AQUAPONIC PRODUCTION OF NILE TILAPIA(OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS) AND BELL PEPPER (CAPSICUM ANNUUML.) IN RECIRCULATING WATER SYSTEM

Aquaponics is the combined culture of fish and hydroponic plants in recirculating systems. An integrated fish and hydroponics bell pepper system was evaluated for application in Central Laboratory for Aquaculture Research at Abassa, Sharkia Governorate, The system was constructed from readily available materials, and designed to minimize capital costs, energy, water use, and the technological skills needed for operation. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloiicus) and bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L. 'Godeon') were cultured for 180 days in a closed system containing 1160 L of water for each unit. Six units were used with three treatments (all three treatments were in duplicated) to determine the effect of the integration between plant number /m2 to fish density (100 fish /m3) on fish performance. Each unit consists of 500 L fish rearing tank, hydroponic tank (2 m2), filter and sump. Treatments were Ti (fish culture with 10 plant/m2), T2 (fish culture with 15 plant/m2) and T3 fish culture without plant (control). Water quality suitable for fish production was maintained by aeration, mechanical and biological filtration, hydroponics vegetable production unit and the addition of make-up water. Fish metabolites, and wasted feed served as nutrient sources for pepper production. The results showed that Ti (fish culture with 10 plants /m2) gave the best significant (P<0.05) fish production 20.1 kg / m , followed by T2 (fish culture with 15 plants /m2) 17.95 kg / m and the lowest (P<0.05) was T3 fish culture without plant (control) 16.3 kg / m3. Also Ti (fish culture with 10 plants /m2) was higher in average yield of marketable bell pepper 11.34 kgfai2 (P>0.05) than T2 (fish culture with 15 plants /m2) which produced 9.43 kg/m2. Under the condition of the present study, results show in general that units integrated with hydroponic pepper T] and T2 resulted in best economic efficiency, and Ti was better than T2.