aquaponic prototype project

Aquaponic project

For our project we decided to make a prototype of an aquaponic system. Our aquaponic was made out of reusable materials, with the exception of an air pump. We used an old tank for the fish tank, plastic cups to hold the plants, and used clay pebbles. We did not have any fish, because we didn’t have enough time to make a stable environment for them. In our fish tank we grew basil, mint, and rosemary. Our goal for the Aquaponic project was to show that there are sustainable substitutes for fertilizer, and non eco-friendly farming. Our inspiration came from Ms. Hill. At the beginning of our project, we were stuck without an idea, but we knew we wanted to make something with plants and animals. Ms. Hill looked up different projects and we chose to do an aquaponic in the end.

Our biggest challenges were time, money, and overall planning. We didn’t have enough time to make sure that fish could live in the environment, and to make sure the plants would grow. We also had financial problems getting the fish and the plants (it would cost around 30$). Also, at the beginning of our project, we didn’t have an idea at all of what we were going to do. Thankfully, we got ourselves together in time. On the 3rd day, we eventually got to work. There was no more time to waste.

We learned the science in the system: In an aquaponic system the fish waste creates two main things nitrates and ammonia. Nitrates are necessary for plant and are a great fertilizer. Ammonia on the other hand is toxic to plants and will affect their growth. A good and stable aquaponic should have lots of healthy bacteria, including nitrifying bacteria. Nitrifying bacteria will transmute the ammonia into nitrates creating a healthy ecosystem for the plants, and fish. There are some factors you need to watch out for when making an aquaponic like ph levels. Plants and fish need different ph levels so you need to have a ph level close to 7; You need to make sure there is enough oxygen in the water; and you need to check to see if the things you put on the plants affect the fish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PVdQ3-7UIs