Design and development of Integrated Aquaponics system combined with decentralized hydroponics wastewater management

Abstract

This study aims to design a couple of aquaponics systems for wastewater management. Six vertical reactors were designed, each containing hydroponic net cub holes with a surface area of 0.0399 m2. The fish effluent was treated in the biofilter, which was designed locally using a sponge filter, ceramic rings, and bio balls. and the net was used as a mechanical filter to remove the uneaten feed given to the fish, a 20-liter biofilter was built, and the flow rate of the filtrate (QBIO) was kept constant at 3250 ml/min, which is the same as the flowrate of holding tank 1 (QBIO = QH1 = 3250 ml/min), the hydraulic retention time (HRT) was 8 minutes and 33 seconds, which was maintained constant throughout the experiment because a constant flow rate was maintained in the reactor (QR) at 2400 ml/min. The growth rate of algae in the fish tank was observed, this was determined by taking an OD with a spectrophotometer weekly as the growth rate increased and the pH dropped on average from 7.1 to 6.3 in the fish tank. In conclusion, the design flow rates and HLR influence wastewater management, and algae growth in the fish tank influences the decrease in pH of the fish effluent.