Aquaponics combines aquaculture (the growing of fish and other aquatic animals) and hydroponics (the growing of plants without soil) in one recirculating environment. In aquaponics, the fish produce waste that is converted by the nitrifying bacteria into nutrients for the plants. Plant roots absorb these nutrients to thrive. In return, the plant roots clean and filter the water for the fish to live.
Within an aquaponics system is a delicate ecosystem composed of fish, bacteria, and plants. For everything to work perfectly, each part of the system must be balanced and healthy. Fish are required to be healthy to produce ammonia that is converted by the bacteria into nutrients for the plants.
Bacteria play a crucial role in aquaponics. They serve as the bridge that connects fish wastes to the plant fertilizer. Plants feed on nutrients supplied by the fish and decomposed fish food. However, before a plant can absorb these nutrients, they must be converted into nitrates. It is the bacteria that convert fish wastes into nitrates, which become food for the plants.
Many aquaponics beginners are often confused by the need for filtration in their aquaponics system. Do I need to add a biofilter? It is one of the frequently asked questions in aquaponics. To answer the question, we wrote this article to discuss biofilter, what it is, and do you need to have one in your aquaponics system.