Monitoring Water Quality and its Impacts on Productivity of Fish and Crop while Building a Small-Scale Aquaponic System Using Locally Available Materials

Abstract

Aquaponic is a combination of aquaculture and hydroponic system. It is natural and sustainable food production cycle where wastes released by fish is converted into nutrients (ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate) and used by the plants. The system has economic values and it provides cost-effective and environmental friendly alternatives for wastewater treatment as well as land reduction. In recent year, aquaponic has become popular in many parts of the world because it is cheap and safe food production systems which produce organic and healthy food crops. To maintain a healthy aquaponic system, it requires a regular monitoring of water quality as water is major growth medium and one of the most important factors that affects the functioning of aquaponic system. Therefore, this study was basically aimed to monitor the safe level of aquaponic water quality for effective and sustainable food production.