The document provides an introductory lecture about aquaponics farming in Hainan, China. It discusses how aquaponics can be used to more efficiently grow food on less land with less water and resources compared to traditional farming. Specifically, it introduces the aquaponics system design from the University of the Virgin Islands that is being demonstrated, which uses fish tanks to fertilize hydroponic crops. Maintaining the proper pH balance and nutrient levels in the water is important for the health of both the fish and plants.

1. Aquaponics Global Ltd. Introductory Lecture
Aquaponic Farming For Hainan.

2. Aquaponics-The Modern Automated ORGANIC Food Factory.

Due mostly to a sharp increase in tourism, Hainan is having to import
more and more food. At the same time, the natural wonders the
tourists are keen to see are being wiped out by farmers cutting down
the forest to get more land-to grow food to feed the tourists.

This makes no sense whatsoever, especially since there is a very
efficient and simple to transfer technology that takes advantage of a
skill many Hainanese already have-FISH FARMING.

Aquaponics is the marriage of INTENSIVE MODERN FISH FARMING
IN TANKS to INTENSIVE MODERN HYDROPONIC FARMING ON
FLOATING POLYSTYRENE RAFTS IN RACEWAYS FULL OF FISH WASTE
WATER. NO SOIL IS NEEDED. AQUAPONICS CAN GO ANYWHERE.

Aquaponics grows 90% more food on 90% less space with 90% less
water and work. It uses 17% of the energy of soil farming,

3. Tropical Outdoor Aquaponics Using the University of the Virgin Islands
Design.

This is the tried and
tested (operational
commercially since the
1970s) University of the
Virgin Islands
aquaponics system
design that our
technician is trained to
install and use.

4. The nitrogen cycle in water helps fish and plants live happily together in an aquaponic system
NITRIFYING BACTERIA, NITROSOMONAS AND NITROBACTER, digest fish waste into plant food.
Plants eat up the plant food and clean the water. The water is pumped back to the fish. Round
and round. The only input is FISH FOOD, tiny amounts of trace minerals and a little top-up
water (1.5% daily of the total volume of water in the aquaponic system). This compares
favourably with around 90% of water top-up daily for irrigated agriculture.

5. Base addition Effluent line Hydroponic tanks
Degassing
Rearing tanks
Sump
Clarifier
Return line
Filter tanks
Total water volume, 110 m3 Land area - 0.05 ha

6. Aquaponics Plumbing Diagram Side On FROM OUTSIDE Showing CLARIFIER, outer settling tank
for fish solids disposal, piping from fish rearing tanks to clarifier. Getting rid of the fish solids to
an outside tank for settling out and composting to organic fish manure is important. Fish solids
are removed from the system via a tap on the clarifier three times a day, every day. Any waste
water is safe to use as irrigation water on normal soil crops such as fruit trees and grain. No
untreated fish effluent is allowed to go to waste into rivers and lakes. It's too valuable as
organic fertilizer!

7. View from below of main piping runs in the UVI aquaponics system. Note the route the water
from the degassing tank takes into one set of hydroponic tanks, then the return piping (water
lines) from the second connected set of hydroponic tanks. We will now trace the flow of the
water around the system using the System Diagram:

9. System Design
Four fish rearing tanks, 7.8 m3 each
 Two cylindro-conical clarifiers, 3.8 m3 each
 Four filter tanks, 0.7 m3 each
 One degassing tank, 0.7 m3
 Six hydroponic tanks, 11.3 m3 each
 Total plant growing area, 214 m2
 One sump, 0.6 m3
 Base addition tank, 0.2 m3
 Total water volume, 110 m3
 Land area - 0.05 ha ONLY

10. Original UVI Aquaponics System-4 fish rearing tanks and 6 hydroponic troughs.

11. Overview of the 6 hydroponic raceways of the UVI aquaponic system.

12. Treatment Processes
 Air stones, 22 per rearing tank, 24 per hydroponic tank
 Solids removal, three times daily from clarifier,
filter tank cleaning one or two times weekly
 Denitrification in orchard netting filled filter tanks
 Continuous degassing of methane, CO2 , H2S, N2
 Direct uptake of ammonia and other nutrient by plants
 Nitrification in hydroponic tank (keep an eye on it)
 Retention time: rearing tank, 1.37 h; clarifier, 20 min,
hydroponic tanks, 3 h

13. Airlines working in UVI fish rearing tank. Intensive fish rearing (1200 hybrid red tilapia fish in
7.8 cubic metres of water) requires additional air supplied constantly 24/7.

14. 2 regenerating air blowers supply air via air lines to the fish tanks and hydroponic tank. 1.5 hp
blower supplies the fish and the degassing tank. 1 hp blower supplies the hydroponic tanks.
They supply air to the water 24 hours a day all year or the fish and plants will die very rapidly.
Spare air blowers, backup electric supplies and pumps are essential to avoid disasters.

15. Fish rearing tank inlet and tank harvest water drainage pipes. Buried under gravel for easy
access for maintenance. The tank has to be half emptied during fish harvests, every 24 weeks
as fish get to market weight and size. This makes harvesting with hand-held nets much easier.

16. Each pair of fish rearing tanks has its own conical clarifier, and p.air of orchard netting filled
fine solids filtration and mineralization tanks. The water from both sides of the system goes
into the degassing tank (left hand side of picture) and flows via gravity to the 6 hydroponic
tanks. In the hydroponic tanks, the nutrients in the water are absorbed by the plant crops.

17. Another view of the orchard netting tanKs to which the water flows from the clarifier cone.

19. Dismantled conical clarifier end on with bottom hole for exit pipe for tapping off fish solids
effluent.

20. Dismantled aquaponics conical clarifier with baffles inserted. These force the solid lumps of
fish excrement downwards towards the bottom of the cone where they settle while the less
polluted water continues to the orchard netting fine solids filter tanks. Gravity fed water flow.

21. Fish solids (fish poo and water) being removed from the clarifier cone via pipe to the outside.
This should be done 3 times a day. The buckets of fish poo are sent to a settling pond outside.

22. Alignment of 1 clarifier and 2 orchard netting tanks with the fish rearing tanks they serve.

23. Clean the netting in the orchard netting tanks using the winch and a hose, with dechlorinated
and dechloramined water, once or twice a week to control nitrate levels in the water supply.
To find out how much nitrate, nitrite and ammonia is in your water, and to control the pH, you
have to test the water scientifically EVERY DAY. THIS IS NOT 'JUST ADD WATER' FARMING!

24. Cleaning the orchard netting using built in high pressure nozzles. The nitrifying bacteria live on
fine fish solids captured by the orchard netting and release dissolved nitrates for plant feed.

25. The solids settling pond at the UVI. Removed fish solids settle here and compost into a sludge.
The separated water can be used for soil crop irrigation. The sludge at the bottom is periodically
dewatered using a geotextile bag and pump. The resulting fish manure is organic fertilizer. This
water runoff from the system represents around 1.5% of the system volume as an exchange rate.

26. The degassing tank and base addition tank, sump and pump at the center of the UVI system.
Water flows by gravity from the orchard netting mineralization and filter tanks to the degassing
tank, which is heavily aerated with air lines. This fizzing air through the water removes residual
hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide from the water column. The base addition tank is for the
gradual addition of tiny amounts of garden lime (calcium hydroxide-Ca(OH)2) and old fashioned
lye (potassium hydroxide-KOH) in alternating amounts with precise testing to control water pH.

28. A crop of lettuce ready to harvest in the UVI hydroponic troughs. 29 days from seedling to
harvest, one harvest a week all year. Lettuce grown in soil takes 60 days at lower planting
density.

29. Floating raft with crop of lettuce ready to harvest at the UVI. Floating rafts can be lifted out to
harvest crops. Floating rafts are painted white on the upper surface to reflect solar radiation
upwards. This deflects heat from the water and the raft seals the raceway to prevent water
evaporation. Water exchange in this aquaponics system is 1.5% compared to 90% for
conventional soil crop farming. This is because the water is sealed in and shaded, and the fish
rearing tanks are also shaded. 98% of water used is constantly recycled round the system.

30. Another view of staggered crop rotation in the UVI aquaponic system. Seedlings and
harvestable crops grow in sequence on a “conveyor belt” of removable floating rafts. This is an
organic intensive food factory. In a controlled climate greenhouse, this method can be even
more productive with more control over temperature and humidity, also storm avoidance.

31. More lettuces growing fast in the UVI aquaponics system.

32. Culinary herbs (with a high market price per plant) growing in the UVI aquaponics system.

33. Cucumber plants growing in the UVI aquaponics system. Cucumber, melon and squash are all
possible fast-fruiting crops in this system.

34. Close up of an immature cucumber growing in the UVI floating raft aquaponics system.

35. Air line bubbling in a hydroponic raceway under water. The floating raft has been recently
removed temporarily for harvesting lettuce.

36. Air stones and airlines, airline connectors at the UVI. Air has to be constantly pumped into the
water in all the fish rearing tanks and hydroponic raceways.

37. Floating raft with lettuces being lifted out to harvest at waist height. No back breaking bending
or soil contamination. Clean lettuce! Fish are cold-blooded so cannot contaminate aquaponic
system water with germs that make humans sick. Wash your hands after going to the bathroom!

38. The trestle table on which the floating rafts are rested so the lettuces can be quickly cut off.

39. Putting the floating raft on the trestle table. Note the roots hanging down. In aquaponics, the
roots of the plants do not have to grow sideways to find nutrition, it is all in the fish waste
water supplied direct to the roots. So the plant's growth energy is all concentrated in top
growth which can make many species grow twice as fast, also at half the spacing. No need for
lots of space! Aquaponic farming uses 90% less space to grow up to 4 times more food.

40. Crated lettuce ready for market from the UVI aquaponics system.

41. Cleaned floating raft after lettuce harvest, being stacked against the fence to dry.

43. Treatment Characteristics
Fish toxin removal rates from the water
using romaine lettuce (g/m2/day):
NH3-N, 0.56 NO2-N, 0.62
COD, 30.3
Total nitrogen, 0.83
Total phosphorous, 0.17

44. Raft Hydroponics
 Advantages: no tank size limitation, no root clogging,
maximum exposure of roots to water, sheets
shade and cool water, plants not affected when
water pump stops, easy to harvest with no back breaking work
 Disadvantages: roots vulnerable to damage by
zooplankton, snails and other organisms (use tetras
(aquarium fish) to control zooplankton, and red ear
sunfish to control snails.

45. Snails like these can be a pest in your hydroponic troughs. Red eared sunfish will eat them.

46. Red eared sunfish living under your hydroponic rafts will eat all your snail pests, but not your
plants.

47. PEST CONTROL IN AQUAPONICS IS NECESSARILY BIOLOGICAL. IF YOU USE
CHEMICAL PESTICIDES, EVEN IF THEY ARE LABELLED 'ORGANIC', YOU WILL KILL
YOUR FISH!

Fish are very sensitive to poison. You cannot use
any toxic chemicals such as pesticides on your crops
since the water will take the chemicals back to the
fish and the fish will all die. No antibiotics either.

Pest control in aquaponics involves using beneficial
insects such as ladybugs, parasitic wasps, and
lacewings to eat up insect pests. You can also use
bacillus thuringensis, a bacterial spray that kills
caterpillars but not fish and humans, and natural
vegetable oils which suffocate the insects.

48. Biological Pest Control

DIPEL 
SPECIAL
BIOLOGICALY VEGETABLE
SAFE OIL SPRAYS.

49. DIPEL kills caterpillars and worms without killing fish and humans.

51. Important Principles
 Optimum feeding rate, 60 - 100 g/m2 plant
area/day prevents nutrient accumulation or
deficiency
 Slow removal of solids increases mineralization
 Frequency of filter tank cleaning controls
nitrate levels through denitrification
 Treatment capacity of hydroponic tanks is
equivalent to 180 g of feed/day/m2 of plant area

53. Production Management
 Feeding: three times daily ad libitum
32% protein, floating, complete diet
 Stagger fish production, 24 week cycle, harvest every 6
weeks
 Stagger plant production
 Use biological insect control
 Monitor pH daily, maintain pH 7.0 by
alternate and equal additions Ca(OH)2 and KOH
 Add chelated iron (2 mg/L) every 3 weeks
 Add makeup water daily, about 1.5% of system volume
 Purge fish for 4-5 days before sale

54. Red hybrid tilapia fish sell very well to restaurants. They also grow in large numbers in
aquaponics systems fish rearing tanks, where they fertilize the water for the plant crops. They
take 24 weeks to grow from fingerlings to plate size, and are harvested from each tank in turn
every six weeks. (There are 4 tanks, 4 x 6 weeks = 24 weeks). There is a separate breeding
station where the tilapia are bred on the farm to ensure healthy disease free fish.

55. Feeding the fish at the University of the Virgin Islands aquaponics system. Feed as much as
they will eat three times a day for maximum growth. Only as much as they will comfortably eat
in half an hour. DO NOT OVERFEED, this pollutes the water and will cause disease and dead
fish. The netting is to keep out predators such as birds and cats, who eat fish! You want to
make sure that you harvest 1200 fish (hybrid red tilapia, as an example) every 6 weeks!

56. Testing the water in the fish rearing tanks for pH. This must be done at least daily to make sure
that the pH is neutral (7.0). If the pH is too high or too low, old fashioned lye or garden lime base
must be added to buffer the water pH. This is done extremely carefully and gradually in the base
addition tank. Garden lime increases pH, while old fashioned lye decreases it. Tiny amounts
only!

57. Calcium hydroxide or garden lime (Ca(OH)2) in a bucket ready to be added to the base additon
tank at the center of the aquaponic system by the sump and pump. Be careful, this is nasty
stuff! Only this amount for thousands of liters of water. The base addition tank trickle adds the
solution over many hours in tiny quantities so as not to shock the fish.

58. The pH (level of water acidity/alkalinity) of your aquaponic system must always be kept
adjusted to neutral (7.0) for all the living processes and creatures to maintain healthy
harmony.
Aquaponics is extremely harmonious!

59. Potassium hydroxide before being added to the base addition tank at the center of the
aquaponic system by the sump and pump. Be careful, this is caustic, i.e. it burns! Only this
amount is added for thousands of gallons of water. The base addition tank trickle adds the
solution over many hours in tiny quantities so as not to shock the fish.

61. The base addition tank where the pH adjustment base chemicals are added very gradually to
the sump. This sump tank is where the water returns to from the hydroponic raceways to be
pumped back up to the fish tanks. The aquaponic system works with JUST ONE 1/2
HORSEPOWER ELECTRIC PUMP for water pumping, one 1 1/2 horsepower regenerating air
blower for fish rearing tanks and degassing, and one 1 horsepower blower for hydroponics.

62. The 1/2 horsepower electric pump UNDER THE SUMP, pumping the CLEANED water back up
ALONG THE MAIN PIPE that branches to supply the 4 fish rearing tanks. The fish tanks are the
HIGHEST POINT OF THE SYSTEM. From there the water trickles down again round the system
via gravity, finding its level as it follows the pipework from one tank to another. THE
AQUAPONIC SYSTEM IS FILLED FROM THE SUMP AND PUMP. THE SUMP IS NOT THE DUMP.
The dirty water from the system DOES NOT GO ANYWHERE NEAR THE PUMP.

63. Energy Consumption
 One blower for fish and degassing, 1.5 hp
 One blower for hydroponics, 1 hp
 One water pump, ½ hp
 Total energy consumption 3.0 hp
THE SINGLE PUMP IS UNDER THE SUMP
The clean water collects in the sump for the pump
The water is pumped to the highest point: the fish tanks.
It then flows under gravity round the system again .

65. Production
 Tilapia - 5 mt annually , 580 kg every 6 weeks,
160 kg/m 3 /yr
 Stocking rate: Niles, 77 fish/m3; reds, 154 fish/m3
 Leaf lettuce - 1,404 cases annually, 24-30
heads/case, 27 cases/week
 Basil - 5 mt annually
 Okra - 2.9 mt annually

66. Graphic showing relative production quantities overall in one year for tilapia, lettuce, basil and
okra using one 0.05 ha. UVI aquaponics unit. Other crops can be grown of course.
Units p.a.
Tilapia
Cases p.a.
Lettuce
Basil
Okra
kg/m3/yr
Okra
Metric tons p.a.
Basil
Lettuce
Tilapia
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000

67. 1200 red tilapia about to be harvested. Note the high stocking density of the fish and the AIR
LINES in the tank. Fish in intensive rearing tanks need a lot of oxygen. This stocking density in
pond fish farming is not possible because you cannot supply enough oxygen or control pH
accurately or consistently enough to get these results. If you did this in a pond you would kill
all the fish. POND FISH FARMING DOES NOT WORK FOR AQUAPONICS AT ALL.

68. Lifting a floating raft full of lettuces out of the hydroponic raceway.

69. Okra seedlings in plastic net pots and coir/vermiculite planting plugs newly inserted into a
floating raft. Seedlings are germinated and grown on separately in a separate greenhouse for 2-3
weeks before insertion into the aquaponic system. The growing medium for seedlings is a
mixture of non-soil inert coir (coconut fiber) and vermiculite. Soil is not allowed (diseases).

70. Okra growing in the UVI aquaponics system hydroponic raceways on floating polystyrene rafts.

71. Roots of okra crop demonstrating health and strong growth in nothing but fish waste water.

72. Okra plants ready to harvest the okra. Note the very high planting density. This cannot be
achieved in soil.

73. Okra harvest from UVI aquaponic system.

74. A crop of aquaponic cabbages.

75. Some other crops you can easily and quickly grow, flowers for cutting, melons, basil. Basil
grows from seedlings in 29 days. You can cut it three times before you have to replace the
plants.

76. Advantages of Aquaponics
 Fish provide most nutrients required by plants
 Plants use nutrients to produce a valuable by-product
 Hydroponic component serves as a biofilter
 Hydroponic plants extend water use and
reduce discharge to the environment
 Integrated systems require less water quality
monitoring than individual systems
 Profit potential increased due to free nutrients for plants,
lower water requirement, elimination of separate
biofilter, less water quality monitoring and shared costs
for operation and infrastructure.

78. Perspective on UVI Aquaponic System
 The system represents appropriate or intermediate
technology
 It conserves water and reuses nutrients
 The technology can be applied at a subsistence level or
commercial scale
 Production is continuous and sustainable
 The system is simple, reliable and robust
 Management is easy if guidelines are followed

79. Nelson & Pade Commercial Size Ready Made System In Kit Form.
If you don't want to build your aquaponic system yourself from local
materials, you can order a kit from America. This is, however, much
more expensive and many of the parts are actually 'Made in China.'

Nelson & Pade, U.S.A.

Well established
manufacturer of commercial
sized aquaponic farming kits.

Largely copied from the
previously described
University of the Virgin
Islands aquaponic system.

Guaranteed to work.

Price of one UVI-like
commercial small sized farm
kit $45,495 excluding freight
and installation.

80. Nelson & Pade grow beds and fish grow out tank. Two grow beds in one raceway with a plastic
divider, floating raft systems. Grow out tank with observation window for Nile tilapia. Can be
build outdoors or in a controlled climate greenhouse.

81. Nelson & Pade conical clarifier. Nelson & Pade orchard netting tank and degassing tank. These
work exactly the same as the UVI system above. The conical clarifier removes the worst of the
fish solids using baffles to drive the solids o settle ttowards the exit pipe at the bottom. The
orchard netting tank removes the finer solids and provides a home for the nitrifiying bacteria
which digest the solids into nitrates. The degassing tank removes hydrogen sulphide and
excess carbon dioxide from the water column using intensive aeration via the air pumped
through air lines in the tank. From the degassing tank the water flows out to the plants.

82. Nelson & Pade UVI-style sump with base addition tank for gradual addition of pH control
bases. The single low horsepower pump for the whole Nelson and Pade system, like the UVI
system, pushes the water up to its highest level in the fish tanks. From there it trickles down
around the system and back to the sump and pump using gravity under its own weight. This is
basically the same system as that designed by the University of the Virgin Islands team in the
1970s, but available as a prefabricated easy to assemble kit. Operating the system, however,
requires additional advice, training and supervision for some months to ensure success.

83. Close up of Nelson & Pade degassing tank. Here excess hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide
from bacterial activity in the orchard netting tanks is removed with intense aeration. Water
flows from the degassing tank straight out to the hydroponic troughs.

Water flows from the
orchard netting tanks
to the degassing tank.
From the degassing
tank the water flows
full of nitrates to the
hydroponic tanks. This
is identical to the UVI
system but smaller. It
does not grow anything
like as much fish.

84. Lettuce seedlings growing in the hydroponic trough (29 days to harvest).

Seedlings growing in
net pots in the floating
polystyrene raft in the
hydroponic trough.
They are not growing in
soil. Their roots are
suspended in the fish
waste waste that has
just flowed out of the
degassing tank. The
water under the raft is
intensively aerated.

85. Nelson & Pade media bed modules.

THIS IS NOT SOIL.

This is expanded clay
balls. This neutral
growing medium is
good for crops that do
not like to have their
roots submerged in
water all the time.
Reusable. Flooded with
flowing water at all
times to a fixed level.

86. Fish, green leafy vegetable (lettuce, bok choi, kailan etc) and tomato example production
chart, Nelson & Pade Commercial 500 system. Fish production is 997.9 kilos a year to
simultaneously produce vast amounts of green vegetables and tomatoes. Area of the system is
only 374.585 m² or 0.037 ha.
Units p.a. max
Fish
Leafy greens
Tomatoes
Units p.a min
Kilos Per year
Tomatoes
Leafy greens
Fish
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000 50000

87. Specifications of the Commercial 500 Aquaponic System From Nelson & Pade.
Specific Details Commercial 500 Aquaponic System
Estimated lbs. of fish 2,200 lbs/997.903 kg/year
Estimated pounds of fish is based on raising Nile Tilapia,
under optimum conditions.
Estimated number of heads of lettuce/greens 28,800 – 46,080 /year
We have used lettuce as an example because it is 552 - 884/week, average
commonly grown in aquaponics. Most other greens such as
collards, chard, bok choi and herb varieties such as basil,
chives and cilantro, can be grown using the same plant
spacing. Other crops, such as tomatoes, eggplant, melons,
beans, cucumbers, etc., can be grown using the appropriate
plant spacing. Results depend on good management and
vary according to climate and whether in a greenhouse.
Estimated lbs of tomatoes (in addition to the production 2400 – 3360/pounds/year
above) 1088.621 - 1524.070 kg/year
Size of vegetable grow beds: 2 – 8’ x 40’
Raft 2 – 10’ x 32’
NFT Aquaponic Flow Channels 2 – 3’ x 32’
Media-Beds 2880 plant sites (leaf)
96 plant sites (vine)
Number and size of fish tanks 4 – 500 gal fish tanks
Estimated amount of time required/day 5 - 8 hours/day
For feeding fish, maintaining filters, seeding, transplanting
and harvesting
Approximate space/dimensions required 2 – 28’ x 72’, 4,032 sq. ft. / 374.585 m² or 0.037 ha.
Package Cost $ 45,495
Kit Crating Fee $825

88. This is the mature aquaponics system at the University of the Virgin Islands, St Croix.
More food can be grown per hectare than with any other form of food production in
a mature and properly managed aquaponics system for LESS INPUTS than
conventional agriculture. Aquaponics Global Ltd aquaponics consultancy can assist
you to construct and operate one or more of these systems on a residency basis.

89. General productivity of ALL aquaponic systems is much more efficient than soil farming. This
has been scientifically proven with studies which are freely available online.
E.g. http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/enviro/aquaculture/acrdp-pcrda/projects/reports-rapports/ca/CA-05-01-004.pdf

Aquaponics uses 90% less land than soil farming to
produce the same amount of food as a plot 90%
larger of soil, or much more.

Aquaponics uses 90% less water to produce the
same amount of food as a plot 90% larger. Or even
more food than that. Depends on what you grow.

Aquaponics can produce up to 4 times as much
food per acre/hectare as conventional farming.

No chemical pesticides or herbicides can be used.

Compared to hydroponics alone or fish farming
alone, aquaponics is cheaper and more productive.

90. Staffing levels in aquaponics are low for technical staff. Only temporary
harvesters needed.

Because aquaponic farms are largely automated
food factories, only two or three full-time technical
staff are needed for farms producing tons of food.

Minimum-wage semi-skilled harvesters are required
only once or twice a week to do the easy harvesting
of vegetables off the floating rafts at waist height.

Fish harvesting is once every six weeks. Fish filleters
and processors may be needed. Adequate
refrigeration equipment is definitely needed.

91. Income from aquaponic farming varies according to market, crops grown, and quality of farm
management. Marketing your fish, vegetables and fruit is also VERY important and should be
done correctly and in good time to maximize your income from your organic food factory.

Income from aquaponic farming varies from country to country, climate to climate
and individual to individual. Different crops bring in different prices in different
places. Aquaponics Global Ltd expert approved consultants are available for
preliminary on the spot assessment of your technical aquaponics system
requirements, construction costs, operating costs and requirements, crop products
and markets in your area for the usual consultancy fees, plus travel and living
expenses, interpreting assistance paid for . We are all accomplished linguists who
can learn your language on long-term residency contracts without too many
problems.

Like any business, successful aquaponic farming depends on correct standard
operating procedures being adhered to by properly trained staff. Aquaponics
Global Ltd consultants are qualified to train your technicians and semi-skilled
workers properly on the spot, with appropriate linguistic and logistical assistance
from your side. We can also train future aquaponics technology trainers.

Good general farm management and sustained, timely and creative marketing are
also crucial. You do not make money by growing food. You make money by selling
food! We can teach you modern farm and food factory management, and efficient
marketing, locally and on the Internet!

92. Differences Between Aquaponics And Conventional Farming 1.

Conventional Agriculture 
Aquaponics

Grows crops in soil. 
Does not grow crops in soil. Grows
crops in recirculated fish waste
water, either on its own with the
crop plants suspended at the
surface in plastic net pots on
floating polystyrene rafts, or
suspended in the flowing water by
an intert growing media fill such as
expanded clay balls (Hydroton or
Hydroleca brands) or pea gravel.

94. Differences Between Aquaponics And Conventional Farming 2.

Conventional Farming 
Aquaponics
Does not use artificial fertilizer.
Uses artificial fertilizer


Nitrates dissolved in the recirculating
from a natural gas fish water from the intensive fish
farm, flowing through the grow beds
(methane) or methane or floating raft deep water containers
from oil refining fertilize the plants. The source of
these nitrates is the ammonia
feedstock. You have to excreted by the fish in the intensive
tank-based fish farm part of the
buy artificial fertilizer aquaponic recirculating aquaculture
every year to grow system. Aquaponics uses liquid
organic fertilizer sourced via the
enough food. solids removal and mineralization
section from the fish excreta. Fish
excrete ammonia through their gills
and a certain amount is also
dissolved out of their faeces as well.

95. Lettuce seedlings freshly inserted into floating polystyrene rafts in the hydroponic
tanks. No artificial fertilizer is used. Specially filtered fish farm waste water is used in
the tanks. The lettuces clean the water of nitrates and GROW GROW GROW to
harvest size in 29 days (normal time in soil farming is 60 days). The clean water is
pumped back to the fish in the fish rearing tanks. Over 90% of this water is
recirculated constantly. No weeding or digging required. Far less space and water
required to grow much more food far faster than is possible in soil agriculture!

96. Differences Between Aquaponics And Conventional Farming 3.

Conventional Farming 
Aquaponics
At least 90% of the water used by aquaponic
Water in conventional


systems is recirculated. Water evaporation is
limited by keeping the fish tanks in the shade
agriculture is used only and covering deep water containers completely
with floating white-painted closed-cell
once. 90% of it then polystyrene rafts. These rafts are pierced with
holes at regular intervals into which the plants
goes to waste! China is in their polystyrene net pots are inserted. No
surface area is permanently exposed to the heat
now experiencing a of the sun, and the white paint further reflects
heat back up into the atmosphere. This helps to
severe water shortage keep water temperature at optimum levels for
growth while stopping evaporation. Some loss
and this should not does occur through evapotranspiration through
the plants, however. In the University of the
continue! Virgin Islands aquaponic system water exchange
is 1.5% of the total system water volume (the
amount of water that has to be topped up to
replace water used to flush out fish solids and
to replace water loss through
evapotranspiration).

97. Differences Between Aquaponics And Conventional Farming 4.

Conventional Farming 
Aquaponics
Aquaponics uses an adapted form of
Conventional agriculture

hydroponics to grow crops. Crops grow at
only can harvest a few up to twice the speed suspended in fertile
fish waste water. They also grow at up to
crops a year. Plants grow half the required spacing, so with crops
such as basil and lettuce it is possible to
slowly in soil. In get twice as many plants, twice as fast
with the right varieties. That is 4 times as
temperate climates, there much food! Crops grown in the floating
is a long winter harvesting raft deep water container system can be
grown conveyor-belt fashion, with
rest. seedlings being planted at one end of the
hydroponic floating raft raceway as crops
are being harvested weekly year-round
from floating rafts at the other end. In
temperate and desert climates a
controlled climate greenhouse is
necessary to get these results year-round,
however.

98. Differences Between Aquaponics And Conventional Farming 5.

Conventional Farming 
Aquaponics
You cannot use chemical pesticides.
Conventional


Even the 'organic' labelled ones will
agriculture uses large kill all your fish dead fast. Since the
fish it is who are running your
quantities of artificial aquaponic system, don't use chemical
chemical pesticides. pesticides. Only biologically safe pest
control methods can be used. These
include friendly insects such as
ladybugs and parasitic wasps, bacillus
thuringensis, which kills caterpillars
but does not affect fish or people, and
vegetable oils which suffocate the
pests.

99. Biological Pest Control-
Ladybugs, Parasitic Wasps, Lacewings, Hoverflies, Dipel (Bacillus
Thuringensis), Special Vegetable Oil Bug Killer Sprays.

DIPEL 
SPECIAL
BIOLOGICALY VEGETABLE
SAFE-Kills OIL SPRAYS-kill
caterpillars insects by
and worms. suffocation.

100. Differences Between Aquaponics And Conventional Farming 6.

Conventional Farming 
Aquaponics

Conventional 
No digging is necessary.
agriculture has to spend Everything grows in
time, money and water. No soil is needed
equipment on or allowed. Soil brings
ploughing, hoeing and plant and fish diseases,
digging. so it is banned. You
cannot and must not
use soil in an
aquaponics system.

101. Differences Between Aquaponics And Conventional Farming 7.

Conventional Farming 
Aquaponics

Conventional 
You only need 10% of the land
space used by conventional
agriculture uses a lot of agriculture to grow the same
space and land. It often amount as would be grown n
is associated with 90% more space in a year in
soil. In many cases you can
sewage pollution grow vastly more than that on
problems from cattle your tiny plot. This is very
and pig farm runoff. intensive agriculture, grown as
if the food was being made in a
modern factory. Unlike other
factory farming methods, it
does not pollute the water
supply.

102. Differences Between Aquaponics And Conventional Farming 8.

Conventional Farming 
Aquaponics

Conventional 
This is automated
agriculture is labor- growing. A team of two
intensive. or three trained
technicians are the only
permanent staff you
need, the rest are
weekly harvesters that
come in for the weekly
harvest to do easy
hourly piece work.

103. Differences Between Aquaponics And Conventional Farming 9.

Conventional Farming 
Aquaponics

Conventional farmers 
In a controlled climate
greenhouse, if needed due to the
are dependent on the outdoors climate, you can control
weather, which can day length with low energy LED
grow lamps, and control humidity,
wipe out profits air temperature, etc. No
suddenly. destructive weather and pest
control is easier. So the ROI on a
controlled climate greenhouse is
fast since you are growing when
no-one else in your area can, very
probably. Supplying the winter
market for vegetables without the
high prices of imports. Remember,
low staff ratios too.

104. Differences Between Aquaponics And Conventional Farming 10.

Conventional Farming 
Aquaponics

Conventional vegetable farmers 
You have two different
just grow vegetables. products being produced
simultaneously here in the
same space, tilapia fish and
vegetables and/or soft fruit
such as strawberries and
melons. The vegetables grow
much faster than the fish and
in much larger quantities. The
big money is in the vegetables.

105. Why is the big money in the vegetables, not the fish?
Tilapia fish take 24 weeks Leafy green vegetables
to grow from baby fish grow up to twice as fast
to plate size. When you as normal in aquaponic
start your aquaponic systems, at up to half
system running, you the normal spacing. You
have to wait 6 MONTHS can get a crop of lettuce
for any fish harvests at at twice as many per
all. However, you will be square metre than in
getting lots of soil, in 29 days rather
vegetables after 6-8 than 60!! Other crops
WEEKS from starting up. grow fast, too.

106. Differences Between Aquaponics And Conventional Farming 11.

Conventional Farming 
Aquaponics

Conventional 
All automated on the
agriculture requires a spot. No running
lot of fuel and around. 17% of the
electricity to run barns, energy usage of a
tractors, combine conventional farm
harvesters, backhoes, overall. You are not
ploughs, etc. digging or weeding so
no complex machinery
is needed. Just the
aquaponic system.

107. Two Different Futures For Hainan.

Conventional Farming 
Aquaponics

Farming continues as usual without 
Aquaponics is adopted as a
technical reforms. Land and water use government policy for all fish farms
continue to increase. The famous and market gardens. Fish farming
Hainan natural environment is becomes sustainable and massively
destroyed by desperate farmers more productive. Fruit and vegetable
trying to find more land and water to production increase exponentially to
grow food. There is no longer any the point where Hainan is exporting
rain forest for the tourists to come fresh organic produce even with the
and see, and the beach and littoral demand from the tourist boom. Land
environment is polluted by sewage and water use actually go down
runoff from mismanaged instead of up. This makes saving the
conventional agriculture. Tourists rain forest from being cut down very
cease to come because the place is much easier and makes this carefully
ruined, and soil and water quality go managed forest available for
down to a point where food mostly profitable ecotourism. Everyone is
has to be imported at great expense. happier, healthier and more
Nobody is happy and many are prosperous.

108. Aquaponics Global Can Help You To Take Hainan To A Green And Prosperous Future.
We at Aquaponics Global Ltd. Aquaponics Consultancy can help you
with feasibility studies, technical advice, construction and operational
assistance and training to bring about that second happy, healthy and
prosperous food-rich future for Hainan. Please do not hesitate to
contact us for further information and discussion of how we can help
you. Normal consultancy contractual terms, fees and expenses paid
apply.
© Aquaponics Global Ltd., 2012.
Aquaponics Global Ltd,
http://aquaponicsglobal.com
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