When there is a merger of the hydroponics system and aquaculture, the emerging system is called aquaponics. This system grows plants and fish together.While there are several ways for people to live their lives and grow plants together in a sustainable manner, most people are completely unaware of them.
Rory Davenport from Australiafound a way in aquaponics to educate individuals about integrated sustainable growth.Read on to know how his Pisces Garden system supports this thought.
What is Pisces Garden?
Pisces Garden is a sustainable design of an aquaponic system that will act like a sculptural or educational piece to spread awareness about it. The system is an organic and efficient way to motivate people to learn about it and try their own DIY versions. However, Pisces Garden is unique, as it makes use of eco-friendly materials to support its design and functionality.
The design and construction of Pisces Garden
This green system makes use of a fish tank of 700L capacity, as well as half barrels of 120L capacity. While the fish tank is used to keep fish, barrels are used as grow beds for plants.While the system follows a cradle-to-cradledesign, there is also a little use of non-biodegradable materials to maintain the health of fish and plants. The system has a simple shape and minimalistic aesthetic elements. The green materials are selected carefully so people understand how the system’s impact on the environment can be reduced.
The main body of Pisces Garden is made of cast Timbercrete, which is a green alternative to concrete. This has made way for mold extraction by making a stacked ring structure. Instead of PVC, the system uses biodegradable ceramics for pipefittings.However, for strength, a few channels and frames are constructed using steel and porcelain. The overall design is an aquaponic system in CHOP 2 style, which means that it has a sump tank with a pump to circulate water, as well as a fish tank and grow beds to be placed at any height.It is a clean, open, and modern design.
How Pisces Garden works
Asits large cylinder houses fish, water is pumped into it. The water with fish waste then overflows to a small cylinder. While solid fish waste is collected in this small cylinder, the clean water goes back to the sump tank. The pump again distributes clean water to the grow bed and fish tank.
The grow bed has plants, along with nitrifying bacteria that turn ammonia from fish waste to useful nitrates for plant growth. Water in the grow bed drains slowly andflows back to the sump tank. The way this system depicts the flow and circulation of water across, it creates a feature to make the entire system look like an interesting sculpture.
Pisces Garden is a green yet innovative attempt at displaying a sustainable aquaponicsystem. The fish and plants grow together in this sculpture-like garden, without the wastage of resources.
Source : Jamesdysonaward.Org
