenhouse
                           ponics and aquaculture had limited success.       conditions is a major reason why hydropon-
                           However, innovations since the 1980s have         ics is so successful.
                           transformed aquaponics technology into a          Nutrients in Aquaculture Effluent: Green-
                           viable system of food production. Modern          house growers normally control the delivery
                           aquaponic systems can be highly successful,       of precise quantities of mineral elements to
                           but they require intensive management and         hydroponic plants. However, in aquapon-
                           they have special considerations.                 ics, nutrients are delivered via aquacultural
                           This publication provides an introduction         effluent. Fish effluent contains sufficient lev-
                           to aquaponics, it profi les successful aqua-       els of ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, phosphorus,
                           ponic greenhouses, and it provides extensive      potassium, and other secondary and micro-
                           resources. It does not attempt to describe        nutrients to produce hydroponic plants. Nat-
                           production methods in comprehensive tech-         urally, some plant species are better adapted
                           nical detail, but it does provide a summary       to this system than others. The technical
                           of key elements and considerations.               literature on aquaponics provides greater
                                                                             detail on hydroponic nutrient delivery; espe-
                                                                             cially see papers cited in the Bibliography by
                           Aquaponics: Key Elements                          James Rakocy, Ph.D.
                           and Considerations                                Plants Adapted to Aquaponics: The selec-
                           A successful aquaponics enterprise requires       tion of plant species adapted to hydroponic
                           special training, skills, and management.         culture in aquaponic greenhouses is related
                           The following items point to key elements         to stocking density of fish tanks and subse-
                           and considerations to help prospective grow-      quent nutrient concentration of aquacultural
                           ers evaluate the integration of hydroponics       effluent. Lettuce, herbs, and specialty greens
                           with aquaculture.                                 (spinach, chives, basil, and watercress) have
                           Hydroponics: Hydroponics is the produc-           low to medium nutritional requirements
                           tion of plants in a soilless medium whereby       and are well adapted to aquaponic systems.

Page 2        ATTRA                                           Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
Plants yielding fruit (tomatoes, bell peppers,   nitrifying bacteria involved in nutrient con-
and cucumbers) have a higher nutritional         versions. The design manuals and technical
demand and perform better in a heavily           documentation available in the Resources
stocked, well established aquaponic system.      section can help growers decide which sys-
Greenhouse varieties of tomatoes are better      tem is most appropriate.
adapted to low light, high humidity condi-
                                                 Component Ratio: Matching the volume
tions in greenhouses than field varieties.
                                                 of fish tank water to volume of hydroponic
Fish Species: Several warm-water and cold-       media is known as component ratio. Early
water fish species are adapted to recirculat-     aquaponics systems were based on a ratio
ing aquaculture systems, including tilapia,      of 1:1, but 1:2 is now common and tank:
trout, perch, Arctic char, and bass. How-        bed ratios as high as 1:4 are employed. The
ever, most commercial aquaponic systems in       variation in range depends on type of hydro-
North America are based on tilapia. Tilapia      ponic system (gravel vs. raft), fish species,
is a warm-water species that grows well in       fish density, feeding rate, plant species, etc.
a recirculating tank culture. Furthermore,       For example, the Speraneo system described
tilapia is tolerant of fluctuating water condi-   below is designed for one cubic foot of water
tions such as pH, temperature, oxygen, and       to two cubic feet of grow bed media (pea


                                                                                                  T
                                                                                                           ilapia is a
dissolved solids. Tilapia produces a white-      gravel). Further, when shallow bed systems
                                                                                                           warm-water
fleshed meat suitable to local and wholesale      only three inches in depth are employed for
markets. The literature on tilapia contains      the production of specialty greens such as                species that
extensive technical documentation and cul-       lettuce and basil, the square footage of grow    grows well in a
tural procedures. Barramundi and Murray          space will increase four times. Depending on     recirculating tank
cod fish species are raised in recirculating      the system design, the component ratio can       culture.
aquaponic systems in Australia.                  favor greater outputs of either hydroponic
                                                 produce or fish protein. A “node” is a con-
Water Quality Characteristics: Fish raised       figuration that links one fish tank to a cer-
in recirculating tank culture require good       tain number of hydroponic beds. Thus, one
water quality conditions. Water quality test-    greenhouse may contain a multiple number
ing kits from aquacultural supply compa-         of fish tanks and associated growing beds,
nies are fundamental. Critical water quality     each arranged in a separate node.
parameters include dissolved oxygen, carbon
dioxide, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, pH, chlo-
rine, and other characteristics. The stocking    Aquaponic Systems
density of fish, growth rate of fish, feeding      Profiles of several aquaponic greenhouses are
rate and volume, and related environmental       highlighted below as models of commercially
fluctuations can elicit rapid changes in water    viable systems. Most of these operations are
quality; constant and vigilant water quality     featured in magazine articles and conference
monitoring is essential.                         proceedings. Some operations offer techni-
                                                 cal assistance through short courses, design
Biofiltration and Suspended Solids: Aqua-         manuals, and on-site tours. Please refer to
culture effluent contains nutrients, dissolved     articles in the Resources section, and the
solids, and waste byproducts. Some aquaponic     Bibliography, for in-depth descriptions and
systems are designed with intermediate filters    technical details.
and cartridges to collect suspended solids in
fish effluent, and to facilitate conversion of
ammonia and other waste products to forms
                                                 The North Carolina State
more available to plants prior to delivery to    University System
hydroponic vegetable beds. Other systems         Water consumption in an integrated aqua-
deliver fish effluent directly to gravel-cultured   vegeculture system amounts to 1 percent
hydroponic vegetable beds. The gravel func-      of that required in pond culture to pro-
tions as a “fluidized bed bioreactor,” remov-     duce equivalent tilapia yields. In the 1980s
ing dissolved solids and providing habitat for   Mark McMurtry (former graduate student)
www.attra.ncat.org                                                                                ATTRA        Page 3
and the late Doug Sanders (professor) at                 with benefits to both nitrifying
                       North Carolina State University developed                bacteria and plant roots.
                       an aqua-vegeculture system based on tilapia           • Dissolved and suspended organic
                       fish tanks sunk below the greenhouse floor.                materials accumulate rapidly in aqua-
                       Effluent from the fish tanks was trickle-irri-              culture systems and must be removed
                       gated onto sand-cultured hydroponic vege-                for efficient fish production.
                       table beds located at ground level. The nutri-
                       ents in the irrigation water fed tomato and           • Previous integrated fish-vegetable
                       cucumber crops, and the sand beds and                    systems removed suspended solids
                       plant roots functioned as a biofi lter. After             from the water by sedimentation in
                       draining from the beds, the water recircu-               clarifiers prior to plant application.
                       lated back into the fish tanks. The only fer-             Removal of the solid wastes resulted
                       tility input to the system was fish feed (32              in insufficient residual nutrients for
                       percent protein).                                        good plant growth; acceptable fruit
                                                                                yields had previously only been
                       Some f i nd ing s a nd h ig h l ig ht s of               achieved with substantial supple-
                       McMurtry’s research:                                     mentation of plant nutrients.



B
         iofilters          • Benefits of integrating aquaculture              • Aqueous nitrate concentrations in
         (sand beds          and vegetable production are:                      recirculating aquaculture can be
         with                  1. conservation of water resources               adequately regulated when fish and
                                                                                vegetable production are linked via
vegetables) that are              and plant nutrients
                                                                                reciprocating biofilters.
alternately flooded             2. intensive production of fish protein        • Tomatoes may have also assimi-
and drained with                                                                lated nitrogen in organic amino acid
                               3. reduced operating costs relative to
nutrient-laden                    either system in isolation.                   forms. In 1950 Gosh and Burris
fish tank water are                                                              (Utilization of Nitrogenous Com-
                           • Water consumption in an integrated                 pounds by Plants. Soil Science. Vol.
called reciprocating
                             aqua-vegeculture system amounts                    70: 187-203) found that tomatoes
biofilters.                   to 1 percent of that required in                   utilize alanine, glutamic acid, his-
                             pond culture to produce equivalent                 tidine, and leucine as effectively as
                             tilapia yields.                                    inorganic nitrogen sources.
                           • Such low-water-use symbiotic                    • Research to determine the optimum
                             systems are applicable to the needs                ratio of fish tank to biofilter volume
                             of arid or semi-arid regions where                 on fish growth rate and water quality
                             fish and fresh vegetables are in                   found that stocking density of fish
                             high demand.                                       and plants can vary depending on
                           • Organic vine-ripened, pesticide-free               desired goal. The component ratios
                             produce and “fresh-daily” fish can                 of the system may be manipulated
                             bring premium prices, particularly                 to favor fish or vegetable production
                             during winter months in urban areas.               according to local market trends or
                           • Biofilters (sand beds with vegetables)              dietary needs. Fish stocking den-
                             that are alternately flooded and drained            sity and feeding rates are adjusted to
                             with nutrient-laden fish tank water are             optimize water quality as influenced
                             called reciprocating biofilters.                    by plant growth rate.
                           • Reciprocating biofilters provide           See the Bibliography on Aquaponics in the
                             uniform distribution of nutrient-          appendix for a of list articles that resulted
                             laden water within the filtration          from the North Carolina research.
                             medium during the flood cycle, and          Aqua-vegeculture research at NCSU has
                             improved aeration from atmospheric         been discontinued because the technology
                             exchange during each dewatering            had evolved to the point where it is ready

Page 4      ATTRA                                        Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
for grower application. The Department of        methods were designed by Tom and Paula to
Horticulture and the Cooperative Exten-          match their system.
sion Service at NCSU provide technical
                                                 For years, Purina® fish chow at 40 percent
assistance to aquaponic greenhouse growers
                                                 protein was the primary fertility input, sup-
in North Carolina.
                                                 plemented with tank-cultured algae. Tilapia
                                                 in the Speraneo system are raised for 7 to 12
The Speraneo System                              months, then harvested at one to one-and-a-
In the early 1990s, Tom and Paula Speraneo       half pounds in size. Later, Tom started adding
– owners of S & S Aqua Farm near West            small amounts of Planters 2® rock dust on top
Plains, Missouri – modified the North Car-        of the gravel as a trace element supplement.
olina State method by raising tilapia in a       S & S Aqua Farm has grown fresh basil,
500-gallon tank, with fish effluent linked          tomatoes, cucumbers, mixed salad greens,
to gravel-cultured hydroponic vegetable          and an assortment of vegetable, herb, and
beds inside an attached solar greenhouse.        ornamental bedding plants in the aquaponic
Later, they expanded to a full-size commer-      greenhouse. In the early 1990s, Tom and
cial greenhouse. The Speraneo system was         Paula were raising and selling basil for $12
practical, productive, and wildly successful.    a pound to gourmet restaurants about four
It became the model for dozens of commer-        hours away in St. Louis, Missouri. Following
cial aquaponic greenhouses and high school       passage of the North American Free Trade
biology programs.                                Agreement (NAFTA), however, Mexican
Sadly, Tom Speraneo died in February 2004.       imports of basil resulted in a market crash
Tom was a true pioneer in aquaponics, and        to $4 per pound, so they dropped the St.
he was unfailingly generous and helpful to       Louis market. S & S Aqua Farm now grows a
others. Paula Speraneo and her family con-       diverse variety of vegetable and herbs, selling
tinue to run the greenhouse and actively         locally at a farmers market combined with
participate in aquaponics technology trans-      direct sales out of their greenhouse.
fer. The following notes describe the Spera-     Tom once calculated the farm produces 45
neo system and available resources.              to 70 pounds of produce for every pound of
The commercial-scale solar greenhouse at         tilapia, an impressive yield. However, Paula
S & S Aqua Farm is 50 feet by 80 feet, ori-      explained this figure takes into account the
ented East-West to create a south-facing         cumulative yields of multiple vegetable crops
slope. It contains six 1,200 gallon fish tanks.   raised during the 7- to 12-month time period
Each tank is linked to six one-foot-deep         required to raise fish to harvest.
hydroponic beds filled with river gravel. Tom     The component ratio favors vegetables over
referred to each tank-plus-hydroponic bed        fish yields in the Speraneo system.
setup as a “node.” This way, each node can
operate independently of one another.            Interest in the Speraneo system resulted in
                                                 more than 10,000 visitors to the small farm
Some aspects of the Speraneo system were         in Missouri, including school children, farm-
modeled after the aquaponics research at         ers, researchers, and government officials. To
North Carolina State University, while oth-      handle requests for assistance, the Speraneos
ers are modified. The Speraneos employ           compiled a resource packet and design man-
hydroponic vegetable beds as “fluidized bed       ual with technical specifications to establish
reactors,” but they use pea-grade river gravel   an S & S Aqua Farm-style aquaponic system.
instead of sand. Tilapia are raised in fish       The resource packet includes a 10-minute
tanks, but the tanks are more conveniently       video and a list of supplies. Response from
located above ground and tilapia hybrids         growers to a practical design manual such as
adapted to cooler water temperatures are         this was tremendous. The Speraneo system is
grown. The reciprocating water cycle, PVC        now in use worldwide. The resource packet
piping, and return-flow water pumping            is available through:

www.attra.ncat.org                                                                                 ATTRA   Page 5
Aquaponic greenhouse
         at S & S Aqua Farms,
         West Plains, Missouri.
         Photos by
         Steve Diver, NCAT.




Page 6       ATTRA                Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
S & S A qua F arm                                  Tilapia are stocked at a rate of 77 fish per
[Contact: Paula Speraneo]                          cubic meter for Nile tilapia, or 154 fish per
8386 County Rd. 8820                               cubic meter for red tilapia and cultured for
West Plains, MO 65775                              24 weeks. The production schedule is stag-
417-256-5124                                       gered so that one tank is harvested every six
                                                   weeks. After harvest, the fish tank is imme-
Especially see:                                    diately restocked. The fish are fed three times
Maturing Marvel (PDF/282K) by Vern                 daily with a complete, floating fish pellet at
Modeland, The Growing Edge, May-June               32 percent protein. Projected annual fish
1998, www.growingedge.com/magazine/back_           production is 4.16 metric tons for Nile tila-
issues/view_article.php3?AID=90535>                pia and 4.78 metric tons for red tilapia.
The Genius of Simplicity (PDF/30K)                 In one notable experiment the UVI research-
by John Wesley Smith, The Growing                  ers compared the yields of a leafy herb (basil)
Edge, Winter 1993-94, www.growingedge.             and a fruiting vegetable (okra) grown in
com/magazine/back_issues/view_article.             aquaponic vs. field production systems. Basil
php3?AID=50240                                     and okra were raised in raft hydroponics.
                                                   Yields of aquaponic basil were three times


                                                                                                     J
Bioponics – Revolution in Food Growing:                                                                  ames Rakocy,
                                                   greater than field-grown, while yields of
Missouri Aquafarmer Discovers Huge Ben-            aquaponic okra were 18 times greater than             Ph.D., and
efits in Trace Elements by David Yarrow             field-grown. Based on a market price in the            associates at
Remineralize the Earth, December 1997.             U.S. Virgin Islands of $22 per kg for fresh       the University of
                                                   basil with stems, researchers calculated gross
                                                                                                     the Virgin Islands
The University of the Virgin                       income potential. The aquaponic method
                                                   would result in $515 per cubic meter per          (UVI) developed a
Islands System
                                                   year or $110,210 per system per year. Th is       commercial-scale
James Rakocy, Ph.D., and associates at the Uni-
                                                   compares to field-produced basil at $172 per       aquaponic system
versity of the Virgin Islands (UVI) developed
                                                   cubic meter per year or $36,808 per year for      that has run
a commercial-scale aquaponic system that has
                                                   the same production area. When fish sales          continuously for
run continuously for more than five years. Nile     are included, the aquaponic system yields
and red tilapia are raised in fish rearing tanks,   $134,245 (Rakocy, et al, 2004).                   more than five years.
and the aquacultural effluent is linked to float-
ing raft hydroponics. Basil, lettuce, okra, and    Like McMurtry, researcher Rakocy sees inte-
other crops have been raised successfully,         grated water reuse systems as a viable solution
with outstanding quality and yields.               to sustainable food production in developing
                                                   countries and arid regions – such as the Carib-
The system components include: Four fish            bean Islands – where fresh water is scarce.
rearing tanks at 7,800 liters each, clarifi-
ers, filter and degassing tanks, air diffusers,      To provide in-depth technical support, the
sump, base addition tank, pipes and pumps,         UVI research team offers a week-long short
and six 400-square foot hydroponic troughs         course on aquaponics each year at the UVI
totaling 2,400 sq. ft. The pH is monitored         agricultural experiment station. The UVI
daily and maintained at 7.0 to 7.5 by alter-       short course is the premier educational
nately adding calcium hydroxide and potas-         training program available to farmers in the
sium hydroxide to the base addition tank,          world. In addition to aquaponics, UVI spe-
which buffers the aquatic system and sup-           cializes in greenwater tank culture, a recircu-
plements calcium and potassium ions at the         lating aquaculture system.
same time. The only other supplemental             Rakocy has published extensive research
nutrient required is iron, which is added in a     reports and several Extension Service bulletins
chelated form once every three weeks.              on recirculating aquaculture and aquaponics.




www.attra.ncat.org                                                                                   ATTRA         Page 7
See the Bibliography in the appendix for cita-   organization – specializes in aquaculture
                        tions to articles and papers by Rakocy.          research and education. Fresh spring water
                                                                         is an abundant resource in the Appalachian
                        Contact:
                                                                         region. However, protection of spring water
                        James Rakocy, Ph.D.                              quality as it relates to aquaculture effluent is
                        University of the Virgin Islands                 viewed as a vital component of this technology.
                        Agriculture Experiment Station
                        RR 1, Box 10,000                                 For years, the institute has specialized in
                        Kingshill, St. Croix                             cold-water recirculating aquaculture systems
                        U.S. Virgin Islands 00850-9781                   raising trout and arctic char. The institute
                        340-692-4031                                     helps Appalachian farmers set up two types
                        (340) 692-4035 FAX                               of aquaculture systems: (a) an indoor, high-
                        jrakocy@uvi.edu                                  tech recirculating tank method and (b) an
                                                                         outdoor, low-tech recirculating tank method.
                        Aquaculture Program                              Treatment of aquaculture effluent prior to
                        www.uvi.edu/sites/uvi/Pages/                     its return to the natural stream flow led to
                        AES-Aquaculture-Home.aspx?s=RE                   collaborative research with USDA-ARS sci-
                                                                         entists in Kearneysville, West Virginia, on


T
         rials at the   Aquaponics
                        www.uvi.edu/sites/uvi/Pages/                     integrated hydroponic-fish culture systems.
         Freshwater
                        AES-Aquaculture-Aquaponic_Systems.               Trials at the institute’s greenhouses showed
         Institute’s                                                     that nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutri-
                        aspx?s=RE
greenhouses showed                                                       ents in aquaculture effluent can be effectively
that nitrogen,          Especially see:                                  removed by plants grown in NFT hydropon-
phosphorus, and         Update on Tilapia and Vegetable Production       ics or constructed wetland systems.
other nutrients         in the UVI Aquaponic System                      In the mid-1990s, the institute implemented
in aquaculture          James E. Rakocy, Donald S. Bailey, R.            an aquaponic demonstration program based
                        Charlie Shultz and Eric S. Thoman. Page 676-     on a Speraneo-style gravel-cultured system.
effluent can be
                        690. In: New Dimensions on Farmed Tila-          Tilapia is raised as a warm-water fish species.
effectively removed      pia: Proceedings of the Sixth International      Hydroponic crops include basil, lettuce, and
by plants grown         Symposium on Tilapia in Aquaculture, held        wetland plants.
in NFT hydroponics      September 12-16, 2004 in Manila, Philippines.
or constructed          Proceedings paper: 15 pages (PDF/254 K)          To provide technical assistance to farm-
                        http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/ista/ista6/         ers and high school biology teachers, the
wetland systems.                                                         institute published a series of publications
                        ista6web/pdf/676.pdf, PDF Presentation:
                        49 pages (PDF/1.47 MB) http://ag.arizona.        on recirculating aquaculture and aquaponics.
                        edu/azaqua/ista/ista6/ista6web/presentation/     The Freshwater Institute Natural Gas Powered
                        p676.pdf                                         Aquaponic System – Design Manual is a 37-
                                                                         page manual published by the institute in
                        Aquaponics: Integrated Technology for Fish       1997. Included are diagrams and photos,
                        and Vegetable Production in Recirculating        details on greenhouse layout and aquaponic
                        Systems, James Rakocy, University of the         production, parts list with suppliers and
                        Virgin Islands USDA Ministerial Confer-          cost, estimated operating expense, and fur-
                        ence and Expo on Agricultural Science and        ther informational resources.
                        Technology. PowerPoint Presentation; 69
                        slides, www.fas.usda.gov/icd/stconf/session2/    Please note the institute no longer provides
                        session%202d/02-rakocy_j-2D%202nd_files/          direct technical assistance to farmers on
                        frame.htm                                        aquaponics. Instead, it has made some of
                                                                         their publications on recirculating aquacul-
                        The Freshwater Institute System                  ture and aquaponics available online. Contact
                        The Freshwater Institute in Shepherdstown,       The Freshwater Institute for information
                        West Virginia – a program of The Conser-         on obtaining design manuals and other pub-
                        vation Fund, an environmental non-profit          lications not available as Web downloads.

Page 8       ATTRA                                         Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
The Freshwater Institute                        The New Alchemy Institute
1098 Turner Road                                The New Alchemy Institute in East Falmouth,
Shepherdstown, WV 25443-4228                    Massachusetts, conducted research on inte-
Phone (304) 876-2815                            grated aquaculture systems during the 1970s
www.freshwaterinstitute.org                     and 1980s. Although the institute closed in
Selected Publications from The Freshwater       1991, New Alchemy publications on green-
Institute:                                      house production and aquaponics provide
                                                historical insight to the emerging bioshelter
    • Suggested Management Guidelines           (ecosystem greenhouses) concept and are still
      for An Integrated Recycle Aquacul-        a valuable resource for technical information.
      ture – Hydroponic System                  The Green Center, formed by a group of for-
                                                mer New Alchemists, is again making these
    • The Freshwater Institute Natural          publications available for sale. The website has
      Gas Powered Aquaponic System –            a section featuring for-sale articles on aqua-
      Design Manual                             culture and bioshelters (integrated systems). A
    • 880 Gallon Recycle Aquaculture            selection of past articles is available online.
                                                Contact:

                                                                                                    I
      System Installation Guide                                                                         n warm climates,
                                                The Green Center                                        hydroponic
    • Linking Hydroponics to a 880
                                                28 Common Way, Hatchville, MA 02536                     vegetable beds
      Gallon Recycle Fish Rearing System
                                                www.thegreencenter.net                              may be located
    • Operators Manua l for 880 –               Especially see:                                     outside.
      Recycle System
                                                An Integrated Fish Culture Hydroponic Veg-
                                                etable Production System (PDF/6.57 MB)
The Cabbage Hill Farm System                    by Ronald D. Zweig, Aquaculture Magazine,
Cabbage Hill Farm is a non-profit organi-        May-June 1986. www.thegreencenter.net
zation located about 30 miles north of New        Listed under the heading: New Alchemy Institute
York City. The foundation is dedicated to the     Publications Online
preservation of rare breeds of farm animals,    Summary of Fish Culture Techniques in
sustainable agriculture and local food sys-     Solar Aquatic Ponds (PDF/815K) by John
tems, and aquaponic greenhouse production.      Wolfe and Ron Zweig. Journal of The New
Cabbage Hill Farm designed and continues        Alchemists, 1977. www.thegreencenter.net
to operate a simple recirculating aquaponic      Listed under the heading: New Alchemy Institute
system. Cabbage Hill Farm promotes edu-          Publications Online
cation on aquaponics and hosts greenhouse
interns. Tours are available.                   Miscellaneous Systems
                                                Instead of locating the fish and vegetable
Tilapia fish and leaf lettuce are the main
                                                components in separate containers inside a
products of the Cabbage Hill Farm system,
                                                greenhouse, fish production can be located
though basil and watercress are also grown      in outdoor tanks or adjacent buildings.
in smaller quantities. In addition to hydro-    The effluent simply needs to be delivered to
ponics, water passes through a constructed      hydroponic vegetable beds.
reed bed outside the greenhouse for addi-
tional nutrient removal.                        In warm climates, hydroponic vegetable
                                                beds may be located outside. As an example,
Cabbage Hill Farm                               the Center for Regenerative Studies at Cali-
115 Crow Hill Road                              fornia State Polytechnic University - Pomona
Mount Kisco, NY 10549                           implemented an outdoor integrated bio-sys-
914-241-2658                                    tem that links: (a) a pond containing treated
914-241-8264 FAX                                sewage wastewater stocked with tilapia and
www.cabbagehillfarm.org                         carp; (b) water hyacinth – an aquatic plant

www.attra.ncat.org                                                                                  ATTRA       Page 9
Backyard Aquaponics
in Western Australia.
Photos by Joel Malcolm,
Backyard Aquaponics.
(with permission)
www.backyard
aquaponics.com




Page 10       ATTRA       Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
very efficient at sucking up nutrients – cov-      (for more information see The IFOAM Norms
ering 50 percent of the water surface area;      for Organic Production and Processing,
the plant biomass generated by water hya-        Version 2005 and updated in 2009 at www.
cinth is used as feedstock for compost heaps;    ifoam.org/about_ifoam/standards/norms/
(c) nearby vegetable gardens irrigated with      norm_documents_library/Norms_ENG_V4_
nutrient-laden pond water.                       20090113.pdf ). However, organic aquacul-
                                                 ture was not clearly defined in the NOP and
In addition to locating the fish and vegetable
                                                 the lack of organic aquaculture guidelines has
components in separate containers, fish and
                                                 hampered the growth of a domestic organic
plants can be placed in the same container
                                                 aquaculture industry in the United States.
to function as a polyculture. For example,
plants sit on top of floating polystyrene pan-    The ATTRA publication Aquaculture Enter-
els with their roots hanging down into the       prises: Considerations and Strategies contains
water that fish swim around in. Models           a section on organic aquaculture. It states
include the Rakocy system, solar-algae ponds     that accredited organic certifying agencies
(see literature by Zweig and Kleinholz), and     can certify organic aquaculture operations,
the solar-aquatic ponds, or Living Machines,     but the products are not allowed to carry the
made popular by John Todd at Ocean Arks          USDA organic label.
                                                                                                          rganic
International.
In Australia, barramundi (Lates calcarifer)
and Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii)
                                                 In fact, Quality Certification Services in
                                                 Florida has certified three organic aquacul-
                                                 ture operations in the U.S. and abroad under
                                                                                                  O       certifying
                                                                                                          agencies
                                                                                                  can certify organic
fish species have been adapted to recircu-        a private label. AquaRanch (www.aquaranch.       aquaculture
lating aquaculture and aquaponics systems.       com/index.html) an aquaponic greenhouse in       operations, but the
The stocking densities for these fish species     Illinois, set a precedent for the aquaponics     products are not
is higher than tilapia, which in turn results    industry by obtaining organic certification       allowed to carry the
in greater hydroponic surface under produc-      for its hydroponic produce through Indiana       USDA organic label.
tion. Several references are provided on these   Certified Organic. Meanwhile, AquaRanch
fish species and aquaponic systems in the         markets its greenhouse-raised tilapia as “nat-
Resources and Bibliography sections.             urally grown.”
                                                 To address the issue of organic aquacul-
Organic Aquaculture                              ture, the National Organic Standards Board
Organic production of crops and livestock in     (NOSB) established an Aquatic Animals
the United States is regulated by the Depart-    Task Force in June 2000. In 2003, a sec-
ment of Agriculture’s National Organic Pro-      ond group – The National Organic Aqua-
gram, or NOP. The NOP is an organic certi-       culture Working Group (NOAWG), com-
fication and marketing program that ensures       prised of 80 aquaculture professionals and
foods and food products labeled as “organic”     related stakeholders – formed to provide
meet universal standards and guidelines for      further guidance and clarification to the
organic production. Production inputs used       NOSB. The interim final report published
in organic production – such as feed and fer-    by NOAWG in January 2006 provides pro-
tilizers – must be of natural origin and free    posed recommendations on organic aquacul-
of synthetic materials. A farm plan, docu-       ture to NOSB, accessible at www.ams.usda.
mentation of inputs and production meth-         gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRD
ods, and farm inspection are required to         C5062436&acct=nopgeninfo.
obtain “certified organic” status. This pro-
                                                 To provide access to the large volume of
cess allows farm products to be labeled and
                                                 documents, reports, and organic production
sold as organic.
                                                 standards surrounding the issue of organic
Organic trout, tilapia, salmon and other fish     aquaculture, the National Agricultural
species are raised in Europe, Australia, and     Library published an 80-page bibliography,
Israel using production standards developed      Organic Aquaculture, through the Alternative
by international organic certification agencies   Farming Systems Information Center.

www.attra.ncat.org                                                                                ATTRA       Page 11
Organic Aquaculture: AFSIC Notes #5 by               with compost-based potting mixes – is a
                   Stephanie Boehmer, Mary Gold, Stephanie              simple and productive way to get started
                   Hauser, Bill Thomas, and Ann Young.                  in greenhouse vegetable production. You
                   Alternative Farming Systems Informa-                 may quickly find that your biggest chal-
                   tion Center, National Agricultural Library,          lenge is weekly marketing of fresh pro-
                   USDA. www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/             duce rather than successful production
                   afnotes5.htm                                         of vegetables. This includes labor to har-
                                                                        vest vegetables, grading and packing with
                   Evaluating an Aquaponic                              brand name labels, post-harvest handling
                   Enterprise                                           methods to maintain superior quality,
                   Due to the highly technical nature of aqua-          and quick delivery of perishable produce
                   ponics and the expense associated with               to established markets.
                   greenhouse production, prospective growers         3. Read technical and popular literature on
                   are advised to thoroughly investigate pro-            recirculating aquaculture and aquapon-
                   duction methods and market potential.                 ics to become familiar with production
                   For general information and supplies asso-            methods, yields, and market prices for
                   ciated with greenhouse vegetable produc-              fresh fish and hydroponic vegetables. The
      quaponics

A     is one
      method of
hydroponics, and
                   tion, see the ATTRA resource list Green-
                   house and Hydroponic Vegetable Production
                   Resources on the Internet. Complementary
                   ATTRA publications include Organic Green-
                                                                         Web Resources listed below provide quick
                                                                         access to reading material, diagrams and
                                                                         images, and related details. The Bibliog-
                                                                         raphy in the appendix provides access to
hydroponics is
one method of      house Vegetable Production and Integrated Pest        in-depth research and technical data.
greenhouse         Management for Greenhouse Crops.                   4. Visit an aquaponic greenhouse to gain first-
production.        Building and equipping a commercial-sized             hand observations. Take lots of pictures to
                   aquaponic greenhouse can cost $10,000 to              document the system components and how
                   $30,000, depending on the system design               they relate to one another. Keep in mind
                   and choice of components. Due to the                  that aquaponic growers are busy people
                   highly technical nature of aquaponics and             with a considerable investment in time and
                   the expense associated with greenhouse pro-           resources to establish their businesses.
                   duction, prospective growers are advised to        5. Attend a short course. There are three
                   thoroughly investigate production methods             prominent aquaponic short courses in
                   and market potential. A sequence of consid-           North America, offered by University of
                   erations and learning opportunities geared to         the Virgin Islands, (University of the Vir-
                   evaluating an aquaponic greenhouse enter-             gin Islands, No date) Aquaculture Inter-
                   prise are listed below.                               national (Aquaculture International,
                   1. Aquaponic greenhouses yield two food               No date) in North Carolina, and Grow-
                      products. To evaluate greenhouse profit-            ing Power (Growing Power, No date)
                      ability, obtain typical yields and market          in Wisconsin. Cornell University co-
                      prices for hydroponic vegetables and fish,          hosts a recirculating aquaculture short
                      and investigate local and regional mar-            course in association with The Freshwater
                      kets and related point of sales. Retail sales      Institute (Cornell University, No date).
                      directly out of your greenhouse or road-           In addition, Nelson and Pade, Inc. has
                      side stand might be an ideal situation, but        a list of training courses on their web-
                      this will depend on your location.                 site accessible at www.aquaponics.com/
                                                                         infoCourses.htm.
                   2. Aquaponics is one method of hydropon-
                      ics, and hydroponics is one method of           6. Obtain one or two aquaponic training
                      greenhouse production. Consider lower-             manuals to acquire detailed technical
                      cost and simpler alternatives. Bag cul-            specifications. The book Aquaponic Food
                      ture of greenhouse vegetables – raising            Production: raising fish and plants for food
                      plants in polyethylene grow bags fi lled            and profit; the Desktop Aquaponics Booklet;
Page 12   ATTRA                                        Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
and the Introduction to Aquaponics DVD            have become the modern town square.
   from Nelson and Pade, Inc. are good start-        This is where practitioners, scientists,
   ing points. When you are ready to explore         specialists, and business people all share
   a commercial system, the design manuals           resources, supplies, and production meth-
   from S&S Aqua Farm in Missouri and                ods. The e-mail list is hosted by Paula
   Joel Malcolm’s Backyard Aquaponics in             Speraneo with S&S Aqua Farms. The
   Western Australia contain in-depth tech-          archives are publicly accessible, and serve
   nical specifications, illustrations, and parts     as a treasure trove of technical informa-
   lists (S&S Aqua Farm, Joel Malcolm,               tion and farmer-to-farmer exchange.
   no dates). The Web Resources section
   lists additional training manuals and           9. Lastly, avoid the “inventor’s urge” to re-
   technical documentation.                           invent the wheel. Successful aquaponic
7. Hire an agricultural consultant to acquire         greenhouse operators have already figured
   expert advice and consultation, and to             out the system components and methods of
   shorten the time and risk involved getting         production, based on years of research and
   started. A few consultants with expertise          experience. Pick one of the existing models
   in aquaponics are listed in the Agriculture        and duplicate it insofar as possible. The old
   Consultants section below.                         saying, “Get the engine running first, then
8. Participate on the Aquaponics E-mail               adjust the carburetor,” can be aptly applied
   Discussion Group. E-mail discussion lists          to aquaponic start-up greenhouses.




References
1. Rakocy, James E., Donald S. Bailey, R. Charlie              7. Joel Malcolm – Backyard Aquaponics Design Manual
       Shultz and Eric S. Thoman. 2004. Update on                       Western Australia joel@backyardaquaponics.com,
       tilapia and vegetable production in the UVI                      www.backyardaquaponics.com
       aquaponic system. p. 676-690. In: New Dimen-
       sions on Farmed Tilapia: Proceedings of the
       Sixth International Symposium on Tilapia in
                                                               Resources
       Aquaculture, Held September 12-16, 2004 in              E-mail Discussion Lists for
       Manila, Philippines.
                                                               Aquaponics - Hydroponics - Aquaculture
2. University of the Virgin Islands – International
       Aquaponics and Tilapia Aquaculture www.uvi.             Aquaponic E-Mail List
       edu/sites/uvi/Pages/AES-Aquaculture-                     Paula Speraneo of S & S Aqua Farm in Missouri
       International_Aquaponics.aspx?s=RE                       hosts the Aquaponics E-Mail list on the Internet. Th e
                                                                Aquaponics List is a prominent source of technology
3. Aquaculture International – Short Course on
                                                                transfer and resource sharing on all aspects of
       Aquaponics www.aquacultureinternational.org
                                                                aquaponics: hydroponics, aquaculture, fi sh species,
4. Growing Power – Short Course on Aquaponics                   supplies, practical solutions, and resources. The
       www.growingpower.org                                     e-mail archives are a key source of information.
5. Cornell University – Short Course on Recirculating           To subscribe, send an email request to:
       Aquaculture www.bee.cornell.edu/cals/bee/                snsaquasys@townsqr.com
       outreach/aquaculture/short-course/index.cfm              To view Web e-mail archives, go to:
6. S&S Aqua Farm – Design Manual www.jaggartech.                Aquaponics List – Before 2002
       com/snsaqua                                              www.i55mall.com/aquaponics



www.attra.ncat.org                                                                                    ATTRA   Page 13
Hydroponics and Aquaculture E-Mail List                           Ball Publishing
 A number of e-mail lists on hydroponics and aquacul-             622 Town Road
 ture are scattered among the Internet hosting sites like         P.O. Box 1660
 YahooGroups.com, MSN.com, and Topica.com.                        West Chicago, IL 60186
                                                                  Tel: (630) 231-3675
Aquaculture and Aquaponic Trade                                   Toll Free (888) 888-0013
Magazines, Organizations, and Journals                            Fax: (630) 231-5254
Aquaponics Journal                                                email: info@ballpublishing.com
Nelson and Pade, Inc.                                             Greenhouse Grower
PO Box 761                                                        www.greenhousegrower.com
Montello, WI 53949, USA
phone 608-297-8708                                                Greenhouse Product News
Toll-free Fax: 866-815-9734                                       www.gpnmag.com
info@aquaponics.com                                               Scranton Gillette Communications, Inc.
www.aquaponicsjournal.com                                         3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201
  Aquaponics Journal is the quarterly journal from Nelson         Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005-5025 USA
  and Pade, Inc. It has become a prominent source for             847-391-1000
  articles, reports, news, and supplies for the aquaponics        847-390-0408
  industry. Back issues are a valuable resource, available
  in print or as e-files.                                          World Aquaculture
                                                                  www.was.org/main/summaryasp?page=magazine
The Growing Edge Magazine                                         Carol Mendoza, Director
New Moon Publishing                                               WAS Home Office
P.O. Box 1027
                                                                  143 J. M. Parker Coliseum
Corvallis, OR 97339-1027
                                                                  Louisiana State University
800-888-6785; 541-757-8477
                                                                  Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (USA)
541-757-0028 Fax
                                                                  1-225-578-3137
www.growingedge.com
  The Growing Edge is a bi-monthly trade magazine on              FAX: 1-225-578-3493
  high-tech gardening systems like hydroponics, bioponics,        carolm@was.org
  aquaponics, and ecologically based pest management.             Aquafeed.com
  Past articles are an important source of technical informa-     http://aquafeed.com
  tion on aquaponics, bioponics, and organic hydroponics.         editor@aquafeed.com
Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses                               Austasia Aquaculture
P.O. Box 225                                                      www.austasiaaquaculture.com.au
Narrabeen, NSW 2101 Australia                                     Unit 2, Level 2, Bellerive Quay,
Phone: +61 (02) 9905 9933                                         31 Cambridge Rd, Bellerive
Fax: +61 (02) 9905 9030                                           Tasmania, Australia
info@hydroponics.com.au                                           701803 6245 0064
www.hydroponics.com.au
  Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses is a bimonthly              Aquanews Archives
  magazine dedicated to soilless culture and greenhouse           http://pdacrsp.oregonstate.edu/aquanews/archive.html
  production. Articles profile soilless culture and green-         Aquaculture articles. Permaculture Activist #52 (maga-
  house enterprises from around the world. It also reports
                                                                  zine). Summer 2004. www.permacultureactivist.net
  on new products, research and development, and industry
  news. Back issues are a valuable resource. The award-           Aquaculture Collaborative Research Support Program,
  winning magazine is now online as an exact digital copy         Oregon State University.
  of the print edition, using DjVu technology.                    http://pdacrsp.oregonstate.edu
Grower Talks                                                      NOAA Aquaculture Program
www.ballpublishing.com                                            http://aquaculture.noaa.gov


Page 14      ATTRA                                              Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
Aquaculture Network Information Center (AquaNIC)          The Aquaponics Guidebook
www.aquanic.org                                           http://accesstoaquaponics.com/book.html
Ecotao’s Aquaculture Links
www.ecotao.com/holism/agric/aqua.htm
                                                          Agricultural Consultants for Integrated
                                                          Hydroponics and Aquaculture
American Fisheries Society Online Journals
                                                          AquaRanch Industries, LLC
http://afs.allenpress.com/perlserv/?request=get-archive
                                                          [Contact: Myles Harston]
                                                          404 D. East Lincoln St.
Scientific Journals on Aquaculture (Elsevier journal)
                                                          P.O. Box 658
www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00448486
                                                          Flanagan, IL 61740
Aquacultural Engineering (Elsevier journal)               815-796-2978
www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01448609            (815)796-4485 FAX
                                                          kat@aquaranch.com
Aquaculture International (Springer journal)              www.aquaranch.com
www.springerlink.com/content/1573-143X/?p=d6dfe772b
59245f287cad843d6809276&pi=107                            Fisheries Technology Associates, Inc.
                                                          [Contact: Bill Manci]
Aquaculture Research (Blackwell journal)                  506 Wabash Street
www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=1355-557X                Fort Collins, CO 80522-3245
                                                          970-225-0150
Aquaponic Books and Videos                                info@ftai.com
Nelson and Pade, Inc., publisher of Aquaponics Journal,   www.ftai.com
offers booklets, DVDs, videos, and educational curri-      Global Aquatics USA, Inc.
cula on aquaponics, hydroponics, and aquaculture.         505 Aldino Stepney Rd.
See their Web page for details. Contact:                  Aberdeen, MD 21001
Nelson and Pade, Inc.                                     443-243-8840
                                                          410-734-7473 FAX
PO Box 761
                                                          aquatic@iximd.com
Montello, Wisconsin
                                                          www.growfish.com
53949 USA
608-297-8708                                              Gordon Creaser
866-815-9734 FAX                                          4886-115 Garfield Street
Pinfo@aquaponics.com                                      Sumas, Wa 98295 USA
www.aquaponics.com                                        Phone: (407) 421-9816
                                                          www.gordoncreaser.com
Rebecca L. Nelson and John S. Pade. 2008. Aquaponic
Food Production: raising fish and plants for food and      Mark R. McMurtry
profit. www.aquaponics.com/ShopAFPBook.htm                 PMB 267
                                                          1627 W. Main St.
Integrated agriculture-aquaculture: A primer. FAO/        Bozeman, MT 59715-4011
IIRR/WorldFish Center 2001. www.fao.org/docrep/005/       (406) 585-8000
y1187e/y1187e00.htm                                       mcmurtry@avicom.net
Hutchinson, Laurence. 2005. Ecological Aquaculture:       Nelson and Pade, Inc.
A Sustainable Solution. Hampshire, England:               PO Box 761
Permanent Publications. www.amazon.com/                   Montello, Wisconsin
Ecological-Aquaculture-Sustainable-Laurence-              53949 USA
Hutchinson/dp/1856230325                                  608-297-8708
Van Gorder, Steven D. 2000. Small Scale Aquaculture:      866-815-9734 FAX
                                                          kat@aquaponics.com
A hobbyist’s guide to growing fish in greenhouses,
                                                          www.aquaponics.com
recirculating systems, cages, and flowing water.
Breinigsville, PA: Alternative Aquaculture Association,   S&S Aqua Farms
Inc. www.altaqua.com                                      [Contact: Paula Speraneo]
www.attra.ncat.org                                                                            ATTRA   Page 15
407 Pennsylvania Ave                                            AFSIC, NAL, USDA-ARS
West Plains, MO 65775                                           10301 Baltimore Ave., Room 132
417-256-5124                                                    Beltsville, MD 20705-2351
snsaquasys@townsqr.com                                          301-504-6559
www.jaggartech.com/snsaqua                                      301-504-6927 Fax
                                                                afsic@nal.usda.gov
Aquaculture Associations                                        http://afsic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?tax_
Aquacultural Engineering Society                                level=1&info_center=2
www.aesweb.org
American Tilapia Association
                                                                Other Aquaculture Resources
http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/ata.html                           Aquaculture Network Information Center (AquaNIC)
                                                                http://aquanic.org
The Alternative Aquaculture Association                           AquaNIC is the gateway to the world’s electronic
www.altaqua.com                                                   resources for aquaculture information. Especially see the
Directory of Aquaculture Associations                             extensive resource listing on recirculating aquaculture
Aquaculture Network Information Center (AquaNIC)                  systems, and the complete listing of publications from the
http://aquanic.org/publicat/govagen/nal/associat.htm              Regional Aquaculture Centers.
Texas Aquaculture Association                                   Recirculating Aquaculture Systems – Index, Aquacul-
www.texasaquaculture.org                                        ture Network Information Center (AquaNIC)
Miami Aqua-culture, Inc.                                        http://aquanic.org/systems/recycle/documents/
www.miami-aquaculture.com                                       recirculatingoklahoma.pdf
                                                                Regional Aquaculture Center Publications – Index,
Aquaculture Directories and                                     Aquaculture Network Information Center (AquaNIC)
Resource Collections                                            http://aquanic.org/publicat/usda_rac/fact.htm
National Agricultural Library – Alternative Farming             Environmentally Friendly Aquaculture Digital Library
Systems Information Center                                      National Sea Grant Library
  The Alternative Farming Systems Information Center            http://nsgd.gso.uri.edu/aquadig.html
  (AFSIC) at the National Agricultural Library, a pro-            The National Sea Grant Library (NSGL) contains
  gram of USDA-ARS, provides extensive aquaculture                a complete collection of Sea Grant funded work. The
  resource listings. Organic Aquaculture (AFSIC Notes             NSGL maintains a bibliographical database contain-
  No. 5), published in January 2005, is an important              ing over 36,000 records that can be searched by author-
  new publication from AFSIC that addresses the poten-            keyword or browsed by topic. Selected items include
  tial of organic aquacultural products; it also contains a       proceedings from recirculating aquaculture conferences
  section on recirculating aquaculture.                           and related documents. The Environmentally Friendly
Aquaculture Resources                                             Aquaculture Digital Library is a topic-oriented portal to
                                                                  NSGL, organized by subject category.
http://afsic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_
center=2&tax_level=2&tax_subject=295&level3_
id=0&level4_id=0&level5_id=0&topic_                             Aquaponic Resources on the Web
id=1410&&placement_default=0                                    Selected Publications from Southern
Organic Aquaculture                                             Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC)
  • Aquaculture-Related Internet Sites and Documents            Recirculating Aquaculture Tank Production Systems:
  • Directory of Aquaculture Related Associations               Integrating Fish and Plant Culture
    and Trade Organizations                                     SRAC Publication No. 454 (PDF/314K)
  • Directory of State Aquaculture Coordinators                 http://srac.tamu.edu/tmppdfs/504545-SRAC454.pdf?CFI
    and Contacts                                                D=504545&CFTOKEN=21206104&jsessionid=90308c
  • Automated Searches on General Aquaculture Topics            91b4fe7d1ee6e016a4c5e6e4a61c51


Page 16      ATTRA                                            Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
Recirculating Aquaculture Tank Production Systems:               • Suggested Management Guidelines for An Inte-
An Overview of Critical Considerations SRAC                        grated Recycle Aquaculture – Hydroponic System
Publication No. 451 (PDF/142K)
                                                                 • The Freshwater Institute Natural Gas Powered
http://srac.tamu.edu/tmppdfs/504545-451fs.pdf?CFID=5
04545&CFTOKEN=21206104&jsessionid=90308c91b                        Aquaponic System - Design Manual
4fe7d1ee6e016a4c5e6e4a61c51                                      • 880 Gallon Recycle Aquaculture System Installa-
Recirculating Aquaculture Tank Production Systems:                 tion Guide
Management of Recirculating Systems SRAC                         • Linking Hydroponics to an 880 Gallon Recycle
Publication No. 452 (PDF/115K)                                     Fish Rearing System
http://srac.tamu.edu/tmppdfs/504545-452fs.pdf?CFID=5
04545&CFTOKEN=21206104&jsessionid=90308c91b                      • Operators Manual for 880 - Recycle System
4fe7d1ee6e016a4c5e6e4a61c51                                    Aquaculture on Cat Beach
Recirculating Aquaculture Tank Production Systems:             www.rainbowfish.se/english/f89.htm
Component Options                                              www.rainbowfish.se/bilder/education_short.doc
SRAC Publication No. 453 (PDF/378K)                             A 10-page booklet with directions on establishing a small
http://srac.tamu.edu/tmppdfs/504545-453fs.pdf?CFID=5            aquaponic system, including a parts list. Th e HTML
04545&CFTOKEN=21206104&jsessionid=90308c91b                     version contains additional photos that illustrate system
4fe7d1ee6e016a4c5e6e4a61c51                                     components and greenhouse production.
Tank Culture of Tilapia                                        Barrel-Ponic (aka Aquaponics in a Barrel)
SRAC Publication No. 282 (PDF/49K)                             (PDF/3.09MB) by Travis W. Hughey
http://srac.tamu.edu/tmppdfs/504545-282fs.pdf?CFID=5           www.aces.edu/dept/fisheries/education/documents/
04545&CFTOKEN=21206104&jsessionid=90308c91b                    barrel-ponics.pdf
4fe7d1ee6e016a4c5e6e4a61c51
                                                               General Aquaponic Resources on the Web
Selected Aquaponic Training Materials                          The Essence of Aquaponics – Index to Aquaponics
and Design Manuals                                             Mail Group Topics
S&S Aqua Farm                                                  www.rainbowfish.se/mailgroup/index.html
www.jaggartech.com/snsaqua                                      The Essence of Aquaponics website of Pekka Nygard and
 Design manual with specifications                               Stefan Goës in Sweden provides an index to key top-
                                                                ics (aquaponics, fish, fish feed, plants, plant nutrition,
Backyard Aquaponics
                                                                water, biofilters, greenhouses, maintenance, economics,
http://www.backyardaquaponics.com
  Design manual with specifications                              links, literature) posted on the Aquaponics Mail Group
                                                                (see e-mail resources above).
A Prototype Recirculating Aquaculture-
Hydroponic System (PDF/94K)                                    Aquaponics Library
By Donald Johnson and George Wardlow                           http://aquaponicslibrary.20megsfree.com/Index.htm
University of Arkansas, Department of Agricultural             Enhancing Student Interests in the Agricultural
and Extension Education                                        Sciences through Aquaponics (PDF/725K) by G.W.
AgriScience Project                                            Wardlow and D.M. Johnson
www.uark.edu/depts/aeedhp/agscience/aquart2.pdf                University of Arkansas, Department of Agricultural
  A 10-page reprint article, originally published in Jour-     and Extension Education.
  nal of Agricultural Mechanization (1997). It describes       www.uark.edu/depts/aeedhp/agscience/aquart.pdf
  a low cost (less than $600) recirculating aquaculture-
  hydroponic system suitable for use in laboratory settings,   Free Articles on Hydroponics, Practical Hydroponics
  including a materials list with approximate cost of mate-    and Greenhouses
  rials to set up a 350-gallon aquaponic unit.                 http://hydroponics.com.au/php/viewforum.php?f=3
The Freshwater Institute Publications Index,                   Aquaponics Proves Profitable in Australia, Aquaponics
Shepherdstown, West Virginia                                   Journal, First Quarter, 2002.
www.freshwaterinstitute.org/publications                       www.aquaponicsjournal.com/articleaustralia.htm

www.attra.ncat.org                                                                                 ATTRA        Page 17
Integrated Systems of Agriculture and Aquaculture          download from their website. The budgets include
Aquaculture in the Classroom,                              • Channel catfish pond farm
University of Arizona                                      • Hybrid striped bass pond farm
http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/extension/Classroom/          • Rainbow trout raceway farm
Aquaponics.htm                                             • Water recirculating fish farm
Aquaponics Pty Ltd                                       Aquaculture Budgets, Universities of Illinois and Indi-
www.aquaponics.com.au/index.htm                          ana Sea Grant
                                                         www.agecon.purdue.edu/AQUABUSINESS/budgets.html
Aquaponics Combine Fish, Tomatoes, and Ingenuity
University of Illinois Extension                         Aquaculture Publications
http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/smallfarm/pdf/oursare/
aquaponics.pdf                                           Southern Regional Aquaculture Center Publications.
                                                         http://srac.tamu.edu
Hydroponics Integration with Aquaculture                   The Southern Regional Aquaculture Center has an
(powerpoint)                                               online library of very helpful publications on all aspects
www.texasaquaculture.org/Presentations/                    of aquaculture, from pond and cage construction to spe-
Masser%20Aquaponics.pdf                                    cies and disease to marketing and promotion.

Aquaculture Resources on the Web                         Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center (NRAC)
                                                         www.nrac.umd.edu
Greenhouse Tilapia Production in Louisiana                NRAC is a principal public forum for the advancement
Louisiana State University                                and dissemination of science and technology needed by
www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/                    Northeastern aquacultural producers and support indus-
publications/Publications+Catalog/Environment/            tries. Publications are located here www.nrac.umd.edu/
Aquaculture++Fisheries/Greenhouse+Tilapia+Production      publications/factSheets.cfm.
+in+Louisiana.htm
                                                         ALabama Education in aquatic sciences, Aquaculture,
Recirculating Aquaculture Systems -- Teacher’s           Recreational fisheries and Natural resource conserva-
Resource Website. Auburn University                      tion (ALEARN)
www.aces.edu/dept/fisheries/education/                    www.aces.edu/dept/fisheries
recirculatingaquaculture.php
                                                         Mississippi State University Aquaculture Publications
The Urban Aquaculture Manual by Jonathan Woods           http://msucares.com/aquaculture
www.webofcreation.org/BuildingGrounds/aqua/TOC.html
                                                         University of Arkansas Aquaculture/Fisheries Center
NorthernAquaFarms.com                                    Publications
www.northernaquafarms.com                                www.uaex.edu/aqfi/extension/publications/factsheet
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration          National Ag Law Center – Aquaculture
Aquaculture Program                                      http://nationalaglawcenter.org/readingrooms/aquaculture
http://aquaculture.noaa.gov
Florida Division of Aquaculture                          Water Engineering
www.floridaaquaculture.com                                Bocek, Alex. Water Harvesting and Aquaculture for
West Virginia University Extension Service               Rural Development. Auburn University: International
Aquaculture                                              Center for Aquaculture and Aquatic Environments.
www.wvu.edu/~agexten/aquaculture                         www.ag.auburn.edu/fish/international//
                                                         waterharvestingpubs.php
Aquaculture Budgets                                      Alberta Agriculture. 2002. Spring Development,
Aquaculture Enterprise Budget Spreadsheets. Auburn       Agdex 716 (A15). Technical Services Division. http://
University Marine Extension & Research Center.           www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/
www.aces.edu/dept/fisheries/aquaculture/budgets.php       agdex4595
 The Extension specialists at Auburn have developed      USDA. 1984. National Engineering Handbook - Part
 four Excel spreadsheets and are available as a free     650, Engineering Field Handbook, Chapter 12, Springs

Page 18     ATTRA                                      Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
and Wells. http://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/OpenNon             DukeFish, a Durham-based community-supported
WebContent.aspx?content=17550.wba                                 fishery. Duke University’s student chapter of the
                                                                  American Fishery Society
Aquaculture and Aquaponic Farms                                   www.walking-fish.org
Sweet Water Organics.                                             Carteret Catch, Project Green Leaf, Carteret County, NC
http://sweetwater-organic.com/blog                                http://greenleaf.uncg.edu/carteretcatch/Index3.html
  Sweet Water Organics will be the first major commer-             Information for fishermen and consumers. http://
  cial upgrading of MacArthur genius Will Allen’s aqua-           greenleaf.uncg.edu/carteretcatch/CommSuppFish1.html
  culture methodologies, i.e. a three-tiered, aquaponic,          Catch a Piece of Maine, Lobster Community
  bio-intensive fish-vegetable garden. Sweet Water will be         Supported Fishery
  the anchor project in the transformation of a massive           www.catchapieceofmaine.com
  industrial building in an “ industrial slum” into a show-
  case of the potential of living technologies and high-value     Aquacultural and Maricultural
  added urban agriculture. Sweet Water’s sustainable              Business Development
  aquaculture system harvests urban waste streams, e.g.
                                                                  Aquacopia
  wood chips, cardboard, veggie residues, coffee grounds,
                                                                  www.aquacopia.com
  and brewers mash, along vermiculture lines, yielding
  the richest possible soil. This soil in hundreds of potted      Aquaculture Investment: Lowering the Risks, Western
  plants on the simulated wetland tiers is key to the trans-      Regional Aquaculture Center
  formation of fish wastes into natural nitrate for plant          http://aqua.ucdavis.edu/DatabaseRoot/pdf/WRAC-103.PDF
  growth and water filtration.
Eli Rogosa. Organic Aquaponics.                                   Regional Aquaculture Centers sponsored
www.growseed.org/growingpower.html                                by the Extension Service
 Photographic tour of a Growing Power aquaponic system.           Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center (NRAC)
                                                                  www.nrac.umd.edu
Bioshelters.
www.bioshelters.com                                               North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC)
  Bioshelters is a recirculating aquaponics facility located in   www.ncrac.org
  Amherst, Massachusetts. Our entire system is contained in       Southern Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC)
  a large solar-heated greenhouse called a Bioshelter. Solar      www.msstate.edu/dept/srac
  structures create the least expensive and best natural envi-
  ronment for plants, animals and people. To learn more           Western Regional Aquaculture Center (WRAC)
  about our greenhouse system please follow the link below.       www.fish.washington.edu/wrac
  Because the fish, plant and human systems are linked, no         Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture
  pesticides can be used on our produce.                          www.ctsa.org
Backyard Aquafarms                                                Aquaculture Network Information Center
http://backyardaquafarms.com                                      www.aquanic.org

Community Supported Fisheries                                     Integrated Bio-Systems on the Web
Much like community supported agriculture, com-                   Integrated Biosystems, Paul Harris, The University
munity supported fisheries are cooperatives of family              of Adelaide
fishermen who market their catch directly to custom-               www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/website/integratedbiosys.pdf
ers usually through a subscription mechanism, whereby             World Fish Center
customers receive a certain amount of product per week            www.worldfishcenter.org/wfcms/HQ/Default.aspx
(a share) for a yearly share price. Four innovative proj-
ects are listed below:                                            Ecological Engineering (Elsevier journal)
                                                                  www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09258574
Port Clyde Fresh Catch CSF                                         Ecological engineering has been defined as the design of
www.portclydefreshcatch.com                                        ecosystems for the mutual benefit of humans and nature.

www.attra.ncat.org                                                                                    ATTRA       Page 19
Specific topics covered in the journal include: ecotechnology;     McMurtry, Mark Richard. 1992. Integrated Aquacul-
  synthetic ecology; bioengineering; sustainable agroecology;       ture- Olericulture System as Influenced by Component
  habitat reconstruction; restoration ecology; ecosystem            Ratio. PhD. Dissertation, North Carolina State Univer-
  conservation; ecosystem rehabilitation; stream and river          sity. UMI, Ann Harbor, MI. 78 p.
  restoration; wetland restoration and construction; recla-         McMurtry, M.R., D.C. Sanders, and P.V. Nelson. 1993.
  mation ecology; non-renewable resource conservation.              Mineral nutrient concentration and uptake by tomato
Wastewater-fed Aquaculture in Temperate Climates -                  irrigated with recirculating aquaculture water as influ-
Nutrient recycling with Daphnia and Fish (PDF/97K),                 enced by quantity of fish waste products supplied. Jour-
4th International Conference on Ecological Engineer-                nal of Plant Nutrition. Vol. 16, No. 3. p. 407–409.
ing for Wastewater Treatment, June 1999, Aas, Norway                McMurtry, M.R., et al. 1993. Yield of tomato irrigated
www.hortikultur.ch/pub/files/15.pdf                                  with recirculating aquacultural water. Journal of Pro-
                                                                    duction Agriculture. Vol. 6, No. 3. (July-September).
Appendix I:                                                         p. 428–432.
Bibliography on Aquaponics                                          McMurtry, M.R., D.C. Sanders, and R.G. Hodson.
                                                                    1997. Effects of biofilter/culture tank volume ratios on
The following bibliography contains selected literature
                                                                    productivity of a recirculating fish/vegetable co-culture
citations on aquaponics and integrated hydroponics-
                                                                    system. Journal of Applied Aquaculture. Vol. 7, No. 4.
aquaculture published in trade magazines and scientific
                                                                    p. 33–51.
journals. Collectively, these articles provide an instant
library on aquaponics. They are provided here as an                 McMurtry, M.R., D.C. Sanders, J.D. Cure, R.G. Hod-
important time saver to those seeking technical and                 son, B.C. Haning, and P.C.S. Amand. 1997. Efficiency
popular information on this topic. University librar-               of water use of an integrated fish/vegetable co-culture
ies carry scientific journals (e.g., Aquaculture Interna-            system. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. Vol.
tional, Aquacultural Engineering) and trade magazines               28, No. 4. p. 420–428.
(Aquaculture, Greenhouse Management and Produc-                     Sanders, Doug, and Mark McMurtry. 1988. Fish
tion), and they offer on-site photocopying services to               increase greenhouse profits. American Vegetable
library visitors. Inter-Library Loan is a service available         Grower. February. p. 32–33.
through most local libraries, and can provide photocop-
ies of articles for a small fee.                                    Watanabe, Wade O., Thomas M. Losordo, Kevin
                                                                    Fitzsimmons, and Fred Hanley. 2002.
Please note The Growing Edge, Aquaponics Journal,
and Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses are the most                Tilapia Production Systems in the Americas: Techno-
relevant trade magazines for aquaponics, recirculating              logical Advances, Trends, and Challenges. Reviews in
aquaculture, hydroponics, and related topics, including             Fisheries Science, 10(3&4): 465–498.
farmer profiles. However, they are relatively new and less           http://aquanic.org/species/tilapia/documents/s6.pdf
widely distributed in university libraries. For a complete
list of articles and back issues available through these            The Speraneo System
trade magazines, see the publisher’s websites:                      Durham, Deni. 1992. Low-tech polycultural yields,
The Growing Edge                                                    high profit. Small Farm Today. June. p. 23–25.
www.growingedge.com/magazine/compindex.html                         Modeland, Vern. 1993. Aquafarming on a budget.
Aquaponics Journal                                                  BackHome. Summer. p. 28–31.
www.aquaponicsjournal.com/BackIssues.htm                            Modeland, Vern. 1998. The Ozarks’ S&S aqua farm.
Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses                                 The Ozarks Mountaineer. June-July. p. 42–44.
www.hydroponics.com.au                                              Modeland, Vern. 1998. Maturing marvel: S&S Aqua
                                                                    Farm. The Growing Edge. Vol. 9, No. 5 (May- June).
North Carolina State University                                     p. 35–38.
McMurtry, M.R., et al. 1990. Sand culture of vegetables             Rich, Doug. 1998. Closed system opens markets.
using recirculating aquacultural effluents. Applied Agri-             The High Plains Journal. Vol. 115, No. 34. August 24.
cultural Research. Vol. 5, No. 4. (Fall). p. 280–284.               p. 1–A.

Page 20      ATTRA                                                Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
Smith, John Wesley. 1993. The genius of simplicity. The        Rakocy, James. 1999. The status of aquaponics, Part II.
Growing Edge. Vol. 5, No. 2. (Fall). p. 40–44, 70.             Aquaculture Magazine. September-October. p. 64-70.
Thompson, Nina. 1993. Fish + plants = food. Missouri           Rakocy, J.E., D.S. Bailey, K.A. Shultz and W.M. Cole.
Conservationist. August. p. 28.                                1997. Evaluation of a commercial-scale aquaponic unit
                                                               for the production of tilapia and lettuce. p. 357-372.
Yarrow, David. 1998. A food production revolution:             In: Tilapia Aquaculture: Proceedings from the Fourth
Missouri aquafarmers discover huge benefits in trace            International Symposium on Tilapia in Aquaculture.
elements integrated with hydroponics. Remineralize the         Orlando, FL.
Earth. Spring-Fall, No. 12-13. p. 38–43.
                                                               Rakocy, J.E. 1997. Integrating tilapia culture with veg-
                                                               etable hydroponics in recirculating systems. p. 163-184.
The Rakocy System and Related Papers                           In B.A. Costa Pierce and J.E. Rakocy (eds.) Tilapia
Rakocy, J., R.C. Shultz, D.S. Bailey, E.S. and Thoman.         Aquaculture in the Americas. Vol. 1. World Aquaculture
2004. Aquaponic production of tilapia and basil: com-          Society, Baton Rouge, LA. 258 p.
paring a batch and staggered cropping system. Acta
Horticulturae. Vol. 648. p. 63–69.                             Rakocy, J.E. and J.A. Hargreaves. 1993. Integration of
www.actahort.org/books/648/648_8.htm                           vegetable hydroponics with fish culture: A review, p.
                                                               112-136. In: J.K. Wang (ed.) Techniques for Modern
Rakocy, James E., Donald S. Bailey, R. Charlie Shultz          Aquaculture, Proceedings Aquacultural Engineering
and Eric S. Thoman. 2004. Update on tilapia and veg-           Conference. American Society for Agricultural
etable production in the UVI aquaponic system. (PDF/           Engineers, St. Joseph, MI.
251K). p. 676–690. In: New Dimensions on Farmed                Rakocy, J.E., J.A. Hargreaves, and D.S. Bailey. 1993.
Tilapia: Proceedings of the Sixth International Sympo-         Nutrient accumulation in a recirculating aquaculture
sium on Tilapia in Aquaculture, Manila, Philippines.           system integrated with hydroponic vegetable gardening,
http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/ista/ista6/ista6web/pdf/676.pdf   p. 148-158. In: J.K. Wang (ed.) Techniques for Modern
Rakocy, James E., Donald S. Bailey, Eric. S. Thoman            Aquaculture, Proceedings Aquacultural Engineering
and R. Charlie Shultz. 2004. Intensive tank culture            Conference. American Society for Agricultural
of tilapia with a suspended, bacterial-based, treatment        Engineers, St. Joseph, MI.
process. (PDF/368K). p. 584–596. In: New Dimen-                Rakocy, James E., Thomas M. Losordo, and Michael
sions on Farmed Tilapia: Proceedings of the Sixth              P. Masser. 1992. Recirculating Aquaculture Tank Pro-
International Symposium on Tilapia in Aquaculture.             duction Systems: Integrating Fish and Plant Culture.
http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/ista/ista6/ista6web/pdf/584.pdf   SRAC Publication No. 454. Southern Region Aquacul-
Rakocy, J.E., D.S. Bailey, J.M. Martin and R.C.                ture Center, Mississippi State University. 6p.
Shultz. 2003. Tilapia production systems for the Lesser        Rakocy, J.E., and A. Nair. 1987. Integrating fish
Antilles and other resource-limited, tropical areas. In:       culture and vegetable hydroponics: Problems and
Report of the Subregional Workshop to Promote Sus-             prospects. Virgin Islands Perspectives, University of
tainable Aquaculture Development in the Small Island           the Virgin Islands Agricultural Experiment Station,
Developing States of the Lesser Antilles. FAO Fisheries        St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Vol. 1, No. 1. (Winter/
Report No. 704                                                 Spring 1987). p. 19-23.
www.fao.org/docrep/006/Y4921E/y4921e07.htm#bm7.3               Rakocy, James E. 1984. A recirculating system for tilapia
Rakocy, James E. 1998. Integrating hydroponic plant            culture and vegetable hydroponics in the Caribbean.
production with recirculating system aquaculture:              Presented at the Auburn Fisheries and Aquaculture
Some factors to consider. p. 392-394. In: Proceedings          Symposium, September 20-22, Auburn University,
of Second International Conference on Recirculating            Alabama. 30 p.
Aquaculture, Held July 16-19, Roanoke, VA.                     Rakocy, James E. 1989. Vegetable hydroponics and fish
http://nsgd.gso.uri.edu/vsgcp/vsgcpc98001/                     culture: A productive interface. World Aquaculture.
vsgcpc98001index.html                                          September. p. 42-47.
Rakocy, James. 1999. The status of aquaponics, Part I.         Bailey, D.S., J.E. Rakocy, W.M. Cole and K.A. Shultz.
Aquaculture Magazine. July-August. p. 83-88.                   1997. Economic analysis of a commercial-scale aquaponic

www.attra.ncat.org                                                                                 ATTRA        Page 21
Aquaponics - Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
Aquaponics - Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
Aquaponics - Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
Aquaponics - Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
Aquaponics - Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
Aquaponics - Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
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Aquaponics - Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture

  • 1. Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture A Publication of ATTRA—National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service • 1-800-346-9140 • www.attra.ncat.org By Steve Diver Aquaponics is a bio-integrated system that links recirculating aquaculture with hydroponic NCAT Agriculture vegetable, flower, and/or herb production. Recent advances by researchers and growers alike Specialist have turned aquaponics into a working model of sustainable food production. This publication Published 2006 provides an introduction to aquaponics with brief profiles of working units around the country. Updated by An extensive list of resources points the reader to print and Web-based educational materials for Lee Rinehart, NCAT further technical assistance. Agriculture Specialist © 2010 NCAT Introduction Contents A quaponics, also known as the integra- Introduction ..................... 1 tion of hydroponics with aquaculture, Aquaponics: is gaining increased attention as a Key Elements and bio-integrated food production system. Considerations ............... 2 Aquaponic Systems ...... 3 Aquaponics serves as a model of sustain- Organic able food production by fol low ing Aquaculture .................. 11 certain principles: Evaluating an Aquaponic • The waste products of one biological Enterprise ........................ 12 system serve as nutrients for a second Aquaponic vegetable bed in Australia. Photo by Joel Malcolm, Backyard Aquaponics. References ...................... 13 biological system. www.backyardaquaponics.com Resources ....................... 13 • The integration of fish and plants Appendix I: results in a polyculture that increases into the fish tanks. The nitrifying bacteria Bibliography diversity and yields multiple products. on Aquaponics ............. 20 living in the gravel and in association with Appendix II: • Water is re-used through biological the plant roots play a critical role in nutrient Dissertations ................. 25 filtration and recirculation. cycling; without these microorganisms the whole system would stop functioning. • Local food production provides access to healthy foods and enhances Greenhouse growers and farmers are taking the local economy. note of aquaponics for several reasons: In aquaponics, nutrient-rich effluent from • Hydroponic growers view fish- fish tanks is used to fertigate hydroponic manured irrigation water as a source production beds. Th is is good for the fish of organic fertilizer that enables because plant roots and rhizobacteria remove plants to grow well. nutrients from the water. These nutrients ATTRA—National Sustainable • Fish farmers view hydroponics as Agriculture Information Service – generated from fish manure, algae, and (www.attra.ncat.org) is managed decomposing fish feed – are contaminants a biofi ltration method to facilitate by the National Center for Appro- priate Technology (NCAT) and is that would otherwise build up to toxic levels intensive recirculating aquaculture. funded under a grant from the • Greenhouse growers view aquapon- United States Department of in the fish tanks, but instead serve as liquid Agriculture’s Rural Business- fertilizer to hydroponically grown plants. ics as a way to introduce organic Cooperative Service. Visit the NCAT website (www.ncat.org/ In turn, the hydroponic beds function as a hydroponic produce into the market- sarc_current.php) for biofilter – stripping off ammonia, nitrates, place, since the only fertility input is more information on our sustainable agri- nitrites, and phosphorus – so the freshly fish feed and all of the nutrients pass culture projects. cleansed water can then be recirculated back through a biological process.
  • 2. • Food-producing greenhouses – yield- all of the nutrients supplied to the crop are ing two products from one produc- dissolved in water. Liquid hydroponic sys- tion unit – are naturally appealing for tems employ the nutrient film technique niche marketing and green labeling. (NFT), f loating rafts, and noncirculat- • Aquaponics can enable the produc- ing water culture. Aggregate hydroponic tion of fresh vegetables and fish pro- systems employ inert, organic, and mixed tein in arid regions and on water- media contained in bag, trough, trench, limited farms, since it is a water pipe, or bench setups. Aggregate media used re-use system. in these systems include perlite, vermiculite, gravel, sand, expanded clay, peat, and saw- Related ATTRA • Aquaponics is a working model of dust. Normally, hydroponic plants are ferti- Publications sustainable food production wherein gated (soluble fertilizers injected into irriga- Aquaculture Enterprises: plant and animal agriculture are tion water) on a periodical cycle to maintain Considerations and integrated and recycling of nutrients moist roots and provide a constant supply Strategies and water filtration are linked. of nutrients. These hydroponic nutrients are Agricultural Business • In addition to commercial applica- usually derived from synthetic commercial Planning Templates tion, aquaponics has become a popular fertilizers, such as calcium nitrate, that are and Resources training aid on integrated bio-systems highly soluble in water. However, hydro- with vocational agriculture programs organics – based on soluble organic fertiliz- and high school biology classes. ers such as fish hydrosylate – is an emerg- The technology associated with aquaponics is ing practice. Hydroponic recipes are based complex. It requires the ability to simultane- on chemical formulations that deliver precise ously manage the production and marketing concentrations of mineral elements. The con- of two different agricultural products. Until trolled delivery of nutrients, water, and envi- the 1980s, most attempts at integrated hydro- ronmental modifications under greenhouse ponics and aquaculture had limited success. conditions is a major reason why hydropon- However, innovations since the 1980s have ics is so successful. transformed aquaponics technology into a Nutrients in Aquaculture Effluent: Green- viable system of food production. Modern house growers normally control the delivery aquaponic systems can be highly successful, of precise quantities of mineral elements to but they require intensive management and hydroponic plants. However, in aquapon- they have special considerations. ics, nutrients are delivered via aquacultural This publication provides an introduction effluent. Fish effluent contains sufficient lev- to aquaponics, it profi les successful aqua- els of ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, phosphorus, ponic greenhouses, and it provides extensive potassium, and other secondary and micro- resources. It does not attempt to describe nutrients to produce hydroponic plants. Nat- production methods in comprehensive tech- urally, some plant species are better adapted nical detail, but it does provide a summary to this system than others. The technical of key elements and considerations. literature on aquaponics provides greater detail on hydroponic nutrient delivery; espe- cially see papers cited in the Bibliography by Aquaponics: Key Elements James Rakocy, Ph.D. and Considerations Plants Adapted to Aquaponics: The selec- A successful aquaponics enterprise requires tion of plant species adapted to hydroponic special training, skills, and management. culture in aquaponic greenhouses is related The following items point to key elements to stocking density of fish tanks and subse- and considerations to help prospective grow- quent nutrient concentration of aquacultural ers evaluate the integration of hydroponics effluent. Lettuce, herbs, and specialty greens with aquaculture. (spinach, chives, basil, and watercress) have Hydroponics: Hydroponics is the produc- low to medium nutritional requirements tion of plants in a soilless medium whereby and are well adapted to aquaponic systems. Page 2 ATTRA Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
  • 3. Plants yielding fruit (tomatoes, bell peppers, nitrifying bacteria involved in nutrient con- and cucumbers) have a higher nutritional versions. The design manuals and technical demand and perform better in a heavily documentation available in the Resources stocked, well established aquaponic system. section can help growers decide which sys- Greenhouse varieties of tomatoes are better tem is most appropriate. adapted to low light, high humidity condi- Component Ratio: Matching the volume tions in greenhouses than field varieties. of fish tank water to volume of hydroponic Fish Species: Several warm-water and cold- media is known as component ratio. Early water fish species are adapted to recirculat- aquaponics systems were based on a ratio ing aquaculture systems, including tilapia, of 1:1, but 1:2 is now common and tank: trout, perch, Arctic char, and bass. How- bed ratios as high as 1:4 are employed. The ever, most commercial aquaponic systems in variation in range depends on type of hydro- North America are based on tilapia. Tilapia ponic system (gravel vs. raft), fish species, is a warm-water species that grows well in fish density, feeding rate, plant species, etc. a recirculating tank culture. Furthermore, For example, the Speraneo system described tilapia is tolerant of fluctuating water condi- below is designed for one cubic foot of water tions such as pH, temperature, oxygen, and to two cubic feet of grow bed media (pea T ilapia is a dissolved solids. Tilapia produces a white- gravel). Further, when shallow bed systems warm-water fleshed meat suitable to local and wholesale only three inches in depth are employed for markets. The literature on tilapia contains the production of specialty greens such as species that extensive technical documentation and cul- lettuce and basil, the square footage of grow grows well in a tural procedures. Barramundi and Murray space will increase four times. Depending on recirculating tank cod fish species are raised in recirculating the system design, the component ratio can culture. aquaponic systems in Australia. favor greater outputs of either hydroponic produce or fish protein. A “node” is a con- Water Quality Characteristics: Fish raised figuration that links one fish tank to a cer- in recirculating tank culture require good tain number of hydroponic beds. Thus, one water quality conditions. Water quality test- greenhouse may contain a multiple number ing kits from aquacultural supply compa- of fish tanks and associated growing beds, nies are fundamental. Critical water quality each arranged in a separate node. parameters include dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, pH, chlo- rine, and other characteristics. The stocking Aquaponic Systems density of fish, growth rate of fish, feeding Profiles of several aquaponic greenhouses are rate and volume, and related environmental highlighted below as models of commercially fluctuations can elicit rapid changes in water viable systems. Most of these operations are quality; constant and vigilant water quality featured in magazine articles and conference monitoring is essential. proceedings. Some operations offer techni- cal assistance through short courses, design Biofiltration and Suspended Solids: Aqua- manuals, and on-site tours. Please refer to culture effluent contains nutrients, dissolved articles in the Resources section, and the solids, and waste byproducts. Some aquaponic Bibliography, for in-depth descriptions and systems are designed with intermediate filters technical details. and cartridges to collect suspended solids in fish effluent, and to facilitate conversion of ammonia and other waste products to forms The North Carolina State more available to plants prior to delivery to University System hydroponic vegetable beds. Other systems Water consumption in an integrated aqua- deliver fish effluent directly to gravel-cultured vegeculture system amounts to 1 percent hydroponic vegetable beds. The gravel func- of that required in pond culture to pro- tions as a “fluidized bed bioreactor,” remov- duce equivalent tilapia yields. In the 1980s ing dissolved solids and providing habitat for Mark McMurtry (former graduate student) www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 3
  • 4. and the late Doug Sanders (professor) at with benefits to both nitrifying North Carolina State University developed bacteria and plant roots. an aqua-vegeculture system based on tilapia • Dissolved and suspended organic fish tanks sunk below the greenhouse floor. materials accumulate rapidly in aqua- Effluent from the fish tanks was trickle-irri- culture systems and must be removed gated onto sand-cultured hydroponic vege- for efficient fish production. table beds located at ground level. The nutri- ents in the irrigation water fed tomato and • Previous integrated fish-vegetable cucumber crops, and the sand beds and systems removed suspended solids plant roots functioned as a biofi lter. After from the water by sedimentation in draining from the beds, the water recircu- clarifiers prior to plant application. lated back into the fish tanks. The only fer- Removal of the solid wastes resulted tility input to the system was fish feed (32 in insufficient residual nutrients for percent protein). good plant growth; acceptable fruit yields had previously only been Some f i nd ing s a nd h ig h l ig ht s of achieved with substantial supple- McMurtry’s research: mentation of plant nutrients. B iofilters • Benefits of integrating aquaculture • Aqueous nitrate concentrations in (sand beds and vegetable production are: recirculating aquaculture can be with 1. conservation of water resources adequately regulated when fish and vegetable production are linked via vegetables) that are and plant nutrients reciprocating biofilters. alternately flooded 2. intensive production of fish protein • Tomatoes may have also assimi- and drained with lated nitrogen in organic amino acid 3. reduced operating costs relative to nutrient-laden either system in isolation. forms. In 1950 Gosh and Burris fish tank water are (Utilization of Nitrogenous Com- • Water consumption in an integrated pounds by Plants. Soil Science. Vol. called reciprocating aqua-vegeculture system amounts 70: 187-203) found that tomatoes biofilters. to 1 percent of that required in utilize alanine, glutamic acid, his- pond culture to produce equivalent tidine, and leucine as effectively as tilapia yields. inorganic nitrogen sources. • Such low-water-use symbiotic • Research to determine the optimum systems are applicable to the needs ratio of fish tank to biofilter volume of arid or semi-arid regions where on fish growth rate and water quality fish and fresh vegetables are in found that stocking density of fish high demand. and plants can vary depending on • Organic vine-ripened, pesticide-free desired goal. The component ratios produce and “fresh-daily” fish can of the system may be manipulated bring premium prices, particularly to favor fish or vegetable production during winter months in urban areas. according to local market trends or • Biofilters (sand beds with vegetables) dietary needs. Fish stocking den- that are alternately flooded and drained sity and feeding rates are adjusted to with nutrient-laden fish tank water are optimize water quality as influenced called reciprocating biofilters. by plant growth rate. • Reciprocating biofilters provide See the Bibliography on Aquaponics in the uniform distribution of nutrient- appendix for a of list articles that resulted laden water within the filtration from the North Carolina research. medium during the flood cycle, and Aqua-vegeculture research at NCSU has improved aeration from atmospheric been discontinued because the technology exchange during each dewatering had evolved to the point where it is ready Page 4 ATTRA Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
  • 5. for grower application. The Department of methods were designed by Tom and Paula to Horticulture and the Cooperative Exten- match their system. sion Service at NCSU provide technical For years, Purina® fish chow at 40 percent assistance to aquaponic greenhouse growers protein was the primary fertility input, sup- in North Carolina. plemented with tank-cultured algae. Tilapia in the Speraneo system are raised for 7 to 12 The Speraneo System months, then harvested at one to one-and-a- In the early 1990s, Tom and Paula Speraneo half pounds in size. Later, Tom started adding – owners of S & S Aqua Farm near West small amounts of Planters 2® rock dust on top Plains, Missouri – modified the North Car- of the gravel as a trace element supplement. olina State method by raising tilapia in a S & S Aqua Farm has grown fresh basil, 500-gallon tank, with fish effluent linked tomatoes, cucumbers, mixed salad greens, to gravel-cultured hydroponic vegetable and an assortment of vegetable, herb, and beds inside an attached solar greenhouse. ornamental bedding plants in the aquaponic Later, they expanded to a full-size commer- greenhouse. In the early 1990s, Tom and cial greenhouse. The Speraneo system was Paula were raising and selling basil for $12 practical, productive, and wildly successful. a pound to gourmet restaurants about four It became the model for dozens of commer- hours away in St. Louis, Missouri. Following cial aquaponic greenhouses and high school passage of the North American Free Trade biology programs. Agreement (NAFTA), however, Mexican Sadly, Tom Speraneo died in February 2004. imports of basil resulted in a market crash Tom was a true pioneer in aquaponics, and to $4 per pound, so they dropped the St. he was unfailingly generous and helpful to Louis market. S & S Aqua Farm now grows a others. Paula Speraneo and her family con- diverse variety of vegetable and herbs, selling tinue to run the greenhouse and actively locally at a farmers market combined with participate in aquaponics technology trans- direct sales out of their greenhouse. fer. The following notes describe the Spera- Tom once calculated the farm produces 45 neo system and available resources. to 70 pounds of produce for every pound of The commercial-scale solar greenhouse at tilapia, an impressive yield. However, Paula S & S Aqua Farm is 50 feet by 80 feet, ori- explained this figure takes into account the ented East-West to create a south-facing cumulative yields of multiple vegetable crops slope. It contains six 1,200 gallon fish tanks. raised during the 7- to 12-month time period Each tank is linked to six one-foot-deep required to raise fish to harvest. hydroponic beds filled with river gravel. Tom The component ratio favors vegetables over referred to each tank-plus-hydroponic bed fish yields in the Speraneo system. setup as a “node.” This way, each node can operate independently of one another. Interest in the Speraneo system resulted in more than 10,000 visitors to the small farm Some aspects of the Speraneo system were in Missouri, including school children, farm- modeled after the aquaponics research at ers, researchers, and government officials. To North Carolina State University, while oth- handle requests for assistance, the Speraneos ers are modified. The Speraneos employ compiled a resource packet and design man- hydroponic vegetable beds as “fluidized bed ual with technical specifications to establish reactors,” but they use pea-grade river gravel an S & S Aqua Farm-style aquaponic system. instead of sand. Tilapia are raised in fish The resource packet includes a 10-minute tanks, but the tanks are more conveniently video and a list of supplies. Response from located above ground and tilapia hybrids growers to a practical design manual such as adapted to cooler water temperatures are this was tremendous. The Speraneo system is grown. The reciprocating water cycle, PVC now in use worldwide. The resource packet piping, and return-flow water pumping is available through: www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 5
  • 6. Aquaponic greenhouse at S & S Aqua Farms, West Plains, Missouri. Photos by Steve Diver, NCAT. Page 6 ATTRA Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
  • 7. S & S A qua F arm Tilapia are stocked at a rate of 77 fish per [Contact: Paula Speraneo] cubic meter for Nile tilapia, or 154 fish per 8386 County Rd. 8820 cubic meter for red tilapia and cultured for West Plains, MO 65775 24 weeks. The production schedule is stag- 417-256-5124 gered so that one tank is harvested every six weeks. After harvest, the fish tank is imme- Especially see: diately restocked. The fish are fed three times Maturing Marvel (PDF/282K) by Vern daily with a complete, floating fish pellet at Modeland, The Growing Edge, May-June 32 percent protein. Projected annual fish 1998, www.growingedge.com/magazine/back_ production is 4.16 metric tons for Nile tila- issues/view_article.php3?AID=90535> pia and 4.78 metric tons for red tilapia. The Genius of Simplicity (PDF/30K) In one notable experiment the UVI research- by John Wesley Smith, The Growing ers compared the yields of a leafy herb (basil) Edge, Winter 1993-94, www.growingedge. and a fruiting vegetable (okra) grown in com/magazine/back_issues/view_article. aquaponic vs. field production systems. Basil php3?AID=50240 and okra were raised in raft hydroponics. Yields of aquaponic basil were three times J Bioponics – Revolution in Food Growing: ames Rakocy, greater than field-grown, while yields of Missouri Aquafarmer Discovers Huge Ben- aquaponic okra were 18 times greater than Ph.D., and efits in Trace Elements by David Yarrow field-grown. Based on a market price in the associates at Remineralize the Earth, December 1997. U.S. Virgin Islands of $22 per kg for fresh the University of basil with stems, researchers calculated gross the Virgin Islands The University of the Virgin income potential. The aquaponic method would result in $515 per cubic meter per (UVI) developed a Islands System year or $110,210 per system per year. Th is commercial-scale James Rakocy, Ph.D., and associates at the Uni- compares to field-produced basil at $172 per aquaponic system versity of the Virgin Islands (UVI) developed cubic meter per year or $36,808 per year for that has run a commercial-scale aquaponic system that has the same production area. When fish sales continuously for run continuously for more than five years. Nile are included, the aquaponic system yields and red tilapia are raised in fish rearing tanks, $134,245 (Rakocy, et al, 2004). more than five years. and the aquacultural effluent is linked to float- ing raft hydroponics. Basil, lettuce, okra, and Like McMurtry, researcher Rakocy sees inte- other crops have been raised successfully, grated water reuse systems as a viable solution with outstanding quality and yields. to sustainable food production in developing countries and arid regions – such as the Carib- The system components include: Four fish bean Islands – where fresh water is scarce. rearing tanks at 7,800 liters each, clarifi- ers, filter and degassing tanks, air diffusers, To provide in-depth technical support, the sump, base addition tank, pipes and pumps, UVI research team offers a week-long short and six 400-square foot hydroponic troughs course on aquaponics each year at the UVI totaling 2,400 sq. ft. The pH is monitored agricultural experiment station. The UVI daily and maintained at 7.0 to 7.5 by alter- short course is the premier educational nately adding calcium hydroxide and potas- training program available to farmers in the sium hydroxide to the base addition tank, world. In addition to aquaponics, UVI spe- which buffers the aquatic system and sup- cializes in greenwater tank culture, a recircu- plements calcium and potassium ions at the lating aquaculture system. same time. The only other supplemental Rakocy has published extensive research nutrient required is iron, which is added in a reports and several Extension Service bulletins chelated form once every three weeks. on recirculating aquaculture and aquaponics. www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 7
  • 8. See the Bibliography in the appendix for cita- organization – specializes in aquaculture tions to articles and papers by Rakocy. research and education. Fresh spring water is an abundant resource in the Appalachian Contact: region. However, protection of spring water James Rakocy, Ph.D. quality as it relates to aquaculture effluent is University of the Virgin Islands viewed as a vital component of this technology. Agriculture Experiment Station RR 1, Box 10,000 For years, the institute has specialized in Kingshill, St. Croix cold-water recirculating aquaculture systems U.S. Virgin Islands 00850-9781 raising trout and arctic char. The institute 340-692-4031 helps Appalachian farmers set up two types (340) 692-4035 FAX of aquaculture systems: (a) an indoor, high- jrakocy@uvi.edu tech recirculating tank method and (b) an outdoor, low-tech recirculating tank method. Aquaculture Program Treatment of aquaculture effluent prior to www.uvi.edu/sites/uvi/Pages/ its return to the natural stream flow led to AES-Aquaculture-Home.aspx?s=RE collaborative research with USDA-ARS sci- entists in Kearneysville, West Virginia, on T rials at the Aquaponics www.uvi.edu/sites/uvi/Pages/ integrated hydroponic-fish culture systems. Freshwater AES-Aquaculture-Aquaponic_Systems. Trials at the institute’s greenhouses showed Institute’s that nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutri- aspx?s=RE greenhouses showed ents in aquaculture effluent can be effectively that nitrogen, Especially see: removed by plants grown in NFT hydropon- phosphorus, and Update on Tilapia and Vegetable Production ics or constructed wetland systems. other nutrients in the UVI Aquaponic System In the mid-1990s, the institute implemented in aquaculture James E. Rakocy, Donald S. Bailey, R. an aquaponic demonstration program based Charlie Shultz and Eric S. Thoman. Page 676- on a Speraneo-style gravel-cultured system. effluent can be 690. In: New Dimensions on Farmed Tila- Tilapia is raised as a warm-water fish species. effectively removed pia: Proceedings of the Sixth International Hydroponic crops include basil, lettuce, and by plants grown Symposium on Tilapia in Aquaculture, held wetland plants. in NFT hydroponics September 12-16, 2004 in Manila, Philippines. or constructed Proceedings paper: 15 pages (PDF/254 K) To provide technical assistance to farm- http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/ista/ista6/ ers and high school biology teachers, the wetland systems. institute published a series of publications ista6web/pdf/676.pdf, PDF Presentation: 49 pages (PDF/1.47 MB) http://ag.arizona. on recirculating aquaculture and aquaponics. edu/azaqua/ista/ista6/ista6web/presentation/ The Freshwater Institute Natural Gas Powered p676.pdf Aquaponic System – Design Manual is a 37- page manual published by the institute in Aquaponics: Integrated Technology for Fish 1997. Included are diagrams and photos, and Vegetable Production in Recirculating details on greenhouse layout and aquaponic Systems, James Rakocy, University of the production, parts list with suppliers and Virgin Islands USDA Ministerial Confer- cost, estimated operating expense, and fur- ence and Expo on Agricultural Science and ther informational resources. Technology. PowerPoint Presentation; 69 slides, www.fas.usda.gov/icd/stconf/session2/ Please note the institute no longer provides session%202d/02-rakocy_j-2D%202nd_files/ direct technical assistance to farmers on frame.htm aquaponics. Instead, it has made some of their publications on recirculating aquacul- The Freshwater Institute System ture and aquaponics available online. Contact The Freshwater Institute in Shepherdstown, The Freshwater Institute for information West Virginia – a program of The Conser- on obtaining design manuals and other pub- vation Fund, an environmental non-profit lications not available as Web downloads. Page 8 ATTRA Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
  • 9. The Freshwater Institute The New Alchemy Institute 1098 Turner Road The New Alchemy Institute in East Falmouth, Shepherdstown, WV 25443-4228 Massachusetts, conducted research on inte- Phone (304) 876-2815 grated aquaculture systems during the 1970s www.freshwaterinstitute.org and 1980s. Although the institute closed in Selected Publications from The Freshwater 1991, New Alchemy publications on green- Institute: house production and aquaponics provide historical insight to the emerging bioshelter • Suggested Management Guidelines (ecosystem greenhouses) concept and are still for An Integrated Recycle Aquacul- a valuable resource for technical information. ture – Hydroponic System The Green Center, formed by a group of for- mer New Alchemists, is again making these • The Freshwater Institute Natural publications available for sale. The website has Gas Powered Aquaponic System – a section featuring for-sale articles on aqua- Design Manual culture and bioshelters (integrated systems). A • 880 Gallon Recycle Aquaculture selection of past articles is available online. Contact: I System Installation Guide n warm climates, The Green Center hydroponic • Linking Hydroponics to a 880 28 Common Way, Hatchville, MA 02536 vegetable beds Gallon Recycle Fish Rearing System www.thegreencenter.net may be located • Operators Manua l for 880 – Especially see: outside. Recycle System An Integrated Fish Culture Hydroponic Veg- etable Production System (PDF/6.57 MB) The Cabbage Hill Farm System by Ronald D. Zweig, Aquaculture Magazine, Cabbage Hill Farm is a non-profit organi- May-June 1986. www.thegreencenter.net zation located about 30 miles north of New Listed under the heading: New Alchemy Institute York City. The foundation is dedicated to the Publications Online preservation of rare breeds of farm animals, Summary of Fish Culture Techniques in sustainable agriculture and local food sys- Solar Aquatic Ponds (PDF/815K) by John tems, and aquaponic greenhouse production. Wolfe and Ron Zweig. Journal of The New Cabbage Hill Farm designed and continues Alchemists, 1977. www.thegreencenter.net to operate a simple recirculating aquaponic Listed under the heading: New Alchemy Institute system. Cabbage Hill Farm promotes edu- Publications Online cation on aquaponics and hosts greenhouse interns. Tours are available. Miscellaneous Systems Instead of locating the fish and vegetable Tilapia fish and leaf lettuce are the main components in separate containers inside a products of the Cabbage Hill Farm system, greenhouse, fish production can be located though basil and watercress are also grown in outdoor tanks or adjacent buildings. in smaller quantities. In addition to hydro- The effluent simply needs to be delivered to ponics, water passes through a constructed hydroponic vegetable beds. reed bed outside the greenhouse for addi- tional nutrient removal. In warm climates, hydroponic vegetable beds may be located outside. As an example, Cabbage Hill Farm the Center for Regenerative Studies at Cali- 115 Crow Hill Road fornia State Polytechnic University - Pomona Mount Kisco, NY 10549 implemented an outdoor integrated bio-sys- 914-241-2658 tem that links: (a) a pond containing treated 914-241-8264 FAX sewage wastewater stocked with tilapia and www.cabbagehillfarm.org carp; (b) water hyacinth – an aquatic plant www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 9
  • 10. Backyard Aquaponics in Western Australia. Photos by Joel Malcolm, Backyard Aquaponics. (with permission) www.backyard aquaponics.com Page 10 ATTRA Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
  • 11. very efficient at sucking up nutrients – cov- (for more information see The IFOAM Norms ering 50 percent of the water surface area; for Organic Production and Processing, the plant biomass generated by water hya- Version 2005 and updated in 2009 at www. cinth is used as feedstock for compost heaps; ifoam.org/about_ifoam/standards/norms/ (c) nearby vegetable gardens irrigated with norm_documents_library/Norms_ENG_V4_ nutrient-laden pond water. 20090113.pdf ). However, organic aquacul- ture was not clearly defined in the NOP and In addition to locating the fish and vegetable the lack of organic aquaculture guidelines has components in separate containers, fish and hampered the growth of a domestic organic plants can be placed in the same container aquaculture industry in the United States. to function as a polyculture. For example, plants sit on top of floating polystyrene pan- The ATTRA publication Aquaculture Enter- els with their roots hanging down into the prises: Considerations and Strategies contains water that fish swim around in. Models a section on organic aquaculture. It states include the Rakocy system, solar-algae ponds that accredited organic certifying agencies (see literature by Zweig and Kleinholz), and can certify organic aquaculture operations, the solar-aquatic ponds, or Living Machines, but the products are not allowed to carry the made popular by John Todd at Ocean Arks USDA organic label. rganic International. In Australia, barramundi (Lates calcarifer) and Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) In fact, Quality Certification Services in Florida has certified three organic aquacul- ture operations in the U.S. and abroad under O certifying agencies can certify organic fish species have been adapted to recircu- a private label. AquaRanch (www.aquaranch. aquaculture lating aquaculture and aquaponics systems. com/index.html) an aquaponic greenhouse in operations, but the The stocking densities for these fish species Illinois, set a precedent for the aquaponics products are not is higher than tilapia, which in turn results industry by obtaining organic certification allowed to carry the in greater hydroponic surface under produc- for its hydroponic produce through Indiana USDA organic label. tion. Several references are provided on these Certified Organic. Meanwhile, AquaRanch fish species and aquaponic systems in the markets its greenhouse-raised tilapia as “nat- Resources and Bibliography sections. urally grown.” To address the issue of organic aquacul- Organic Aquaculture ture, the National Organic Standards Board Organic production of crops and livestock in (NOSB) established an Aquatic Animals the United States is regulated by the Depart- Task Force in June 2000. In 2003, a sec- ment of Agriculture’s National Organic Pro- ond group – The National Organic Aqua- gram, or NOP. The NOP is an organic certi- culture Working Group (NOAWG), com- fication and marketing program that ensures prised of 80 aquaculture professionals and foods and food products labeled as “organic” related stakeholders – formed to provide meet universal standards and guidelines for further guidance and clarification to the organic production. Production inputs used NOSB. The interim final report published in organic production – such as feed and fer- by NOAWG in January 2006 provides pro- tilizers – must be of natural origin and free posed recommendations on organic aquacul- of synthetic materials. A farm plan, docu- ture to NOSB, accessible at www.ams.usda. mentation of inputs and production meth- gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRD ods, and farm inspection are required to C5062436&acct=nopgeninfo. obtain “certified organic” status. This pro- To provide access to the large volume of cess allows farm products to be labeled and documents, reports, and organic production sold as organic. standards surrounding the issue of organic Organic trout, tilapia, salmon and other fish aquaculture, the National Agricultural species are raised in Europe, Australia, and Library published an 80-page bibliography, Israel using production standards developed Organic Aquaculture, through the Alternative by international organic certification agencies Farming Systems Information Center. www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 11
  • 12. Organic Aquaculture: AFSIC Notes #5 by with compost-based potting mixes – is a Stephanie Boehmer, Mary Gold, Stephanie simple and productive way to get started Hauser, Bill Thomas, and Ann Young. in greenhouse vegetable production. You Alternative Farming Systems Informa- may quickly find that your biggest chal- tion Center, National Agricultural Library, lenge is weekly marketing of fresh pro- USDA. www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/ duce rather than successful production afnotes5.htm of vegetables. This includes labor to har- vest vegetables, grading and packing with Evaluating an Aquaponic brand name labels, post-harvest handling Enterprise methods to maintain superior quality, Due to the highly technical nature of aqua- and quick delivery of perishable produce ponics and the expense associated with to established markets. greenhouse production, prospective growers 3. Read technical and popular literature on are advised to thoroughly investigate pro- recirculating aquaculture and aquapon- duction methods and market potential. ics to become familiar with production For general information and supplies asso- methods, yields, and market prices for ciated with greenhouse vegetable produc- fresh fish and hydroponic vegetables. The quaponics A is one method of hydroponics, and tion, see the ATTRA resource list Green- house and Hydroponic Vegetable Production Resources on the Internet. Complementary ATTRA publications include Organic Green- Web Resources listed below provide quick access to reading material, diagrams and images, and related details. The Bibliog- raphy in the appendix provides access to hydroponics is one method of house Vegetable Production and Integrated Pest in-depth research and technical data. greenhouse Management for Greenhouse Crops. 4. Visit an aquaponic greenhouse to gain first- production. Building and equipping a commercial-sized hand observations. Take lots of pictures to aquaponic greenhouse can cost $10,000 to document the system components and how $30,000, depending on the system design they relate to one another. Keep in mind and choice of components. Due to the that aquaponic growers are busy people highly technical nature of aquaponics and with a considerable investment in time and the expense associated with greenhouse pro- resources to establish their businesses. duction, prospective growers are advised to 5. Attend a short course. There are three thoroughly investigate production methods prominent aquaponic short courses in and market potential. A sequence of consid- North America, offered by University of erations and learning opportunities geared to the Virgin Islands, (University of the Vir- evaluating an aquaponic greenhouse enter- gin Islands, No date) Aquaculture Inter- prise are listed below. national (Aquaculture International, 1. Aquaponic greenhouses yield two food No date) in North Carolina, and Grow- products. To evaluate greenhouse profit- ing Power (Growing Power, No date) ability, obtain typical yields and market in Wisconsin. Cornell University co- prices for hydroponic vegetables and fish, hosts a recirculating aquaculture short and investigate local and regional mar- course in association with The Freshwater kets and related point of sales. Retail sales Institute (Cornell University, No date). directly out of your greenhouse or road- In addition, Nelson and Pade, Inc. has side stand might be an ideal situation, but a list of training courses on their web- this will depend on your location. site accessible at www.aquaponics.com/ infoCourses.htm. 2. Aquaponics is one method of hydropon- ics, and hydroponics is one method of 6. Obtain one or two aquaponic training greenhouse production. Consider lower- manuals to acquire detailed technical cost and simpler alternatives. Bag cul- specifications. The book Aquaponic Food ture of greenhouse vegetables – raising Production: raising fish and plants for food plants in polyethylene grow bags fi lled and profit; the Desktop Aquaponics Booklet; Page 12 ATTRA Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
  • 13. and the Introduction to Aquaponics DVD have become the modern town square. from Nelson and Pade, Inc. are good start- This is where practitioners, scientists, ing points. When you are ready to explore specialists, and business people all share a commercial system, the design manuals resources, supplies, and production meth- from S&S Aqua Farm in Missouri and ods. The e-mail list is hosted by Paula Joel Malcolm’s Backyard Aquaponics in Speraneo with S&S Aqua Farms. The Western Australia contain in-depth tech- archives are publicly accessible, and serve nical specifications, illustrations, and parts as a treasure trove of technical informa- lists (S&S Aqua Farm, Joel Malcolm, tion and farmer-to-farmer exchange. no dates). The Web Resources section lists additional training manuals and 9. Lastly, avoid the “inventor’s urge” to re- technical documentation. invent the wheel. Successful aquaponic 7. Hire an agricultural consultant to acquire greenhouse operators have already figured expert advice and consultation, and to out the system components and methods of shorten the time and risk involved getting production, based on years of research and started. A few consultants with expertise experience. Pick one of the existing models in aquaponics are listed in the Agriculture and duplicate it insofar as possible. The old Consultants section below. saying, “Get the engine running first, then 8. Participate on the Aquaponics E-mail adjust the carburetor,” can be aptly applied Discussion Group. E-mail discussion lists to aquaponic start-up greenhouses. References 1. Rakocy, James E., Donald S. Bailey, R. Charlie 7. Joel Malcolm – Backyard Aquaponics Design Manual Shultz and Eric S. Thoman. 2004. Update on Western Australia joel@backyardaquaponics.com, tilapia and vegetable production in the UVI www.backyardaquaponics.com aquaponic system. p. 676-690. In: New Dimen- sions on Farmed Tilapia: Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on Tilapia in Resources Aquaculture, Held September 12-16, 2004 in E-mail Discussion Lists for Manila, Philippines. Aquaponics - Hydroponics - Aquaculture 2. University of the Virgin Islands – International Aquaponics and Tilapia Aquaculture www.uvi. Aquaponic E-Mail List edu/sites/uvi/Pages/AES-Aquaculture- Paula Speraneo of S & S Aqua Farm in Missouri International_Aquaponics.aspx?s=RE hosts the Aquaponics E-Mail list on the Internet. Th e Aquaponics List is a prominent source of technology 3. Aquaculture International – Short Course on transfer and resource sharing on all aspects of Aquaponics www.aquacultureinternational.org aquaponics: hydroponics, aquaculture, fi sh species, 4. Growing Power – Short Course on Aquaponics supplies, practical solutions, and resources. The www.growingpower.org e-mail archives are a key source of information. 5. Cornell University – Short Course on Recirculating To subscribe, send an email request to: Aquaculture www.bee.cornell.edu/cals/bee/ snsaquasys@townsqr.com outreach/aquaculture/short-course/index.cfm To view Web e-mail archives, go to: 6. S&S Aqua Farm – Design Manual www.jaggartech. Aquaponics List – Before 2002 com/snsaqua www.i55mall.com/aquaponics www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 13
  • 14. Hydroponics and Aquaculture E-Mail List Ball Publishing A number of e-mail lists on hydroponics and aquacul- 622 Town Road ture are scattered among the Internet hosting sites like P.O. Box 1660 YahooGroups.com, MSN.com, and Topica.com. West Chicago, IL 60186 Tel: (630) 231-3675 Aquaculture and Aquaponic Trade Toll Free (888) 888-0013 Magazines, Organizations, and Journals Fax: (630) 231-5254 Aquaponics Journal email: info@ballpublishing.com Nelson and Pade, Inc. Greenhouse Grower PO Box 761 www.greenhousegrower.com Montello, WI 53949, USA phone 608-297-8708 Greenhouse Product News Toll-free Fax: 866-815-9734 www.gpnmag.com info@aquaponics.com Scranton Gillette Communications, Inc. www.aquaponicsjournal.com 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201 Aquaponics Journal is the quarterly journal from Nelson Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005-5025 USA and Pade, Inc. It has become a prominent source for 847-391-1000 articles, reports, news, and supplies for the aquaponics 847-390-0408 industry. Back issues are a valuable resource, available in print or as e-files. World Aquaculture www.was.org/main/summaryasp?page=magazine The Growing Edge Magazine Carol Mendoza, Director New Moon Publishing WAS Home Office P.O. Box 1027 143 J. M. Parker Coliseum Corvallis, OR 97339-1027 Louisiana State University 800-888-6785; 541-757-8477 Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (USA) 541-757-0028 Fax 1-225-578-3137 www.growingedge.com The Growing Edge is a bi-monthly trade magazine on FAX: 1-225-578-3493 high-tech gardening systems like hydroponics, bioponics, carolm@was.org aquaponics, and ecologically based pest management. Aquafeed.com Past articles are an important source of technical informa- http://aquafeed.com tion on aquaponics, bioponics, and organic hydroponics. editor@aquafeed.com Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses Austasia Aquaculture P.O. Box 225 www.austasiaaquaculture.com.au Narrabeen, NSW 2101 Australia Unit 2, Level 2, Bellerive Quay, Phone: +61 (02) 9905 9933 31 Cambridge Rd, Bellerive Fax: +61 (02) 9905 9030 Tasmania, Australia info@hydroponics.com.au 701803 6245 0064 www.hydroponics.com.au Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses is a bimonthly Aquanews Archives magazine dedicated to soilless culture and greenhouse http://pdacrsp.oregonstate.edu/aquanews/archive.html production. Articles profile soilless culture and green- Aquaculture articles. Permaculture Activist #52 (maga- house enterprises from around the world. It also reports zine). Summer 2004. www.permacultureactivist.net on new products, research and development, and industry news. Back issues are a valuable resource. The award- Aquaculture Collaborative Research Support Program, winning magazine is now online as an exact digital copy Oregon State University. of the print edition, using DjVu technology. http://pdacrsp.oregonstate.edu Grower Talks NOAA Aquaculture Program www.ballpublishing.com http://aquaculture.noaa.gov Page 14 ATTRA Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
  • 15. Aquaculture Network Information Center (AquaNIC) The Aquaponics Guidebook www.aquanic.org http://accesstoaquaponics.com/book.html Ecotao’s Aquaculture Links www.ecotao.com/holism/agric/aqua.htm Agricultural Consultants for Integrated Hydroponics and Aquaculture American Fisheries Society Online Journals AquaRanch Industries, LLC http://afs.allenpress.com/perlserv/?request=get-archive [Contact: Myles Harston] 404 D. East Lincoln St. Scientific Journals on Aquaculture (Elsevier journal) P.O. Box 658 www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00448486 Flanagan, IL 61740 Aquacultural Engineering (Elsevier journal) 815-796-2978 www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01448609 (815)796-4485 FAX kat@aquaranch.com Aquaculture International (Springer journal) www.aquaranch.com www.springerlink.com/content/1573-143X/?p=d6dfe772b 59245f287cad843d6809276&pi=107 Fisheries Technology Associates, Inc. [Contact: Bill Manci] Aquaculture Research (Blackwell journal) 506 Wabash Street www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=1355-557X Fort Collins, CO 80522-3245 970-225-0150 Aquaponic Books and Videos info@ftai.com Nelson and Pade, Inc., publisher of Aquaponics Journal, www.ftai.com offers booklets, DVDs, videos, and educational curri- Global Aquatics USA, Inc. cula on aquaponics, hydroponics, and aquaculture. 505 Aldino Stepney Rd. See their Web page for details. Contact: Aberdeen, MD 21001 Nelson and Pade, Inc. 443-243-8840 410-734-7473 FAX PO Box 761 aquatic@iximd.com Montello, Wisconsin www.growfish.com 53949 USA 608-297-8708 Gordon Creaser 866-815-9734 FAX 4886-115 Garfield Street Pinfo@aquaponics.com Sumas, Wa 98295 USA www.aquaponics.com Phone: (407) 421-9816 www.gordoncreaser.com Rebecca L. Nelson and John S. Pade. 2008. Aquaponic Food Production: raising fish and plants for food and Mark R. McMurtry profit. www.aquaponics.com/ShopAFPBook.htm PMB 267 1627 W. Main St. Integrated agriculture-aquaculture: A primer. FAO/ Bozeman, MT 59715-4011 IIRR/WorldFish Center 2001. www.fao.org/docrep/005/ (406) 585-8000 y1187e/y1187e00.htm mcmurtry@avicom.net Hutchinson, Laurence. 2005. Ecological Aquaculture: Nelson and Pade, Inc. A Sustainable Solution. Hampshire, England: PO Box 761 Permanent Publications. www.amazon.com/ Montello, Wisconsin Ecological-Aquaculture-Sustainable-Laurence- 53949 USA Hutchinson/dp/1856230325 608-297-8708 Van Gorder, Steven D. 2000. Small Scale Aquaculture: 866-815-9734 FAX kat@aquaponics.com A hobbyist’s guide to growing fish in greenhouses, www.aquaponics.com recirculating systems, cages, and flowing water. Breinigsville, PA: Alternative Aquaculture Association, S&S Aqua Farms Inc. www.altaqua.com [Contact: Paula Speraneo] www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 15
  • 16. 407 Pennsylvania Ave AFSIC, NAL, USDA-ARS West Plains, MO 65775 10301 Baltimore Ave., Room 132 417-256-5124 Beltsville, MD 20705-2351 snsaquasys@townsqr.com 301-504-6559 www.jaggartech.com/snsaqua 301-504-6927 Fax afsic@nal.usda.gov Aquaculture Associations http://afsic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?tax_ Aquacultural Engineering Society level=1&info_center=2 www.aesweb.org American Tilapia Association Other Aquaculture Resources http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/ata.html Aquaculture Network Information Center (AquaNIC) http://aquanic.org The Alternative Aquaculture Association AquaNIC is the gateway to the world’s electronic www.altaqua.com resources for aquaculture information. Especially see the Directory of Aquaculture Associations extensive resource listing on recirculating aquaculture Aquaculture Network Information Center (AquaNIC) systems, and the complete listing of publications from the http://aquanic.org/publicat/govagen/nal/associat.htm Regional Aquaculture Centers. Texas Aquaculture Association Recirculating Aquaculture Systems – Index, Aquacul- www.texasaquaculture.org ture Network Information Center (AquaNIC) Miami Aqua-culture, Inc. http://aquanic.org/systems/recycle/documents/ www.miami-aquaculture.com recirculatingoklahoma.pdf Regional Aquaculture Center Publications – Index, Aquaculture Directories and Aquaculture Network Information Center (AquaNIC) Resource Collections http://aquanic.org/publicat/usda_rac/fact.htm National Agricultural Library – Alternative Farming Environmentally Friendly Aquaculture Digital Library Systems Information Center National Sea Grant Library The Alternative Farming Systems Information Center http://nsgd.gso.uri.edu/aquadig.html (AFSIC) at the National Agricultural Library, a pro- The National Sea Grant Library (NSGL) contains gram of USDA-ARS, provides extensive aquaculture a complete collection of Sea Grant funded work. The resource listings. Organic Aquaculture (AFSIC Notes NSGL maintains a bibliographical database contain- No. 5), published in January 2005, is an important ing over 36,000 records that can be searched by author- new publication from AFSIC that addresses the poten- keyword or browsed by topic. Selected items include tial of organic aquacultural products; it also contains a proceedings from recirculating aquaculture conferences section on recirculating aquaculture. and related documents. The Environmentally Friendly Aquaculture Resources Aquaculture Digital Library is a topic-oriented portal to NSGL, organized by subject category. http://afsic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_ center=2&tax_level=2&tax_subject=295&level3_ id=0&level4_id=0&level5_id=0&topic_ Aquaponic Resources on the Web id=1410&&placement_default=0 Selected Publications from Southern Organic Aquaculture Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC) • Aquaculture-Related Internet Sites and Documents Recirculating Aquaculture Tank Production Systems: • Directory of Aquaculture Related Associations Integrating Fish and Plant Culture and Trade Organizations SRAC Publication No. 454 (PDF/314K) • Directory of State Aquaculture Coordinators http://srac.tamu.edu/tmppdfs/504545-SRAC454.pdf?CFI and Contacts D=504545&CFTOKEN=21206104&jsessionid=90308c • Automated Searches on General Aquaculture Topics 91b4fe7d1ee6e016a4c5e6e4a61c51 Page 16 ATTRA Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
  • 17. Recirculating Aquaculture Tank Production Systems: • Suggested Management Guidelines for An Inte- An Overview of Critical Considerations SRAC grated Recycle Aquaculture – Hydroponic System Publication No. 451 (PDF/142K) • The Freshwater Institute Natural Gas Powered http://srac.tamu.edu/tmppdfs/504545-451fs.pdf?CFID=5 04545&CFTOKEN=21206104&jsessionid=90308c91b Aquaponic System - Design Manual 4fe7d1ee6e016a4c5e6e4a61c51 • 880 Gallon Recycle Aquaculture System Installa- Recirculating Aquaculture Tank Production Systems: tion Guide Management of Recirculating Systems SRAC • Linking Hydroponics to an 880 Gallon Recycle Publication No. 452 (PDF/115K) Fish Rearing System http://srac.tamu.edu/tmppdfs/504545-452fs.pdf?CFID=5 04545&CFTOKEN=21206104&jsessionid=90308c91b • Operators Manual for 880 - Recycle System 4fe7d1ee6e016a4c5e6e4a61c51 Aquaculture on Cat Beach Recirculating Aquaculture Tank Production Systems: www.rainbowfish.se/english/f89.htm Component Options www.rainbowfish.se/bilder/education_short.doc SRAC Publication No. 453 (PDF/378K) A 10-page booklet with directions on establishing a small http://srac.tamu.edu/tmppdfs/504545-453fs.pdf?CFID=5 aquaponic system, including a parts list. Th e HTML 04545&CFTOKEN=21206104&jsessionid=90308c91b version contains additional photos that illustrate system 4fe7d1ee6e016a4c5e6e4a61c51 components and greenhouse production. Tank Culture of Tilapia Barrel-Ponic (aka Aquaponics in a Barrel) SRAC Publication No. 282 (PDF/49K) (PDF/3.09MB) by Travis W. Hughey http://srac.tamu.edu/tmppdfs/504545-282fs.pdf?CFID=5 www.aces.edu/dept/fisheries/education/documents/ 04545&CFTOKEN=21206104&jsessionid=90308c91b barrel-ponics.pdf 4fe7d1ee6e016a4c5e6e4a61c51 General Aquaponic Resources on the Web Selected Aquaponic Training Materials The Essence of Aquaponics – Index to Aquaponics and Design Manuals Mail Group Topics S&S Aqua Farm www.rainbowfish.se/mailgroup/index.html www.jaggartech.com/snsaqua The Essence of Aquaponics website of Pekka Nygard and Design manual with specifications Stefan Goës in Sweden provides an index to key top- ics (aquaponics, fish, fish feed, plants, plant nutrition, Backyard Aquaponics water, biofilters, greenhouses, maintenance, economics, http://www.backyardaquaponics.com Design manual with specifications links, literature) posted on the Aquaponics Mail Group (see e-mail resources above). A Prototype Recirculating Aquaculture- Hydroponic System (PDF/94K) Aquaponics Library By Donald Johnson and George Wardlow http://aquaponicslibrary.20megsfree.com/Index.htm University of Arkansas, Department of Agricultural Enhancing Student Interests in the Agricultural and Extension Education Sciences through Aquaponics (PDF/725K) by G.W. AgriScience Project Wardlow and D.M. Johnson www.uark.edu/depts/aeedhp/agscience/aquart2.pdf University of Arkansas, Department of Agricultural A 10-page reprint article, originally published in Jour- and Extension Education. nal of Agricultural Mechanization (1997). It describes www.uark.edu/depts/aeedhp/agscience/aquart.pdf a low cost (less than $600) recirculating aquaculture- hydroponic system suitable for use in laboratory settings, Free Articles on Hydroponics, Practical Hydroponics including a materials list with approximate cost of mate- and Greenhouses rials to set up a 350-gallon aquaponic unit. http://hydroponics.com.au/php/viewforum.php?f=3 The Freshwater Institute Publications Index, Aquaponics Proves Profitable in Australia, Aquaponics Shepherdstown, West Virginia Journal, First Quarter, 2002. www.freshwaterinstitute.org/publications www.aquaponicsjournal.com/articleaustralia.htm www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 17
  • 18. Integrated Systems of Agriculture and Aquaculture download from their website. The budgets include Aquaculture in the Classroom, • Channel catfish pond farm University of Arizona • Hybrid striped bass pond farm http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/extension/Classroom/ • Rainbow trout raceway farm Aquaponics.htm • Water recirculating fish farm Aquaponics Pty Ltd Aquaculture Budgets, Universities of Illinois and Indi- www.aquaponics.com.au/index.htm ana Sea Grant www.agecon.purdue.edu/AQUABUSINESS/budgets.html Aquaponics Combine Fish, Tomatoes, and Ingenuity University of Illinois Extension Aquaculture Publications http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/smallfarm/pdf/oursare/ aquaponics.pdf Southern Regional Aquaculture Center Publications. http://srac.tamu.edu Hydroponics Integration with Aquaculture The Southern Regional Aquaculture Center has an (powerpoint) online library of very helpful publications on all aspects www.texasaquaculture.org/Presentations/ of aquaculture, from pond and cage construction to spe- Masser%20Aquaponics.pdf cies and disease to marketing and promotion. Aquaculture Resources on the Web Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center (NRAC) www.nrac.umd.edu Greenhouse Tilapia Production in Louisiana NRAC is a principal public forum for the advancement Louisiana State University and dissemination of science and technology needed by www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/ Northeastern aquacultural producers and support indus- publications/Publications+Catalog/Environment/ tries. Publications are located here www.nrac.umd.edu/ Aquaculture++Fisheries/Greenhouse+Tilapia+Production publications/factSheets.cfm. +in+Louisiana.htm ALabama Education in aquatic sciences, Aquaculture, Recirculating Aquaculture Systems -- Teacher’s Recreational fisheries and Natural resource conserva- Resource Website. Auburn University tion (ALEARN) www.aces.edu/dept/fisheries/education/ www.aces.edu/dept/fisheries recirculatingaquaculture.php Mississippi State University Aquaculture Publications The Urban Aquaculture Manual by Jonathan Woods http://msucares.com/aquaculture www.webofcreation.org/BuildingGrounds/aqua/TOC.html University of Arkansas Aquaculture/Fisheries Center NorthernAquaFarms.com Publications www.northernaquafarms.com www.uaex.edu/aqfi/extension/publications/factsheet National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Ag Law Center – Aquaculture Aquaculture Program http://nationalaglawcenter.org/readingrooms/aquaculture http://aquaculture.noaa.gov Florida Division of Aquaculture Water Engineering www.floridaaquaculture.com Bocek, Alex. Water Harvesting and Aquaculture for West Virginia University Extension Service Rural Development. Auburn University: International Aquaculture Center for Aquaculture and Aquatic Environments. www.wvu.edu/~agexten/aquaculture www.ag.auburn.edu/fish/international// waterharvestingpubs.php Aquaculture Budgets Alberta Agriculture. 2002. Spring Development, Aquaculture Enterprise Budget Spreadsheets. Auburn Agdex 716 (A15). Technical Services Division. http:// University Marine Extension & Research Center. www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/ www.aces.edu/dept/fisheries/aquaculture/budgets.php agdex4595 The Extension specialists at Auburn have developed USDA. 1984. National Engineering Handbook - Part four Excel spreadsheets and are available as a free 650, Engineering Field Handbook, Chapter 12, Springs Page 18 ATTRA Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
  • 19. and Wells. http://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/OpenNon DukeFish, a Durham-based community-supported WebContent.aspx?content=17550.wba fishery. Duke University’s student chapter of the American Fishery Society Aquaculture and Aquaponic Farms www.walking-fish.org Sweet Water Organics. Carteret Catch, Project Green Leaf, Carteret County, NC http://sweetwater-organic.com/blog http://greenleaf.uncg.edu/carteretcatch/Index3.html Sweet Water Organics will be the first major commer- Information for fishermen and consumers. http:// cial upgrading of MacArthur genius Will Allen’s aqua- greenleaf.uncg.edu/carteretcatch/CommSuppFish1.html culture methodologies, i.e. a three-tiered, aquaponic, Catch a Piece of Maine, Lobster Community bio-intensive fish-vegetable garden. Sweet Water will be Supported Fishery the anchor project in the transformation of a massive www.catchapieceofmaine.com industrial building in an “ industrial slum” into a show- case of the potential of living technologies and high-value Aquacultural and Maricultural added urban agriculture. Sweet Water’s sustainable Business Development aquaculture system harvests urban waste streams, e.g. Aquacopia wood chips, cardboard, veggie residues, coffee grounds, www.aquacopia.com and brewers mash, along vermiculture lines, yielding the richest possible soil. This soil in hundreds of potted Aquaculture Investment: Lowering the Risks, Western plants on the simulated wetland tiers is key to the trans- Regional Aquaculture Center formation of fish wastes into natural nitrate for plant http://aqua.ucdavis.edu/DatabaseRoot/pdf/WRAC-103.PDF growth and water filtration. Eli Rogosa. Organic Aquaponics. Regional Aquaculture Centers sponsored www.growseed.org/growingpower.html by the Extension Service Photographic tour of a Growing Power aquaponic system. Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center (NRAC) www.nrac.umd.edu Bioshelters. www.bioshelters.com North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC) Bioshelters is a recirculating aquaponics facility located in www.ncrac.org Amherst, Massachusetts. Our entire system is contained in Southern Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC) a large solar-heated greenhouse called a Bioshelter. Solar www.msstate.edu/dept/srac structures create the least expensive and best natural envi- ronment for plants, animals and people. To learn more Western Regional Aquaculture Center (WRAC) about our greenhouse system please follow the link below. www.fish.washington.edu/wrac Because the fish, plant and human systems are linked, no Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture pesticides can be used on our produce. www.ctsa.org Backyard Aquafarms Aquaculture Network Information Center http://backyardaquafarms.com www.aquanic.org Community Supported Fisheries Integrated Bio-Systems on the Web Much like community supported agriculture, com- Integrated Biosystems, Paul Harris, The University munity supported fisheries are cooperatives of family of Adelaide fishermen who market their catch directly to custom- www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/website/integratedbiosys.pdf ers usually through a subscription mechanism, whereby World Fish Center customers receive a certain amount of product per week www.worldfishcenter.org/wfcms/HQ/Default.aspx (a share) for a yearly share price. Four innovative proj- ects are listed below: Ecological Engineering (Elsevier journal) www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09258574 Port Clyde Fresh Catch CSF Ecological engineering has been defined as the design of www.portclydefreshcatch.com ecosystems for the mutual benefit of humans and nature. www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 19
  • 20. Specific topics covered in the journal include: ecotechnology; McMurtry, Mark Richard. 1992. Integrated Aquacul- synthetic ecology; bioengineering; sustainable agroecology; ture- Olericulture System as Influenced by Component habitat reconstruction; restoration ecology; ecosystem Ratio. PhD. Dissertation, North Carolina State Univer- conservation; ecosystem rehabilitation; stream and river sity. UMI, Ann Harbor, MI. 78 p. restoration; wetland restoration and construction; recla- McMurtry, M.R., D.C. Sanders, and P.V. Nelson. 1993. mation ecology; non-renewable resource conservation. Mineral nutrient concentration and uptake by tomato Wastewater-fed Aquaculture in Temperate Climates - irrigated with recirculating aquaculture water as influ- Nutrient recycling with Daphnia and Fish (PDF/97K), enced by quantity of fish waste products supplied. Jour- 4th International Conference on Ecological Engineer- nal of Plant Nutrition. Vol. 16, No. 3. p. 407–409. ing for Wastewater Treatment, June 1999, Aas, Norway McMurtry, M.R., et al. 1993. Yield of tomato irrigated www.hortikultur.ch/pub/files/15.pdf with recirculating aquacultural water. Journal of Pro- duction Agriculture. Vol. 6, No. 3. (July-September). Appendix I: p. 428–432. Bibliography on Aquaponics McMurtry, M.R., D.C. Sanders, and R.G. Hodson. 1997. Effects of biofilter/culture tank volume ratios on The following bibliography contains selected literature productivity of a recirculating fish/vegetable co-culture citations on aquaponics and integrated hydroponics- system. Journal of Applied Aquaculture. Vol. 7, No. 4. aquaculture published in trade magazines and scientific p. 33–51. journals. Collectively, these articles provide an instant library on aquaponics. They are provided here as an McMurtry, M.R., D.C. Sanders, J.D. Cure, R.G. Hod- important time saver to those seeking technical and son, B.C. Haning, and P.C.S. Amand. 1997. Efficiency popular information on this topic. University librar- of water use of an integrated fish/vegetable co-culture ies carry scientific journals (e.g., Aquaculture Interna- system. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. Vol. tional, Aquacultural Engineering) and trade magazines 28, No. 4. p. 420–428. (Aquaculture, Greenhouse Management and Produc- Sanders, Doug, and Mark McMurtry. 1988. Fish tion), and they offer on-site photocopying services to increase greenhouse profits. American Vegetable library visitors. Inter-Library Loan is a service available Grower. February. p. 32–33. through most local libraries, and can provide photocop- ies of articles for a small fee. Watanabe, Wade O., Thomas M. Losordo, Kevin Fitzsimmons, and Fred Hanley. 2002. Please note The Growing Edge, Aquaponics Journal, and Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses are the most Tilapia Production Systems in the Americas: Techno- relevant trade magazines for aquaponics, recirculating logical Advances, Trends, and Challenges. Reviews in aquaculture, hydroponics, and related topics, including Fisheries Science, 10(3&4): 465–498. farmer profiles. However, they are relatively new and less http://aquanic.org/species/tilapia/documents/s6.pdf widely distributed in university libraries. For a complete list of articles and back issues available through these The Speraneo System trade magazines, see the publisher’s websites: Durham, Deni. 1992. Low-tech polycultural yields, The Growing Edge high profit. Small Farm Today. June. p. 23–25. www.growingedge.com/magazine/compindex.html Modeland, Vern. 1993. Aquafarming on a budget. Aquaponics Journal BackHome. Summer. p. 28–31. www.aquaponicsjournal.com/BackIssues.htm Modeland, Vern. 1998. The Ozarks’ S&S aqua farm. Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses The Ozarks Mountaineer. June-July. p. 42–44. www.hydroponics.com.au Modeland, Vern. 1998. Maturing marvel: S&S Aqua Farm. The Growing Edge. Vol. 9, No. 5 (May- June). North Carolina State University p. 35–38. McMurtry, M.R., et al. 1990. Sand culture of vegetables Rich, Doug. 1998. Closed system opens markets. using recirculating aquacultural effluents. Applied Agri- The High Plains Journal. Vol. 115, No. 34. August 24. cultural Research. Vol. 5, No. 4. (Fall). p. 280–284. p. 1–A. Page 20 ATTRA Aquaponics—Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture
  • 21. Smith, John Wesley. 1993. The genius of simplicity. The Rakocy, James. 1999. The status of aquaponics, Part II. Growing Edge. Vol. 5, No. 2. (Fall). p. 40–44, 70. Aquaculture Magazine. September-October. p. 64-70. Thompson, Nina. 1993. Fish + plants = food. Missouri Rakocy, J.E., D.S. Bailey, K.A. Shultz and W.M. Cole. Conservationist. August. p. 28. 1997. Evaluation of a commercial-scale aquaponic unit for the production of tilapia and lettuce. p. 357-372. Yarrow, David. 1998. A food production revolution: In: Tilapia Aquaculture: Proceedings from the Fourth Missouri aquafarmers discover huge benefits in trace International Symposium on Tilapia in Aquaculture. elements integrated with hydroponics. Remineralize the Orlando, FL. Earth. Spring-Fall, No. 12-13. p. 38–43. Rakocy, J.E. 1997. Integrating tilapia culture with veg- etable hydroponics in recirculating systems. p. 163-184. The Rakocy System and Related Papers In B.A. Costa Pierce and J.E. Rakocy (eds.) Tilapia Rakocy, J., R.C. Shultz, D.S. Bailey, E.S. and Thoman. Aquaculture in the Americas. Vol. 1. World Aquaculture 2004. Aquaponic production of tilapia and basil: com- Society, Baton Rouge, LA. 258 p. paring a batch and staggered cropping system. Acta Horticulturae. Vol. 648. p. 63–69. Rakocy, J.E. and J.A. Hargreaves. 1993. Integration of www.actahort.org/books/648/648_8.htm vegetable hydroponics with fish culture: A review, p. 112-136. In: J.K. Wang (ed.) Techniques for Modern Rakocy, James E., Donald S. Bailey, R. Charlie Shultz Aquaculture, Proceedings Aquacultural Engineering and Eric S. Thoman. 2004. Update on tilapia and veg- Conference. American Society for Agricultural etable production in the UVI aquaponic system. (PDF/ Engineers, St. Joseph, MI. 251K). p. 676–690. In: New Dimensions on Farmed Rakocy, J.E., J.A. Hargreaves, and D.S. Bailey. 1993. Tilapia: Proceedings of the Sixth International Sympo- Nutrient accumulation in a recirculating aquaculture sium on Tilapia in Aquaculture, Manila, Philippines. system integrated with hydroponic vegetable gardening, http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/ista/ista6/ista6web/pdf/676.pdf p. 148-158. In: J.K. Wang (ed.) Techniques for Modern Rakocy, James E., Donald S. Bailey, Eric. S. Thoman Aquaculture, Proceedings Aquacultural Engineering and R. Charlie Shultz. 2004. Intensive tank culture Conference. American Society for Agricultural of tilapia with a suspended, bacterial-based, treatment Engineers, St. Joseph, MI. process. (PDF/368K). p. 584–596. In: New Dimen- Rakocy, James E., Thomas M. Losordo, and Michael sions on Farmed Tilapia: Proceedings of the Sixth P. Masser. 1992. Recirculating Aquaculture Tank Pro- International Symposium on Tilapia in Aquaculture. duction Systems: Integrating Fish and Plant Culture. http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/ista/ista6/ista6web/pdf/584.pdf SRAC Publication No. 454. Southern Region Aquacul- Rakocy, J.E., D.S. Bailey, J.M. Martin and R.C. ture Center, Mississippi State University. 6p. Shultz. 2003. Tilapia production systems for the Lesser Rakocy, J.E., and A. Nair. 1987. Integrating fish Antilles and other resource-limited, tropical areas. In: culture and vegetable hydroponics: Problems and Report of the Subregional Workshop to Promote Sus- prospects. Virgin Islands Perspectives, University of tainable Aquaculture Development in the Small Island the Virgin Islands Agricultural Experiment Station, Developing States of the Lesser Antilles. FAO Fisheries St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Vol. 1, No. 1. (Winter/ Report No. 704 Spring 1987). p. 19-23. www.fao.org/docrep/006/Y4921E/y4921e07.htm#bm7.3 Rakocy, James E. 1984. A recirculating system for tilapia Rakocy, James E. 1998. Integrating hydroponic plant culture and vegetable hydroponics in the Caribbean. production with recirculating system aquaculture: Presented at the Auburn Fisheries and Aquaculture Some factors to consider. p. 392-394. In: Proceedings Symposium, September 20-22, Auburn University, of Second International Conference on Recirculating Alabama. 30 p. Aquaculture, Held July 16-19, Roanoke, VA. Rakocy, James E. 1989. Vegetable hydroponics and fish http://nsgd.gso.uri.edu/vsgcp/vsgcpc98001/ culture: A productive interface. World Aquaculture. vsgcpc98001index.html September. p. 42-47. Rakocy, James. 1999. The status of aquaponics, Part I. Bailey, D.S., J.E. Rakocy, W.M. Cole and K.A. Shultz. Aquaculture Magazine. July-August. p. 83-88. 1997. Economic analysis of a commercial-scale aquaponic www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 21