In cities like Hong Kong and Paris you often see it: large hydroponics of aquaponics Farms on top of parking garages. Growing vegetables without soil, but only with a water system (hydroponics), possibly supplemented with fish manure (aquaponics). In this experimental setup of the Yuverta Course Livable city and climate You'll see a small preview of what this might look like. Without live fish, as we felt that was irresponsible for an unmanned exhibition.
Create a Citiponic (Urban vertical farm) in Sinagpore
Aquaponics – what is that?
Aquaponics is a highly efficient and sustainable way to grow vegetables and fish in a small space, for example, in the garden or on a balcony. All you need is a tank with fish, a container to grow the plants in, and a pump placed between them. This creates a cycle that benefits both the fish and the vegetables.
Plants purify the water
Fish waste contains all sorts of substances that can serve as nutrients for plants—such as nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and ammonia. These substances are converted into nitrate, which is absorbed by the plant roots. This purifies the water. Plants obtain almost everything they need this way. They only need occasional supplementation of iron, calcium, potassium, and possibly magnesium.
Fish feed the plants
The water polluted by the fish is collected around the plant roots. Naturally occurring bacteria there convert the fish waste into nitrates, a fertile food source for the plants in the system. In this way, the water is purified by the plant roots, which are (partially or completely) submerged in the water. The clean water is then pumped back to the tank with the fish.
Benefits of Aquaponics
This natural and environmentally friendly cycle has many advantages:
- Maximum reuse of raw materials, manure and water
- Completely organic cultivation, when your plants live on the fish manure
- No weeds that compete for available nutrients and require a lot of work
- The system is flexible and can be set up on a small scale, so you can fit it into the available space.
- Plants often grow faster due to the constant availability of nutrients
- Water consumption is much lower than in conventional agriculture
- High yield and little work
- Contributes to self-sufficient living
