How to Design and Build an Aquaponics Farm

Name: How to Design and Build an Aquaponics Farm
Rating: 4.1 (56 reviews)

Learn the complete methodology of designing and building your very own small commercial aquaponics farm

Created byAhmed Aibak

Last updated 6/2020

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Designing an aquaponics system
Understanding the hydroponic and aquaculture components of aquaponics
Learning the anatomy of deep water culture beds
Water and air circulation in aquaponics
Aquaponics filtration systems
Materials used in aquaponics construction

Course content

4 sections • 20 lectures • 2h 45m total length

Introduction to Aquaponics Grow Bed Design3:21
Explain the first step of aquaponics grow bed design: set the design inputs and parameters, like greenhouse size, grow media, surface area, and void ratio, to guide water volume.
1.2 Designing to Maximize Grow Beds5:22
Calculate total greenhouse area and maximize the Grobet by selecting eight-foot beds for large greenhouses or four-foot beds for smaller ones, then compute beds and walkways with the provided formulas.
1.3 Deep Water or Media Grow Bed4:12
Decide how many deep water and media grow beds to maximize greenhouse land, prioritizing deep water beds and allocating front-access areas for harvesting and processing.
1.4 Calculating Total Water Volume Needed3:47
Calculate total water volume for deep water grow beds and media grow beds by multiplying bed area, depth, bed count, and media void ratio, then convert to liters or gallons.
1.5 Anatomy of a Deep Water Grow Bed Part 112:54
Understand the anatomy of a deep water grobet and its components, from walls and four-by-four supports to pond liners, insulation, and styrofoam rafts.
1.6 Anatomy of a Deep Water Grow Bed Part 26:20
Explain the macro construction of a grobet, detailing side views, cross-sections, four-by-four columns, two-by-six planks, and three-inch screws with two-foot spacing.
1.7 Design Example19:21
Explore a Grobet design example for a 30 by 100 ft greenhouse using 3/4 crushed gravel media, with beds, walkways, and water volume calculations.
Quiz section 1

2.1 Deep Water Grow Bed Materials - Lumber8:30
Compute lumber needs for a deep water grow bed Grobet, choosing eight foot treated two by six boards, then count four by four columns, strips, screws, and footings per bed.
2.2 Deep Water Grow Bed Materials - Styrofoam Insulation and Grow Rafts2:26
Calculate aquaponics bed materials: use 4x8 ft styrofoam bottom insulation in two rows for eight-foot beds, divide bed length by raft width to count 2x4 rafts (two rows).
2.3 Deep Water Grow Bed Materials - Pond Liner and Grow Media7:39
Learn how to select a food-safe pond liner for the grobet, calculate width and length, plan land cover with river rock, and determine grow media volume.
2.4 Deep Water Grow Bed Materials - Material Selection11:20
Design the deep water grow bed by selecting materials like pressure-treated two by six lumber, four by four supports, grow rafts, insulation, and a durable pond liner.

3.1 Inputs in Aquaculture Design7:08
Identify inputs for aquaculture design, including desired fish size (1–1.5 lb) and fish type. Set feeding rate by system area and factor in climate and standard tank sizes.
3.2.1 Aquaculture Design - Critical Parameters10:44
Learn how to set critical aquaculture parameters, including feed per biomass, stocking density, and daily feed rate, to optimize tilapia growth and plant nutrients in an aquaponics design.
3.2.2 Aquaculture Design - Fish8:06
Determine the number and size of fish for an aquaponics system by applying equations for feed per biomass, stocking density, and daily feed rate.
3.2.3 Aquaculture Design - Fish: Water and Fish Tanks7:18
Calculate water quantity using stocking density theoretical and feed per biomass, then determine the number and water volume of standard tanks in gallons, iterating to keep stocking density above theoretical.
3.2.4 Aquaculture Design - Fish: Biological Surface Area11:26
Explore how biological surface area supports microbial growth in aquaponics, and learn to calculate BSA to meet 50-100 sq ft per pound of fish or 10 sq ft per gallon.
3.2.5 Aquaculture Design - Fish: Ratios5:28
Explore aquaculture design ratios to gauge health, including grow-bed to fish-tank volume. Learn about media bed to tank volume and actual versus theoretical stocking density for circulation and filtration.

3.3.1 Inputs for Water and Air Circulation Design11:38
Design water and air circulation in aquaponics by selecting grobet diffuser sizes and air stones to achieve target dissolved oxygen for fish and plants.
3.3.2 Water and Air Circulation: Water Pump Sizing13:48
Determine the circulating water volume and required gallons per minute flow, then size the pump using head and pump charts to ensure adequate aquaponics circulation.
3.3.4 Water and Air Circulation - iv. Fish Tank Aeration4:41
Learn how to size fish tank aeration in aquaponics by selecting diffuser size and calculating oxygenation using cubic feet per minute, air stones, and backup systems.

Requirements

Fundamentals of aquaponics

Description

This course covers in depth material on designing and building your very own small to medium scale commercial aquaponics system. If you're looking to understand all aspects of the DIY design and build process, including materials required, growled plans, sizing your water tanks, fish tanks, pump system, aeration systems, plant density etc then this course might be right for you.

We take you through the complete process of idea to design and build through a structured step by step course breakdown, with detailed examples and case studies so you do not have to guess what you have learned.

The theory in the course is practically demonstrated by the use of specific design examples that walk you through each step of the design process using case studies and examples. You learn as you design with practical content that is derived from real world applications. The material is put together specifically with the intention to give you the information you need for the "How-To's" of your aquaponics project and covers more than many of the 2-3 day long workshops offered for a fraction of the price.

This course contains materials derived from aquaculture and hydroponics literature in addition to design parameters developed by Urbanspace Aquaponics. This course might be a good fit for you if you:

Are looking to design and build your own aquaponics facility based on the UVI model.
Want to get a solid understanding of how aquaponics functions and how you can master all aspects of aquaponics design
Are tired of searching the internet for answers in so many different places?

This is an advanced level course that explores and breaks down all aspect of designing and building a small commercial aquaponics facility discussing in detail the materials required, component sourcing, component sizing, system ratios, and parameters used in developing both the aquaculture and hydroponic component of aquaponics. Although, there is no prerequisite for this course it is highly recommended that the Aquaponics Farming & Gardening + Design Case Study course is taken before enrolling in this course.

This course does not include video instructions on assembling an aquaponics set up, it discusses the engineering aspects of designing and materials required in building a system. This course also does not discuss backyard system design in any greater detail.

Who this course is for:

Aquaponics farmers
Aquaponics hobbyist
Aquaponics enthusiasts

How to Design and Build an Aquaponics Farm

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

GrowBed Design7 lectures • 55min

Construction Materials for the Grow Bed4 lectures • 30min

Aquaculture Design: Fish and Water Tanks6 lectures • 50min

Aquaculture Design: Water and Air Circulation3 lectures • 30min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: