Article

Mariya Martin, University of APJ Abdul Kalam , Kerala, India ; Gokul Kalesh ,University of APJ Abdul Kalam , Kerala, India ; Athira Rajan ,University of APJ Abdul Kalam , Kerala, India ; Vismaya P. V ,University of APJ Abdul Kalam , Kerala, India; Felma George, Sree Nrayana Guru Institute of Science and Technology, Kerala, India

Aquaculture is the farming of fish. Aquaponics is a system that mutually integrates aquaculture and hydroponics. It is an emerging technology that supports integrated aquaculture and vegetable production. In this, the feed required for 1 kg of fish is 4 kg. The main drawback in this technology is accumulation of ammonia, high fish feed, weekly water maintenance which in turn resulting in diseases to aquaculture and resulting in less effective processing. Biofloc (BFT) is a modern technique for rearing aquaculture only. This method is adopted in outdoor ponds. This technology contains natural photoautotrophic algae, carbon and carbohydrate source along with single celled microorganism which convert feces in fish pond to fish feed. Thus the feed required for 1 kg of fish is 1.2 kg, which is less than the above technology. Hence by considering the advantages of both technologies, we are adopting a new setup by combining the above two technologies resulting in Zero Waste Management. The combination of biofloc and aquaponics gives a new insight in to increasing the efficiency of food production which respects the sustainable agriculture.