AGRICULTURAL NEWS - Aquaponics, which involves growing a plant crop using the waste products from fish culture, is an ever-more popular practice in South Africa.
Currently, however, it suffers from a fundamental problem: in almost every example, the fish side of the operation is regarded as secondary to that of the plants.
Currently, however, it suffers from a fundamental problem: in almost every example, the fish side of the operation is regarded as secondary to that of the plants.
This makes little sense, as one of the aims is to obtain maximum growth of both.
Inefficient old methods
In a traditional aquaponics set-up, small, high-sided, circular plastic tanks of about 1 500l each are used for fish culture, and these are coupled to a gravel bed system.
The gravel bed becomes a biological filter, breaking down the ammonia-based waste products in the water into nitrates, which the plants then take up.
