North Seattle Community College
Aquaponics Proposal
Sustainability Office
June 2013
Amy Lynn Burns, Evan Moses, Timothy Lusk—Project Managers
Christian Rusby, Ben Silver—NSCC Sustainability Office
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CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................... 03
Description of Proposed Aquaponics System .................................... 04
Materials ............................................................................................. 05
Plan for Maintenance .......................................................................... 09
Proposed Location .............................................................................. 10
Planned Use of Aquaponics Output ................................................... 11
Plan to Implement Educational Program ............................................ 12
Suggested Evaluation Techniques ...................................................... 13
Schedule of Work ............................................................................... 14
Budget ................................................................................................. 15
Conclusion .......................................................................................... 17
Appendix............................................................................................. 18
Summary:
The NSCC Sustainability Office proposes the building of an aquaponics system on campus for a
one year trial period. Aquaponics is the efficient combination of hydroponics (growing plants in
water) and aquaculture (the farming of fish and other marine animals). An aquaponics system at
NSCC would be a highly effective tool in education of sustainability practices.
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INTRODUCTION
The real goal of this project is to increase awareness of sustainable food production methods.
The Sustainability Office wishes to provide students, faculty, and community members with a
chance to learn about the benefits of aquaponics through firsthand experience.
Current trends in agriculture and population growth have negative effects on the earth’s
resources. Acknowledging the problem and gaining awareness is the first step in solving many
of our problems. Using the aquaponics system as an educational tool, the Sustainability Office
will have the chance to educate many people about the need for sustainable food production.
The following document is a proposal for a one year trial period of a demonstration-scaled
aquaponics system at North Seattle Community College, to be funded and managed by the
Sustainability Office. Subjects addressed include a thorough description of the proposed
aquaponics system with required materials, proposed location on campus, maintenance
requirements, options for distributing food and fish outputs, suggestions for implementing
educational programs, suggestions on evaluation, and budget. The appendix will hold additional
resource information for learning more about aquaponics.
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DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED AQUAPONICS SYSTEM
Ebb & flow style systems (see fig A) with media filled beds are the simplest form of
aquaponics, using a tank or container that is filled with gravel, perlite or another media for the
plant bed. This bed is periodically flooded with water from the fish tank. The water then drains
back to the fish tank. All waste, including the solids, is broken down within the plant bed,
assisted by beneficial bacteria.
Sometimes worms are added to the media-filled plant bed to enhance the break-down of the
waste. This method uses the fewest components and no additional filtration, making it simple to
operate. The production yield is, however, much lower than other designs for an aquaponic
system. The ebb & flow media-filled bed is often used for hobby applications where
maximizing production is not the goal.
FIG A: BASIC EBB & FLOW DIAGRAM
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MATERIALS
Required Materials:
A small scale aquaponic system is an excellent means of demonstrating aquaponic principles
and the nitrification cycle in a recirculating aquatic environment. Following is a list of materials
needed for building a small-to-medium system. There is room for adjustment if the team
building the system chooses to make some changes.
The next section, Components Explained, describes and explains each of these components and
includes recommendations for alternative items and specific products.
• A tank for the fish: 20–50 gallon, glass or plastic container
• Gravel (for fish tank): 2.5 lbs./gravel for every 5 gallons of water in
the fish tank
• Water pump: 3–4 watt pump capable of lifting 18”–54” at 30–
100/gal/hour (should be able to cycle entire volume of the fish take at
least once every hour)
• 3 ft. of plastic tubing that fits the outlet on your water pump
• Aquarium air pump sized for the number of gallons in your fish tank
• Air stone (1”–3”)
• 3 ft. of air tubing to connect the air pump to the air stone (must fit the
air pump outlet)
• Thermometer for fish tank
• 10-foot long 2x4: To build the frame for the system.
• 4-foot x 8-foot plywood: Base flooring for system.
• Grow Bed: positioned on shelf above fish tank, should be 6”–12” deep
• PVC Piping (3+ ft, mixed parts for draining/cycle)
• Growing Medium: enough pea gravel, perlite, coconut coir, expanded
clay pebbles or peat moss to fill the grow bed
• Master Water Testing Kit (with optional pH down or pH up
chemicals)
• Fish and plants
• Fish food (with optional automatic feeder)
• Notebook for recording all data
• Access to electricity
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Optional Components:
• 6-inch wheels/casters with lock: To allow mobile use of the system
when needed
• Light for fish tank
• Heater for fish tank
• Grow light for indoor system
• Worms for grow bed
Tools Required:
• Drill with 1/4” or 3/16” bit and 1/2” bit
• Scissors
• Electrical tape
• Saw
• Hammer
• Screws, Nails
Component Explanation
A tank for the fish: The fish tank can be a glass or plexi-glass aquarium, or any other clean
container that holds water (plastic tub, bucket, or barrel for example). The fish tank should hold
20-50 gallons (depending on the final size chosen). The fish tank to grow bed ratio should be a
1:1 or 1:2. The larger the tank, the larger grow bed area you can support. As a general rule, you
can support 1–2 square feet of growing area for every 10 gallons of fish tank water.
Gravel for bottom of fish tank: Gravel at the bottom of the fish tank serves as a home to the
nitrifying bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate, which can be used by the
plants. Most pet stores carry natural or colored aquarium gravel. The individual pebbles are
about 1/8” in size. Gravel must be thoroughly washed before introducing into the system.
Water pump and tubing: A small water pump is used to pump the water from the fish tank to
the grow bed in the ebb & flow system (gradually pumping the complete volume of the fish
tank over a one hour period of time). A small circulation or fountain pump is ideal. After the
water is pumped into the grow bed, it gravity-feeds back to the fish tank. There needs to be
enough tubing to go from the outlet on the pump to the top of the grow bed and form a circle
within it.
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Air pump, air stone, and tubing: An air pump is necessary to oxygenate the fish tank.
Tubing connects the air pump to an air stone at the bottom of the tank. The air stone breaks the
stream of bubbles coming from the air pump into micro-bubbles, which greatly increase the
oxygenation in the water for the health of fish.
Grow bed: The grow bed, which sits just above the tank, must be slightly larger than the length
and width of the fish tank. The grow bed is filled with a growing medium (discussed next) that
the plants grow in. A plastic Rubbermaid container, a garden planter or other container that will
sit on a shelf, just above the fish tank will work fine. The container should be between 6”–12”
deep. It will need to have hole cut for a drain. A plastic tub would work for the grow bed. For a
more aesthetically pleasing system, a plexi-glass unit can be built and sealed with a non-toxic,
silicone glue. With a custom built grow bed, accommodation can be made for an aquarium light
by making a cavity in the grow bed that the light can slide into. With a different kind of
container, a light can be positioned behind it.
Growing medium: A growing medium is a porous, chemically inert material that holds the
plant roots and maintains moisture. Examples include: perlite, expanded clay pebbles, peat
moss, pea gravel and coconut coir. The amount needed depends on the size of the grow bed,
which should be nearly filled with the grow medium.
Fish and plants: In an aquaponic system, the fish provide the nutrients that the plants need, and
the plants purify the water by consuming those nutrients (assisted by natural bacteria
Nitrocomonia & Nitrospira, as well as worms). Stocking density should equal 1 fish to every 5
gallons of water in the fish tank. Considerations in choosing fish include: Should the fish be
edible or ornamental? Is the fish’s natural temperature compatible with Seattle outdoor weather,
or will the water need to be heated? How long until the fish is mature/harvestable? Is the fish a
carnivore or omnivore (affects price of food)? How much space does the fish species need?
Considerations for choosing plants include: Plants that can grow within (or very close to) a
pH range of 6.8–7.0. Plants that grow well in a Seattle climate (unless growing indoors with a
grow light). Time to maturity (the grow bed and fish tank need to maintain balance, so
staggered harvest is necessary). Which vegetables and herbs are most desirable for those who
will receive the produce?
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Optional Components
Aquarium heater (for tropical fish): If ornamental or tropical fish are chosen for the
aquaponics system, the fish tank will need to be heated. Aquarium heaters can either be
submerged or mounted to the side of the tank, either will work. The heater must be
appropriately sized for the number of gallons in the fish tank. If the aquaponics system is placed
in an area where the air temperature is maintained between 70–76° F, or if a cool water fish
species is used, a heater is not necessary.
Light for fish tank: Most aquariums have a florescent light for viewing the fish and monitoring
their health. This is not a required element for an aquaponics system.
Grow light for the plants: If the aquaponics system is built indoors, or in a very shady area,
artificial light may be necessary for healthy plant growth. One drawback is that a grow light
will quickly encourage algae growth in the fish tank, which will require more frequent tank
cleaning. Another option is to add a plecostomus, a fish that eats algae.
Wheels for a mobile system: While moving the fish tank around is not recommended for the
health of the fish, it is possible to build a portable system by adding wheels to the bottom. Keep
in mind, that a portable system will also need stronger supports.
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PLAN FOR MAINTENANCE
The two most time consuming parts of maintaining the aquaponics system are feeding the fish
and monitoring water quality. Most experts recommend feeding the fish three times per day,
with the amount of food they can eat within 5 minutes. If there is excess food, it should be
removed to prevent a toxic buildup of waste. An automated feeder can be incorporated to
reduce manpower once the fish food requirements have been established. Water quality testing
needs to be done daily for the first few weeks while the system is integrating. Levels of
ammonia, pH, nitrite, and nitrate will need to be measured, these tests can be run
simultaneously and take less than 15 minutes.
Other maintenance tasks include seeding plants, harvesting, and checking the health of the
system (observing fish and plants). Maintenance will be more involved during the first few
weeks, then can taper off to just a few short visits per week. Every one to two months, there
should be a more thorough check of the system to see if any pipes or filters need to be cleaned.
The Sustainability Office will need to work carefully with the system (or students running the
system), making sure that there is a calendar of assigned care, including coverage for days the
college is closed and a plan for any problems that may occur. A notebook should be kept on site
for all measurements and data.
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PROPOSED LOCATION
The North Seattle Community College campus is the intended location for the aquaponics
project. However, due to constraints of time with this proposal and other staffing and room
needs, a location has not been determined. Beginning next quarter, a location may be
determined once the safety committee reconvenes and the school’s management committee
reviews this proposal. To this end, it is recommended that the Sustainability Council finds this
aquaponics proposal worthwhile and proceeds in allocating funding to the endeavor. Once that
happens, the management committee will be more likely to invest time in finding a location.
There are numerous other departments competing over limited space. There are other risk
factors to consider, such as security and tampering with the aquaponics system. Security in
itself has been identified as a large risk to other school resources and aquaponics would be
amongst them. In order to maintain a reasonable quality level of fish and plants, and ensure
safety of the system, a future plan must be created for how to lock-up or secure the system after
hours.
VP of Administration, Dr. Orestes Monterecy, and Professor Ann Murkowski (Math &
Sciences Dept.) would be viable resources to suggest a suitable location at a later time. The
aquaponics setup can be located inside or outside, but would require a minimum electricity to
power the aquaponics fish tank sensors and water pumps. If an indoor location was later
decided upon, it would further necessitate possible needs for indoor growing lights to allow
plant growth in low sunlight conditions.
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PLAN TO USE AQUAPONICS OUTPUTS
The aquaponics project has multiple benefits, ranging from educational to student self-study
programs, and a sustainable food source to the college and community.
At this time, NSCC cafeteria needs are rapidly changing. Discussing plans with Rental
Coordinator, Amy LaZerte, the college is undergoing a shift away from providing food services
in a cafeteria environment and moving towards a deluxe form of espresso stand, a la carte style
bistro, soon to be located within the new student arts building and opening in Summer 2014. At
that time, it is uncertain how aquaponics can benefit the NSCC food needs. In the meantime,
food can be provided to the following local resources:
1. Volunteers of America Greenwood Food Bank (9041 Greenwood AVE N)
PHONE 206-782-6731
2. My Sweet Lord Restaurant and Food Bank (5521 University Way NE)
PHONE 425-208-5036
3. University District Food Bank (1413 NE 50th ST)
PHONE 206-523-7060
According to Joe from the University District Food Bank, donating food of reasonable quality
to local food banks is welcomed. Acting under Good Samaritan laws and on behalf of the
college would be legal grounds to cover FDA food safety requirements. NSCC students who
maintain the system would also be encouraged to sample the food they help grow. A good
model for larger scale use is Will Allen’s project—Growing Power
(http://www.growingpower.org/aquaponics.htm) where he has used aquaponics. He raises
Tilapia and Yellow Perch fish, along with tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. The yield of his
projects are donated to local food banks.
Depending on how often there is a crop yield from the NSCC aquaponics, it can be easily
coordinated with the food banks. University District food bank, for instance, has multiple open
hours for drop-off as well as a delivery van which can coordinate scheduled pickups.
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PLAN TO IMPLEMENT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
One of the most effective ways to use the aquaponics system as an educational tool would be to
have students directly involved in the building, maintenance, and study of the system. This can
be done through the Undergraduate Research program (UGR), which starts in Fall 2013. Ann
Murkowski, of the Math & Sciences division, feels that recruiting a group of students for a one
year study of an aquaponics system would be fairly easy. The students would work with the
Sustainability Office to implement the system and work out the maintenance responsibility. An
example of the students’ learning objectives could be to study the effect of the Seattle climate
on aquaponics.
Teachers can bring their classes to view the aquaponics system. Classes that would be interested
include, but are not limited to: environmental sciences, sustainability, biology, and engineering.
A visit to the aquaponics system could include a discussion about food delocalization,
sustainable food production options, the benefits of aquaponics in comparison to other methods,
future career prospects in aquaponics agriculture, engineering challenges, etc. An educational
pamphlet would be very helpful. Also, a short questionnaire and comment card for visitors to
the aquaponics system would help gauge how students are learning.
Some of the maintenance work can be viewed as educational opportunities (see Plan for
Maintenance section). Measuring pH, ammonia, temperature, and other components may be a
new experience for many students. Engineering students may be interested in the mechanics of
the system. Biology students would be interested in the balance of the aquaponics ecosystem.
Additionally, non-credit lectures could be given at the aquaponics site. There are many
extracurricular activities on campus that follow this pattern. NSCC already has students that
have shown an interest in sustainability and agriculture.
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SUGGESTED EVALUATION TECHNIQUES
As mentioned under the education section, having a short questionnaire for students who have
visited the aquaponics system would be helpful. Questions included could be as follows: Have
you ever heard of aquaponics before? Do you know where your vegetables, fruit, and fish come
from? What have you learned about sustainable food production? Do you feel like you could do
this at home? Etc. Answers from these questionnaires could be saved over the year to evaluate
the learning value of the aquaponics education.
Keeping accurate records throughout the trial period would be very important. Data can be kept
in regards to how many people visited the aquaponics system, how many students participated
in maintenance/building, how many pounds of fish were harvested, how many pounds of
produce was harvested, how much energy was used in maintenance, a running total of costs,
challenges overcome, etc.
A report at the end of the year will show the value of a demonstration aquaponics system at
NSCC. This information could be submitted to news journals and sustainability groups, as well
as be used to consider larger scale use in the future.
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SCHEDULE OF WORK
A one year trial period is proposed. This could start in the Fall quarter, 2013. Depending on
system location and heartiness of the fish and crops chosen, Winter crops can be highly
successful. The purchase of materials and building of the system will take a few days. The
water system will need to run a day or two without fish, then the fish will need a day or two to
acclimate to their new home before adding the plants.
It is suggested to start with only 20% of the intended amount of fish and allowing the system to
rebalance before adding the rest (usually in staggered increments). There are a few schedule
options for starting the system that will need to be decided by the group assigned with the task.
An aquaponics system will reach maximum potential 6–9 months after it has been established.
The time of the first harvest will depend on the plants and fish chosen.
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BUDGET
MATERIALS
QUANTITY
LOW COST
HIGH COST
Fish Tank
1 (20-50 gal)
$50
$200
Gravel
2.5 lbs / 5 gal .water
$2
$5
Water Pump
1 (100 gal/hr)
$19
$40
Plastic Tubing
1
$1
$2
Air Pump
1
$8
$16
Air Stone
1
$1
$2
Air Tubing
1
$1
$2
2x4s
6-8 (10 ft)
$4
$6
Plywood
3 (4 ft x 8 ft)
$35
$40
6 in. Wheels / Casters
6-8
$20
$23
Grow Bed
1
$5
$20
PVC Piping
Varies
$10
$30
Fish Thermometer
1
$10
$15
Grow Medium
1
$2
$5
Notebook
1
$5
$20
Water Testing Kit
1
$15
$70
Fish
Varies
$2 (ea)
$15 (ea)
Plants
Varies
$1 (ea)
$6 (ea)
$191
$517
TOTAL
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MATERIALS
INFORMATION
LOW COST
HIGH COST
Maintenance
i.e. testing kit
$15
$70
Fish/ Produce
as needed
$10
$200
Electricity
continuous
$5
$10
Fish Food
Varies
$8
$20
$38
$300
$229
$817
TOTAL
STARTUP COSTS
(combined)
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CONCLUSION
The proposed aquaponics system is very simple in design and could be built and maintained
with a small budget by the average person. Some components, such as the fish tank, can be
creatively substituted with repurposed materials to reduce cost. Once the system is running, the
main inputs will be fish food and a small amount of maintenance time. The outputs are far
beyond produce and fish. The educational benefits include raising awareness about sustainable
food production, teaching students about plant and fish life, teaching simple engineering
principles, and scientific methods of recording measurements.
The demonstration project may be usable in future endeavors at North Seattle Community
College. A study of the benefits and challenges of this system could be used to decide if a larger
system could help the college become more self-sufficient.
The budget and proposed system have some built-in room for adjustments. The Sustainability
Office or student group that builds the system will need to do more research before starting the
work. See Appendix for suggested reading materials. There are several decisions to be made in
regards to the type of fish and plants to be raised, as well as the exact size of the system. This
was purposely left open in the hopes that an undergraduate research student group can take on
this project and be able to make those decisions in the way that best suits their learning
objectives.
A one year trial of this small scale aquaponics system would make excellent use of the funds set
aside for sustainability efforts at NSCC. The low cost and significant benefits make this a
wonderful opportunity for the Sustainability Office to actively participate in student education.
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APPENDIX
Resources for Additional Information on Aquaponics & Supplies
The following people would be helpful resources for further information:
One local subject matter expert is Alex R. Currier of True Blue Aquaponics. He teaches
private classes about building aquaponics systems and acts as a consultant. His email address is
alex@trueblueaquaponics.com.
Another potential resource is Laura Sweany, the Project Manager of the Licton Springs PPatch. She has personal experience with aquaponics and already works with the Sustainability
Office at NSCC. Her email contact is Laura.Sweany@seattlecolleges.edu or
lictonspringsppatch@gmail.com.
The following books are also highly recommended:
Stout, Meg (2103).
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Aquaponic Gardening.
New York, NY: Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Nelson, Rebecca L. (2008).
Aquaponic Food Production—Growing Fish and Vegetable for Food and Profit.
Montello, WI: Nelson and Pade, Inc.
Bernstein, Sylvia (2011).
Aquaponic Gardening—A Step-by-step Guide to Raising Vegetables and Fish Together.
Gabriola, B.C.: New Society Publishers
The following stores would be likely to carry the specialized aquaponics supplies:
For live fish: http://www.troutlodge.com/
For live fish & aquarium supplies: http://www.thefishstoreseattle.com/
Live tilapia fish may be available from Uwajimaya: http://www.uwajimaya.com/
For building materials: http://www.homedepot.com/
For building materials: http://www.lowes.com/