Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Aquaponics Job Description


Aquaponics Job Description
In the aquaponics group you will maintain the system by testing the pH every day putting in Calcium Carbonate to raise it. You will also need to know how the system works. First you feed the BSFLs (Black Soldier Fly Larvae) and worms to the fish. Then the fish produce ammonia which the nitrosomanus consume and then they produce nitrite. Then the nitrobacter consume the nitrite and produce nitrate which the plants use as fertilizer. Then we eat the plants and the food scraps go to the BSFLs and the system starts over

Friday, May 3, 2013

How Much Water Is In The Aquaponics System?

A few months ago we figured out about how much water is in the Aquaponics system.

The Formula...


  • Take the number of gallons in one of your tanks and divide it by four.
  • Estimate how full the barrel is (in fourths).
  • Multiply the answer to bullet one and that is the answer to one of your barrels.
  • Do that for the rest of your barrels.
Our answer was 68.75 gallons.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Aquaponics Lights

Our Aquaponics system is almost a closed system, the only thing we need to fix is the lights. Right now we have four LED's and four CFL's. We are working on getting solar panels to generate the pump and the lights.


School Board Speech

May, 6, 2013

Aquaponics is an alternative way to grow plants that is local and sustainable. Plants are proven to grow 4 times faster than in regular soil. Fish in the system produce ammonia that feeds the nitrosomonas. The nitrosomonas goes to nitrite. The nitrite feeds the nitrobacter which create the nitrate, and the nitrate feeds the plants. The water put in the Aquaponics system is rain water caught from the roof. We add about 5 gallons of water into the system every week. We are also reducing the food we don’t finish during lunchtime from going to waste. The cafeteria waste is given to the worms and black soldier fly larvae who decompose it and then get fed to the fish. We also test the pH. Systems Thinking is a huge part in keeping the Aquaponics system running. The Aquaponics system is a very good example of interdependence because if one thing fails the entire system fails. One of the systems tools we use is a connection circle.