Validation of nutrient dynamics models in aquaponic systems through a mass balance analysis

Abstract

Aquaponics is a new industry that has been developed with great potential worldwide. This relatively new food production system is a combination of fish and vegetable production in a closed-loop recirculating water system. Aquaponics eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers to grow plants hydroponically since the system uses highly nutritious effluent produced by fish, which contains almost all nutrients required for optimum plant growth. At the same time, instead of wasting water loaded with nutrients, aquaponics uses plants to clean and purify the water, which is then returned to aquaculture tanks. Therefore, water can be reused indefinitely and is only replenished to compensate for evapotranspiration losses. This is an environmentally sustainable technology that can generate several value-added products near large urban areas, because the systems can be even established in water-constrained regions. Thus, the objective of this project is to validate a new model that describes the nutrient dynamics in aquaponics systems growing Nile tilapia integrated with hydroponic lettuce production.