The document summarizes an aquaponics project at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) and the presenter's journey with aquaponics. It includes: 1) An overview of the presenter's background and experience living abroad and in different professions before discovering aquaponics. 2) A discussion of aquaponics including its history, modern systems, and the presenter's personal journey starting with small home systems and dreaming of larger projects. 3) Details of the presenter's independent study project to design, build, and test a working aquaponics system in the SHSU greenhouse, which grew various plants like buttercrunch, chard, basil, kale, tomatoes, and

2. What’s He Doing Over There?
The aquaponics project at SHSU

3. Self-Introduction
Lived and worked abroad most of my adult life
 Mexico, China
Have had many professions, teacher, lecturer, TV star,
radio host…..
Speak English, Spanish and Chinese
I have a beautiful 11 year-old daughter named Emily,
and a wonderful wife of 13 years named Thelma.

4. Me at my last lecture

5. AQUAPONICS
Topic Introduction
Part One: What is aquaponics?
Part Two: My AP Journey
Part Three: SHSU Project

6. Define AP
Historical vs Modern AP
Types of AP Systems
Importance of AP
Part One

7. The Definition of Aquaponics
Aquaculture Hydroponics
Fish Fertilize
Plants Filter

8. The Aquaponics circle of life
Fish Fertilize
Plants Filter

9. Historical AP
Where have you
seen this symbol
before?

10. Old-School Aquaponics - Chinampas

11. Aquaponics supported one of the
largest cities in the world
“appear so
wonderful… that
even we who have
seen these things
with our own eyes,
are yet so amazed
as to be unable to
comprehend their
reality.
Hernando Cortez

12. Chinampas

13. Historical AP = Fish + Rice + Ducks
At least 1200 year history in
southern China
68% less chemical pesticide use
and 24% less chemical fertilizer
(ZheJiang University)
"globally important agriculture
heritage system“ (FAO United
Nation)

14. Carp Tales
 Chinese love carp…. Americans, not so much.
 Apparently American animals also don’t like carp
 They love bass or perch

15. Historical vs. Modern
 Began in the late 1960’s “is often attributed to the various
works of the New Alchemy Institute and the works of Dr.
Mark McMurtry et al. at the North Carolina State
University.” (Wikimedia Corp.)
 Modern version is active (historical passive)
 Involves continuous recirculation with a
pump
 Modern materials – tank and growing media
are separate.

16. Importance of AP
 Requires little energy
 Processes fish waste (instead of dumping it)
 Sustainable

17. 3 Modern Systems
Media Filled Beds
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
Deep Water Culture (DWC)

18. 3 Types of Modern Aquaponics Systems
July 22, 2012Footer text here
18
1.Simple Flood
2.Flood and Drain
(also called ebb and
flow)

19. 3 types of Modern Aquaponics Systems
July 22, 2012Footer text here
19

20. 3 types of Modern Aquaponics Systems
July 22, 2012Footer text here
20
• Grown in net pots
• Floating rafts
• Roots are
constantly
exposed to water

21. My personal aquaponics journey…..
What and Why…. aquaponics?

22. People invent many
things because they are
lazy.
Part Two
Flavio Pelayo
My father-in-law, and Mexican mechanical engineer

23. My first intro to AP – System 1.0
 I’m lazy….
 Hated cleaning out my fishtank….
Biological and plant
filtration
With lucky bamboo!

24.  Small-Scale (aquarium) System 1.2
From lucky bamboo to tomatos and an herb
garden

25. System 1.3 and beyond
 I dreamed of bigger and better things…..

26. Bigger and better The SHSU system…..
The journey to the SHSU system…..

27. S H S U A Q U A P O N I C S S Y S T E M
T H E I N D E P E N D E N T S T U D Y P R O J E C T
Part Three
Special thanks to Mrs. Frey
And Mr. Coogler

28. Independent Study
 Industrial Technology
 Design, build and test a working aquaponics system in the
SHSU greenhouse.

29. How Does it
Work?
 How does the
system operate
 Media Filled Beds

30. Design… Build… Operate

31. Buttercrunch – Week 0 Buttercrunch – Week 3
3 Week Growth

32. Chard – Week 0 Chard – Week 3
3 Week Growth

33. Basil / Kale – Week 0 Basil / Kale – Week 3
3 Week Growth

34. Tomatoes– Week 0 Tomatoes – Week 3
3 Week Growth

35. Peppers– Week 0 Peppers – Week 3
3 Week Growth

36. 3 Week Overall

37. Things I’ve Grown

38. What… Why…. Of Aquaponics…
My journey in AP – Leading to the SHSU project
The SHSU project…..

39. Thank You