Aquaponics

The term aquaponics is a hybrid of aquaculture and hydroponics. The combination of these has a huge environmental advantage in that it consumes much less water. With aquaculture and hydroponics the water eventually becomes contaminated by fertilisers and therefore needs changing whereas aquaponics only loses water to evaporation and consumption by the plants. Aquaponics is the combined culture of fish and plants in recirculation systems. Nutrients, which are excreted directly by the fish or generated by the microbial decomposition of organic waste, are absorbed by the plants that, while feeding, clean the water that returns to the fish tank. It is the natural cycle of life that has worked in lakes and rivers since the beginning of time, with maximum water savings and production levels similar or superior to hydroponics, aquaculture or agriculture in soil; obtaining healthy produce without potentially toxic residues; and with low or even zero environmental impact of its effluents (solid and liquid waste from the facilities). For all these reasons, aquaponics is spreading rapidly as a means of sustainable food production.  

It is the natural cycle of life that works in lakes and rivers since the beginning of time, with maximum water savings and production levels similar or superior to hydroponics or to aquaculture separately and to agriculture in soil; obtaining healthy products without potentially toxic chemical residues; and the low or no environmental impact of its effluents (solid and liquid waste from the facilities). For all these reasons, aquaponics is spreading very rapidly as a means of sustainable food production.