This research shows that Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) are an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional fish production methods and enable fish breeders to significantly reduce the nutrient loads on adjacent water bodies due to production.
Therefore, RAS can be seen as an important technology for improving water quality in inland and coastal waters. A further step in the evolution of land-based fish farming systems are aquaponic-systems, which combine RAS technology with the production of plants in hydroponics by using nutrients directly from fish production to fertilize the plants.
The most modern of these systems are decoupled aquaponic systems (DAPS: Decoupled aquaponic systems) of various types. DAPS, which were developed in Germany, are characterized by the separation of the RAS compartment from the hydroponic compartment via a one-way valve.
Since DAPS make it possible to optimize the water quality in the two different compartments of the aquaponic system (RAS / hydroponics) separately, considerably higher yields can be realized in the hydroponic system. This guide is intended to provide a compact overview of various water quality parameters that are usually measured in RAS and aquaponic systems.
In addition, some recommendations on the monitoring and control architecture as well as measures to improve production safety and control are presented.
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