Submitted by Sudhir Kade on January 4, 2007 - 4:21pm.
Outline Proposal for Integration of Aquaculture (hydroponic /soil based organic vegetable <--> fish farm setup)
Introduction
The sustainable food generation mechanism proposed is bold and visionary yet pragmatic and creates multiple revenue streams as well as a sustainable food production cycle which will generate ongoing food and financial resources for the community for which it is designed. In this case we propose an indoor setup which incorporates separate bins for Tilapia breeding and hydroponic organic vegetation respectively. This setup is synergistic with either indoor or outdoor soil-based gardening and vermi-composting as well.
Beyond the baseline, we will add never before integrated innovations: alternative
energy powering the system, hi-tech quality control monitoring, and modularity.
This system will be a sustainable living machine which can serve quite well as a tactile
and experiential, intergenerational, and educational tool to enrich the lives of all who
interact with it or are exposed to it.
An excellent primer for outdoor aquaponics model : http://www.growseed.org/aquaponics.html
A second fantastic primer: http://www.growseed.org/growingpower.html
The key to sustainability will be to tailor the best practices and core elements from the outdoor model to the creation of an indoor model that can occupy minimal space – perhaps 1,000 square feet or so. The benefit of an indoor system is such that a year-round learning center is available for student use and the continuous production of fish and vegetables. If a greenhouse is utilized natural sunlight is also captured.
A great blog entry detailing a full scale greenhouse-based farm is here : http://smallfarms.typepad.com/small_farms/2006/04/where_theres_a_.html
and the fish most preferable for the project are Tilapia : http://grows<--!break-->eed.org/tilapia.html
Our Proposal for TIS Basement Production
If not, and without daylighting of some sort, artificial lighting will need to be incorporated. This is the innovative approach we are advocating for use in the Intergenerational (Star) Complex, which could utilize basement space to create a learning and produce center for students, staff, and faculty alike. The setup we envision would have the following requirements:
The most important factors in creating a successful sunless indoor Tilapia <--> Organic Hydroponic <--> Vermicomposting loop are the following:
1. Artificial Lighting: for this step we ideally want energy efficient grow-lamps
2. Feeding – duckweed grows and with algae feed the vegetarian Tilapia
3. Stock Densities need to be maintained for optimal performance! (see links)
a. Tilapia
b. Worms (red wiggler)
4. Water Quality
5. Breeding
6. Vermi-composting
Revenue Streams generated by each sub-process:
1. Fresh , pollutant/metal free Tilapia for local economic opportunity
2. Organic Hydroponic produce (lettuce, cucumber, water-friendly, nutritious for all)
3. Less water friendly organics grown in community gardens or soil bins
4. Sludge from fish tank perfect feed for vermicomposting –-> worm feed
5. Nitrates created excellent for the process –bacteria in plant root ammonia of fish
waste converted by plants to nutritious nitrates for plants (Papyrus excellent) –
another possible revenue op
6. Vermicomposting red wigglers feed on sludge and chaff and produce waste
that is super plant food and fertilizer (castings) = revenue stream!
7. Soil enriched and cleaned organically – fungi can facilitate lead abatement by
consuming lead like a sponge, contracting toxicity into a smaller space!
This proposal is pure genius
I love the holistic nature of this approach - this is the type of innovation we need to see in Northeast Ohio. I look forward to seeing this in operation soon.
Disrupt IT
could you make compost tea there?
Great idea! Now I have been thinking that someone in Northeast Ohio should be making compost tea. I posted about compost tea use for bio remediation in New Orleans here see the science Scott's needs. Later I did more research on compost tea preparation and found excellent resources here at the Kitchen Gardener. As an economic development opportunity, it seems that once the Brownfield GIS is done, we will be in need of lots of compost tea for breaking down the complex chemicals that are in our soil in the city. If it is working for New Orleans where the pollutants have been spread far and wide by the flooding, it may work for us, too. Either way it is an excellent source of plant nutrition and no one I can find is brewing it here in Northeast Ohio. Now you can purchase the compost tea made by Terracycle in NortheastOhio, here, but it would be great to have this as a bioremediation output of this operation, too, for local use.
SR - great proposal - sprinke the following in as neeeded.
seriously, the supporting curriculum would practically write itself.
when you need some water filtration, pumps, mechanics, etc, there are several buildings full of them at the old Sea World. Cedar Fair aint going to use them (no mo animals at their parks) and they are collecting dust. Maybe we can get a deal on some. PS they have some serious fiberglass tanks as well that would be just the thing. They have heaters, and filtration as well... again mothballed. Heck they have everything they need, and I know where to find former operators of most of the gear for training.
Also, back when that stuff was all running, and Shamu lived in Aurora, a guy by the name of Pete Mohan headed up their aquarium program. He's a smart guy and now works for the Columbus Zoo I believe.
So what I am saying here is that I used to work with folks that know how to do some of this (keep fish healthy in tanks). Granted we were not fattening them up for a fish fry! Freeking count me in.... O and I have access to eisenia foetida as well whick you identified as a necessary ingredient in your proposal (red wigglers).
Would like to go on record again and suggest that ingidinous/native/local species of fish is at least considered? Perhaps a eco_logical aquaculture program has multiple species errr uh flavors of fish to market anyhow? Walleye, Perch, BlueGill, Sunfish, Steelhead. MMmmmm.
Next thing you know someone with a background in living machines and aquaculture will move back to town...... O wait.
What other stars need to line up here?
A Blog On DIY Aquaponics
Just thought there might be some interest in this....
-----------------------------------------------------
Snow Camp Aquaponics
"A blog to document the trials and tribulations of starting a home aquaponics operation without any prior knowledge or experience of aquaculture or hydroponics."
..............................................................................
Sunday June 15th's entry:
"Well, I've given up on the tilapia. No word from Foster Pond and Lake, and another blogger sent me an email advising me that I'd never be able to find large tilapia this late that people would be willing to part with. So, we went to Petsmart and bought 30 goldfish. At $0.28/fish, the price was right! Obviously, we don't plan on eating them, so unfortunately, our system will not be a fully functional aquaponics system - more like a water garden/hydroponic veggie garden. Oh well, maybe next year...
Here are some photos. One thing that seems certain - yellow squash seem to like the set up, and so do tomatoes."
(nice photos too)
From: http://snowcampaquaponics.blogspot.com/
I feel the pain...
I haven't read through the whole blog but read enough to relate to the trials of green experimentation... we're still only half way through most of our green projects. But this too shall pass.
Sudhir and I were talking about the aquaponics of the Star Neighborhood and whether you can build a healthy environment for Perch or Walleye... and it seems so. So why not go native???? Shouldn't be too hard to stock them around here...
From a websearch... fish that do well with aquaponics:
Walleye - www.rook.org/earl/bwca/nature/fish/stizostedionvit.html
Tilapia - www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/alt-ag/tilapia.htm
Yellow Perch - www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/fhp/fish/3jyperch.htm
Lake Perch - www.seagrant.wisc.edu/greatlakesfish/yellowperch.html
Bluegill - www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/Fishing/aquanotes-fishid/bluegill.htm
Channel Catfish - www.farminfo.org/aquaculture/chancat.htm
Hybrid Striped Bass - www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/infish/species/swh/swh.htm
Northern Crayfish - www.aquanic.org/publicat/state/il-in/as-500.htm
Largemouth Bass - www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/infish/species/lmb/lmb.htm
Smallmouth Bass - www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/infish/species/smb/smb.htm
All Carp - www.seagrant.wisc.edu/greatlakesfish/carp.html
Goldfish - members.aol.com/sirchin/goldfish.htm
Sunfish - www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/infish/species/sunfish.htm
Bream - www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/Fishing/aquanotes-fishid/bluegill.htm
Crappie - www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/fhp/fish/3cbcrapp.htm
I'm thinking, Walleye, Yellow Perch and Crawfish... yum
Disrupt IT
Aquaponics
Local AIA should bring in Michael Hough City Form and Natural Process. If he is still alive. He and John Todd of New Alchemy, Buckminister Fuller, Paola Soleri of Arcosanti--all dabbled in visions for a new self-sustaining city. Just a bunch of hippies, back in the day.