Foundational research on feed rate ratios, nutrient dynamics and components in commercial aquaponic system design was accomplished by Dr. James Rakocy at the University of the Virgin Islands. Over the years, continued research and experiential data from farmers has revealed that lower daily feed rates than originally discovered can still produce high quality plants and yields. Lower daily feed rates can result in a reduction in floor space dedicated to aquaculture components therefore yielding more available space for plant production. It is widely understood in commercial aquaponics that the majority of farm revenue comes from continuous plant production and sales. It is therefore advantageous to understand how to properly design a system to maximize plant production and minimize the aquaculture component while still providing the required daily plant nutrition that results from the fish feed, feces and excretions.
This presentation will look at how fish feed is made available as nutrients to plants and how to design a commercial aquaponic farm using the daily feed rate ratio. We will see how this critical metric is used to determine the total available area for plant production, stocking densities, fish tank volumes, flow rates, biofiltration, and aeration system design. At the end we will have a complete farm design with annual production estimates for both fish and plants.