In the present study, tilapia and basil
production was performed in an aquaponic system developed with the integration
of fish and plant production in the same culture environment. The variation of
elements in the water was monitored and their effects on fish growth
performance and feed utilization together with the plant growth were recorded.
Triplicate groups of fish tanks were used in two different culture systems
(recirculating-RS and aquaponic system-AS). The RS consisted of a water
filtration unit whereas the AS was set with the incorporation of basil (Ocimum
basilicum) production with the roots in water instead of soil,
absorbing the discharge water from fish tanks through their roots. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with an initial mean weight of 5.65 g were introduced into both RS and
AS systems and fed a commercial diet (50% protein) for a period of 75 days. At
the same time basil was set into the AS with roots in water, a photoperiod of
12:12 dark:light regime was applied for the monitoring of plant growth. Water
physico-chemical parameters were recorded in both culture environments
throughout the study period. Based on the findings in both culture systems, at
the end of the experiment, it was found that the variations of amonium (NH4),
nitrite (NO2) and nitrate (NO3) recorded in the AS were
lower then those measured in the RS culture unit.
Subjects | Hydrobiology |
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Journal Section | Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | January 2, 2017 |
Published in Issue | Year 2017 Volume: 3 Issue: 1 |