IMPROVING THE EXISTING AQUAPONICS IN NEMSU-BISLIG

CAMPUS FROM TRADITIONAL TO CONVENTIONAL PROTOCOL

MERA-ANDREBIC AVILA
JEANROO BUSTAMANTE
CRISELEN E. CHANGCO
MARY JOY C. RAMIREZ

SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF FORESTRY DEPARTMENT,

NORTHEASTERN MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY BISLIG-CAMPUS
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN FORESTRY

DECEMBER 2023
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Nowadays, most of the countries faces problems in terms of

Agriculture. As time passes and as population increases, lands turn into
household lands and there became a shortage of lands to cultivate
agri-crops. In addition, as the demands for food security increases, the
more the needs to produce new ways to make possible solution with
the crisis that the country faces in terms of agricultural fields (Kralik et
at 2022).

In relation to this, Aquaponics System is an eco-friendly way of

planting vegetables and raising fish. It only needs small amount of
water to grow a plant and only depends on the fish waste to get
nutrients. It also ensures food security, through raising fish and
growing plants (Day et al 2021). In times for harvesting, the products
can be use as goods (can sell the fish and the vegetables) which in
return helps the owner financially or can serve it as their source of food
(Asciuto et. Al 2014).

Furthermore, Aztec cultivated agricultural islands known as

chinampas in a system considered by some to be the first form of
aquaponics for agricultural use (Boutwelluc, 2007 and Rogosa, 2013)
where plants were raised on stationary (and sometime movable)
islands in lake shallows and waste materials dredged from the
chinampa canals and surrounding cities were used to manually irrigate
the plants (Boutwelluc, 2007 and Rogosa, 2013).

With this, this study is conducted to know if the feeding

requirement for Tilapia will be a good source to lettuce and Pechay and
how does it affect the pH value of water, as well as to evaluate the
 survival/mortality rate of leafy vegetables (Brassica rapa, lactuca
sativa) planted through aquaponics ( Tolentino et al 2020, Sace and
Fitzsimmons 2013).

In connection to this, the NEMSU-BISLIG established Aquaculture

System where as they use a DIY strategy to establish it. However, due
to some circumstances, there is a need for improvement. Thus, the
researchers wanted to conduct a study which aims to improve the
existing Aquaculture in NEMSU-BISLIG: A Comparative analysis
between Hydroponics and Aquaponics. The said study will be
conducted from August until December 2023.

Statement of the Problem

The researchers will conduct a study about Improving the Existing

Aquaponics: A comparative analysis between Hydroponics and
Aquaponics . At the end of the study, it is expected to answer the
following questions:

1. What are the feeding requirements of Tilapia as a source of nutrients

for Lettuce and Pechay?
2. What is the survival rate of the leafy vegetable plant through
Aquaponics system?
3. What is the mortality rate of leafy vegetables planted on and
aquaponics system?
4. What is the pH value of water composition in aquaponics?
Objectives of the Study

General Objectives

To conduct a study about improving the existing Aquaponics in Nemsu-

Bislig: A Comparative Analysis between Hydroponics and Aquaponics.

Specific Objectives

The aim of this study is to identify the possible outcomes;

1. To know the feeding requirements of Tilapia as a source of nutrient

to Lettuce and Pechay.
2. To evaluate the survival rate of leafy vegetables planted through
Hydroponics and Aquaponics.
3. To determine the mortality of leafy vegetables planted on and
Aquaponics.
4. To evaluate the pH level of water in Aquaponics.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The study will be limited only evaluating the feeding

requirements as a source of nutrients of lettuce and Pechay, to identify
the survival and mortality rate of Hydroponics, and to evaluate the pH
level of water of Aquaponics. The duration for this study will be from
August to December of 2023.

Significance of the Study

The purpose of this study is to improve the existing Aquaponics

in Nemsu-Bislig. In which, the said study will be benefited by the
following, it includes;

The Community- this will serve as the basis for every farmers who
wants to established Aquaponics systems as a conventional way of
farming and raising aquatic animals.
 The School - the said study will help Nemsu-Bislig to have innovative
ways in planting and raising fish and plants through Aquaponics
system.

The Future Researcher- this study will serve as their guide for future
references.

Null Hypothesis

1. There is no feeding requirements of Aquaculture as a source of

nutrients for Hydroponics.
2. There is no survival rate of leafy vegetables planted through
Aquaponics.
3. There is no mortality rate of leafy vegetables planted in Aquaponics.
4. There is no pH level of water of Aquaponics.
Definition of Terms

Aquaculture- is the farming of Aquatic Organisms, including fish,

molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants.

Hydroponics- is the techniques of growing plants using a water-based

nutrient solution rather than soil, and can includes aggregates
substrate, or growing media, such as vermiculite, coconut coir, or
perlite.

Aquaponics- a system of aquaculture in which the waste produced by

farmed fish or other aquatic animals supplies nutrients for plants
grown hydroponically, which in turn purify the water.

Conventional Protocol – a protocol is one of the ways in which a

convention can be modified.

Traditional- existing in or as a part of a tradition.

DIY- do it yourself

Aquaponics System-

Organic water composition-

Feeding Requirement-

Survival rate-

Mortality Rate-

Aztec roots-

Dredge-
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

According to Kralik et. Al (2022) on the study about “From water

to table A: A multidisciplinary approach comparing fish from
aquaponics with traditional production methods, Aquaculture, Volume
552, in which it talks about meeting the needs of rising seafood
demand due to rapidly increasing population. In this research, it
offered a unique, interdisciplinary perspective to examine the market
potential of aquaponics by conducting a series of multidisciplinary
studies to compare yellow perch (Perca flavescens) from a combined
Recirculating Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture System (RIMTAS)
with fish from traditional production methods (i.e., wild-caught and
farm-raised). Furthermore, in a consumer perception and acceptance
study, found that providing information about the environmental
benefits of aquaponics significantly increased consumer tastiness
perception, healthiness perception, and purchase intention to a level at
or exceeding that of wild-caught perch. With proper messaging
strategies, aquaponic fish can compete in the market with wild-caught
fish. The findings offer insights to stakeholders in the aquaculture
value chain as they explore and establish RIMTAS aquaponics as an
environmentally and economically sustainable seafood production
source.

Meanwhile, in China there was a study conducted by Day et. al

on the year of 2021 in which it talks abouts “Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
productivity influenced by microbial inocula under nitrogen-limited
conditions in aquaponics. This talks about the demand of food
productivity due to increasing population wherein aquaponics has the
potential to sustainably supplement food production with minimal
environmental impact. In this study, they have monitored plant growth
phenotypes, water chemistry, and microbiome composition of
rhyzospheres, biofilters, and fish feces over 61-days of Lettuce growth
in nitrogen-limited aquaponic systems inoculated with bacteria that
were either commercially sources or originating from pre-existing
aquaponic system. Thus, it results that inoculation from a pre-existing
system is associated with lower yields rather than in commercial
inoculum.

Moreover, the beneficial impact of aquaponics is not limited to

food production alone, it can also be another source of revenue for
local farmers. A journal in Urban Forestry and Urban Greening volume
38 (February 2019), a financial feasibility study on aquaponics system
done by Asciuto et. Al (2014), they collected technical, economic and
production data from a pilot aquaponic plant producing lettuce
(Lactuca sativa) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Their method
of determining the Net return and Break Even Point is through
comparing the investment and management cost, the result, should
that the tilapia farming density and unitary weight had gained at least
300 g; same as to the number of productive cycles and unit prices,
while the lettuce plant density and lettuce weight at harvest, ranging
from 100 to 230 g per head, and a total revenue is €1566, of which
€1350 (86.2%) are ascribable to lettuce sales. Asciuto, Schimmenti and
Cottone analyzed that aquaponics system in a small pilot unit has
provided an insight into the economic potential of aquaponic systems
in a Mediterranean climate in an urban context.

The effect of Bacillus sp.(B43) on the growth of Pak choy and Red
tilapia in aquaponics system by Muhammad et. Al. 2018, to ascertain
the impact of Bacillus sp. is the goal of this investigation (B43) that
were cultivated in an aquaponic system to improve the growth
performance of Pak Choy (Brassica rapa) and red tilapia (Oreochromis
sp.). The installation of six aquaponics systems includes three (3) for
control (without the addition of Bacillus sp. (B43) culture) and three (3)
more for bacterial treatment. A week after the fish were released into
the tank, the plant seedlings were transplanted into the aquaponics
system. The Bacillus sp. was first cultured to begin the experiment.
(B43) at 4x105/ml into the tank. Fish length, fish body weight, plant
height, number of leaves, ammonia content, nitrate content, pH, and
dissolved oxygen (DO) were among the variables that were measured
on a weekly basis. At the conclusion of the experiment, the plants' dry
weights were recorded. IBM SPSS Statistic version 25 has been used to
analyze all of the data. To compare the means of all the data gathered
over the course of the weeks, the Independent Sample T-test was
used. The results indicated that there were no appreciable changes in
plant height between the bacteria treatment and the control. However,
the mean plant height for the control group at week four was 5.700
1.211 g shorter than that for the bacteria treatment group. Pak Choy
dry weight analysis for a number of leaves reveals no discernible
change between bacteria treatment and control. In contrast, the mean
dry weight for the bacteria treatment was 0.947 0.573 g while the
control was 0.904 0.355 g. There is no discernible difference between
the bacteria treatment and control groups according to the fish length
and weight. Finally, the inclusion of Bacillus sp. Red tilapia (30 tails)
and Pak Choy (6) are grown in a 190 liter aquaponics system using
(B43) at 32x106/80ml, and the growth of the fish and plants, as well as
the water's ammonia and nitrate levels, are not noticeably different.

According to a study regarding Nitrification in Experimental

Aquaponic System conducted by Frincu & Dumitrache in 2016 which
aims to investigate how the nitrogen cycle changed as a result of the
proliferation of nitrifying bacteria like Nitrozomonas and Nitrobacter in
an early experimental aquaponic system. In this regard, an
aquaculture system was created with different fish species included:
Carassius auratus (10 pieces) and Hypostomus plecostomus (2)
pieces). Following the discovery that the nitrogen cycle was
functioning, we selected the appropriate plants for the hydroponic
system. The fish were fed organic meal; the feed supply was kept
largely constant and a feeding rate ratio of 0,6 grams per day was
employed in the design calculations. Daily adjustments were made to
the pH (which was kept constant by the addition of calcium carbonate)
and the amount of dissolved oxygen. To make correlations between
the evolution of nitrogen concentrations and nitrification bacterial
growths, nitrogen forms (ammonium, NH4, nitrite, and nitrate, NO2,
and NO3) were determined daily along with pH monitoring. Following a
30-day trial, it was discovered that the quantities of ammonium-NH4
and nitrite-NO2 are considerably and directly associated (the Pearson
correlation coefficient is 0.74). It indicates that Nitrosomonas bacteria
successfully created a biofilm. 10 days after the aquaculture
experiment began we also noticed that the levels of nitrate
concentrations and nitrite concentrations (which shows the Nitrobacter
expanding). Because nitrates increased in water in the absence of
plants, the correlation coefficient is negative (r = - 0.75). In conclusion,
experimental findings show that the ammonium-NH4 and after 30
days, nitrite -NO2 concentrations settle, reaching levels below the
current legal limit imposing.

Despite benefits of using aquaponics technology, such as

decreased water use,decreased organic waste, and local production of
multiple types of food products (Love et al. 2015), there are still major
challenges in the implementation of aquaponics technology. Some
barriers to implementation include high start-up costs (Villarroel 2016),
extensive knowledge requirements, high resource demand, daily
maintenance requirements, and narrow ranges of nutrient and
temperature requirements that leave little room for error (Love et al.
2015). These barriers will likely decrease or disappear as the field
grows and time passes, but are still significant enough to exclude
many people currently (Villarroel 2016). There are additionally some
global impacts that aquaponics could have that could cause
environmental issues such as water use (in potentially water scarce
areas), nutrient release into the environment, and introduction of
exotic species and diseases into the local ecosystem in the event of a
fish escape (Samuel-Fitwi et al. 2012). Some of the major challenges
that need to be addressed in order to create sustainable aquaponics
systems are improved nutrient utilization, better pest management,
reduction of water requirements, use of alternative energy sources to
power the systems, and better pH stabilization measures (Goddek et
al. 2015).

Due to their adjustable size and lack of soil, aquaponics systems

are simpler to install in urban settings or as local food production (Love
et al. 2015), making it possible to design an aquaponics system that
uses less energy for transportation than a traditional farm. The
utilization of on-site renewable energy generation technology can also
greatly lessen the system's overall energy footprint (Tokunaga et al.
2015, Forchino et al. 2017).

Although aquaponics has the potential to be more sustainable

than conventional aquaculture and farming techniques, maintaining
such a system can occasionally be rather labor- and money-intensive.
Continuous monitoring of an aquaponics system is crucial to ensuring
that nutrients are present in the right concentrations for plant growth
and allowing for any necessary adjustments to be made for the welfare
of the plants and animals involved (Suhl et al. 2016). As a result, the
cost of labor for aquaponics systems can account for up to one-third of
all system operating expenses (Tokunaga et. Al ND).

In addition, according to Fox et al. 2010 Aquaponics is a

scientific subject that is still in its early stages. It is the idea of
integrating hydroponics and aquaculture systems into a single,
cohesive system that cycles water and nutrients for the benefit of the
system's plant and fish species. The 1980s saw the publication of the
first aquaponics-related scientific articles, but it wasn't until
approximately 2010 that this field of study really took off (Junge et al.
2017). Aquaponics was one of the technologies that scientists started
turning to as a viable answer for stable and sustainable food
production with potential for lower water usage as compared to
traditional agricultural methods as water and food scarcity grew more
prevalent with climate change.

However, despite the potential for increased sustainability in

aquaponics in relation to traditional aquaculture and farming methods,
the running of such a system can be quite labor intensive and costly in
some cases. It is important to continuously monitor an aquaponics
system to make sure that nutrients are in proper concentrations for
plant growth so that adjustments can be made if necessary for the
wellbeing of the plants and animals involved (Suhl et al. 2016).
Therefore, labor costs for aquaponics systems can be up to ⅓ of the
total costs of running the system (Tokunaga et. Al ND).

In the Philippines, a study about “An Arduino-based Monitoring

and Lighting Growth Control System for Hybrid Indoor Aromatic
Medicinal Herb Orchard and Fish Aquaculture setup by Jugana et. Al ND
which aims to develop indoor orchards specifically, aromatic herbs, for
medication supported by aquaponics technology via Aruino-based
monitoring system. Aquaponics technology maximizes the utilization of
fishes’ feces into a safe fertilizer of aromatic herb which can stand for
a week of utilization. The growth of the medicinal herb cultivated using
mixed medium of coconut husk and dry sand in an aquaponics setup
was compared with the planted herb using the same medium but not
cultivated using aquaponics. Moreover, the length of the Nile tilapia
grown in the aquaponics setup was compared with the Nile tilapia
grown in the conventional fish tank. Results have shown that there is
no evidence on the deterioration of plant and Nile tilapia in the
aquaponics setup for three (3) straight months.

In addition, Guia et al. 2022 states that the aquaponic system of

planting is a method that does not require soil usage. It is a method
that only needs water, fish, lava rocks (a substitute for soil), and
plants. Aquaponic systems are sustainable and environmentally
friendly. Its use not only helps to plant in small spaces but also helps
reduce artificial chemical use and minimizes excess water use, as
aquaponics consumes 90% less water than soil-based gardening. In his
study about Comparative Analysis Between Traditional Aquaponics and
Reconstructed Aquaponics Systems in Propagating Tomatoes (Solanum
lycopersicum) that aims to determine the significant difference
between traditional aquaponics and reconstructed aquaponics systems
propagating tomatoes in terms of height, weight, girth, and number of
fruits. Moreover, the reconstructed aquaponics system is proven to
eliminate all the hindrances present in the traditional aquaponics
system, which are overcrowding of fish, algae growth, pest problems,
contaminated water, and dead fish.

The Agriculture of the Philippines sees the aquaponic as one of

the ways to help the food scarcity due to the vast growth of population.
An article written by Megan Howell (January 2021) where she
addresses that aquaponics could help the status of the inflation rate
for commodities in the Philippines brought by COVID-19. Dr Joseph
Rayos a senior agriculturist at the Philippines’ Bureau of Fisheries and
Aquatic Resources said, that we need a solar-powered urban
aquaponics as an innovative way to ensure food security. Dr. Rayos
explained that BFAR is encouraging urban households to invest in small,
solar-powered aquaponics systems as part of its Plant, Plant, Plant
programmed. Dr Rayos also added that since the pandemic has
disrupted the global supply chain and revealed structural weaknesses in
the food system, urban aquaponics could form part of the “new normal”
approach to food production, in raising resilient fish like carp, tilapia and
catfish with vegetables would provide households with a year-round food
source and additional income stream – making families more food
secure.

Moreover, Development of an IoT-based Intensive Aquaculture

Monitoring System with Automatic Water Correction ( Tolentino et. Al.
2020) due to the depleting stocks of fish in the market, there have
been an increased interest in aquaculture. However, raising fishes in
an Intensive Aquaculture System results on a low-quality fish or even
fish kills as fishes are being cultured in artificial tanks and cage
systems, not on their natural habit. This paper presents a water quality
monitoring system with automatic correction to monitor and maintain
vital water quality parameters essential for fish growth, such as
temperature, potential hydrogen (pH) level, oxidationreduction
potential, turbidity, salinity, and dissolved oxygen to achieve optimum
yield using Arduino and Raspberry Pi 3B+ through LoRaWAN IoT
Protocol. The system uses sensors, microcontrollers, and a web
application for acquiring and monitoring data of six different water
quality parameters and are maintained in a desired level optimal for
fish growth using aquarium heater, motor for sodium bicarbonate
distribution, solenoid valve and water pump that serves as correcting
devices. The proponents measured the system’s efficiency and
reliability through monitoring two intensive aquaculture setups –
controlled and conventional setup. From the data gathered, the
controlled setup greatly increased efficiency, reduced the work of fish
farmers, avoided fish kills, and surpassed yield quality of the
conventional setup.

To add sum, the study about Yield Evaluation of Brassica rapa,

Lactuca sativa, and Brassica integrifolia Using Image Processing in an
IoT-Based Aquaponics with Temperature-Controlled
Greenhouse(Tolentino et. Al 2020) which introduced the development
of a self-sustainable smart aquaponics system in a temperature-
controlled greenhouse with a monitoring and automatic correction
system using an Android device through the Internet of Things (IoT)
and plant growth monitoring system through image processing using
Raspberry Pi. The system involves the acquiring of real-time data
detected by the light intensity sensor, and air temperature and
humidity sensor. It also includes the monitoring of the pH level and
temperature of the recirculating water of the system. If the acquired
data is not within the threshold range, the correcting devices, namely
grow lights, exhaust and inlet fans, evaporative cooler, aerator, and
peristaltic buffer device were automatically triggered by the system to
correct and achieve its normal status. The internet remote access
includes the effective wireless transmission and reception of data
reports between the system and an Android unit with the Android
application in real-time. The study focused on the evaluation of two
experimental set-ups comparing the plant growth between
conventional soil-based farming and the smart aquaponics system
using image processing. After data gathering, results showed that the
smart aquaponics set-up successfully produced a yield better than the
conventional farming set-up.
 According to Love et al. (2015), the main factors that affect the
profitability of an aquaponics system are whether the system is
someone’s primary source of income,geographic location, knowledge
of aquaponics, and sales ability. In Villarroel et al. (2016)’s survey of
European aquaponics systems, only 19% of respondents were
commercial aquaponics producers and only 19.6% of total respondents
listed aquaponics as their primary source of income. The largest users
of aquaponics systems were schools and universities (43%) and a huge
91.7% of respondents had a postgraduate degree, showing that
aquaponics seems to still be viewed as an educational pursuit that
requires quite a bit of expertise and isn’t widely commercialized yet.
According to Miličić et al,customers of aquaponics systems seem to
have a good opinion of the practice in general because most
aquaponic-grown produce is organic, local, and environmentally
friendly and is advertised as such (Miličić et al. 2017).

There are three commonly used types of aquaponics systems.

These include nutrient film technique (NFT), floating raft/deep water
culture, and media filled systems (Wongkiew 2017). Nutrient film
technique systems circulate a shallow stream of water which contains
nutrients from the fish along the bare roots of the plants in the system
(Wongkiew 2017). This method requires no media for the plant to grow
in other than the grow bed channel. Some of the difficulties of NFT
systems are that only small vegetable species can be used, there
needs to be some method for efficient solids removal to prevent
clogging the system, and a biofilter is required for nitrification
(Wongkiew 2017). Floating raft/deep water culture systems are the
most common type of aquaponics system in the literature today. These
systems consist of floating boards (typically made of polystyrene) that
float on top of the water. Water from the fish tank circulates into the
plant tank to provide nutrients. This type of system is popular because
there is no thin channel of water flow to clog like in NFT systems
(Wongkiew 2017). Floating systems, like NFT systems, require both
solids removal and biofilters in their designs (Love et al.2015).

On the other hand, a study conducted by C. Sace and K.

Fitzsimmons (December 2013) on the Vegetable production in a
recirculating aquaponic system using Nile tilapia (Oreochromis
niloticus) with and without freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium
rosenbergii). In their study, there are two recirculating aquaponics
systems that are installed in a controlled environment, greenhouse to
study the growth and yield of lettuce (Lactuca sativa), Chinese
cabbage (Brassica rapa pekinensis) and pac choi (Brassica rapa) using
Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) culture with and without freshwater
prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii). According to their findings, the
vegetables demonstrated significantly better growth in the system with
prawns. So much for that, among the three vegetables, pac choi had
the highest growth, yield, and productivity followed by Chinese
cabbage and lettuce. They determined that integrating prawn culture
helped stabilize and diversify the system which aided in improving the
harvest. C. Sace and K. Fitzsimmons also confirmed that stocking
density and component ratio were critical in designing an aquaponic
system.

Conceptual Framework

Independent variable Dependent Variable

 Survival/Mortaliy rate
of Lettuce and pechay
Lettuce (Lactuca  Food requirement of
sativa) and Pechay aquaculture as a
(Brassica source of nutrients for
rapa)seedlings hydropnics
 pH level of water
 Intervening Variable

 Light Intensity
 Type II Climate
 Water content
 Fish waste
 Electric supply

Figure 1.0: Theoretical and Framework of the study

CHAPTER 3
Methodology

This chapter explains where does the study will be held as well
as the design of the research being used. It also indicates the
treatment and the lay out of the said research as well as the materials
to be used to conduct the said research. Moreover, in this chapter also
it shows how the materials being collected and the preparation of the
species or the material, its proper care and maintenance, how the data
will be gathered and also the map of the area conducted by the
researchers.

Locale of the study

This study will be conducted at Northeastern Mindanao State
University- Bislig Campus with a coordinate of 8.2472° N, 126.2748° E,
Maharlika Bislig City particularly in Forestry Building. This place is
selected knowing that there is an existing aquaponics being
established in the said area.
Research Design
This study is an experimental and uses Compare and Contrast to
determine the weighted mean of pH level and the survival rate of the
Lettuce and Pechay through evaluating the the food requirements for
Nile Tilapia that produces Amomia that serves as the nutrients of the
vegetables.

Research material
The materials used in this study are as follows:
1. Lettuce, and pechay seedlings
2. UV plastic sheets
3. Food for Tilapia
4. Shaded net
5. Mosquito net
6. 10 mm Metal
7. Wielding Machine and Wielding rod
8. Drill
9. Tilapia
10. Cocopeat
11. Floats
12. Signage
13. Weighing Scale for Tilapia feeds

Collection of materials
The materials are collected from different hardware.

Preparation of species
The Lettuce and Pechay are sowed in a plot and will wait7-10
days to let it germinate and be transferred in a seedling bed. After
that, the researcher will wait until it is ready to be sowed in a
Hydroponics bed. Then, the researchers will sow 30 per species.

Care and maintenance

Regular monitoring of feeding requirements for Tilapia each day
and evaluating the organic composition of water to identify if the
circulation of the aquaponic system differs from traditional systems.
The researchers will secure enough electricity to help the aquaponics
system function well. Moreover, the researchers will assess thoroughly
the functions of both hydroponics and aquaculture system.

Data Collection
Data collection was conducted by the researchers to evaluate
the feeding requirement of aquaculture as a source of nutrients of
hydroponics, evaluate the organic composition of water, as well as to
monitor the survival and mortality rate of planted Lettuce, Kangkong
and Pechay. Moreover, the data will be gathered through monitoring
the aquaponics 15 days after the Lettuce and Pechay were planted.

Gant Chart
August Septemb October Novemb Decemb
er er er
Buying of
Materials
Building
Aquaponics
controlled
environmen
t
Seed
Germinatio
n
Planting
Vegatables
Data
Gathering

CHAPTER 4
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter presents the data gathered after 15 days
observation in aquaponics systems. It presents tables in the feeding
requirement for Tilapia as a source of nutrient of vegetables, the
survival and mortality rate of the Pechay and Lettuce plants, as well as
the pH value of the water.

Table 4.1 Feeding Requirements of Tilapia

Number of Number meal Cups per meal
Tilapia per day
Fish pillets 60 2 times 3 cups

The table shows the feeding requirements of Tilapia as a source

of nutrients to the vegetables. The Tilapia was feed 2 times a day with
3 cups per meal.
Table 4.2: Survival of Lettuce and Pechay.
Survival Total

Lettuce 30(100%) 30

Pechay 21 (70%) 21

The table shows the survival rate of vegetables that indicates a

30 (100%) survival for Lettuce and 21(70%) survival for Pechay.

Survival Rate
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Lettuce Pechay

Survical Rate

Figure 4.2.1
The figure shows the survival rate of vegetables that indicates a
30 (100%) survival for Lettuce and 21(70%) survival for Pechay.

Table 4.3 Mortality rate of vegetables

Mortality total
Lettuce 0 0

Pechay 9 (30%) 9

The table shows the Mortality rate of vegetables planted through

Aquaponics system with a mortality of 0 for Lettuce plants and 9(30%)
for Pechay plants.

Mortality Rate
10
8
6
4
2
0
Lettuce Pechay

Mortality Rate

Figure 4.3.1
The figure shows the Mortality rate of vegetables planted
through Aquaponics system with a mortality of 0 for Lettuce plants and
9(30%) for Pechay plants.

Table 4.4 pH level

Level of Acidity
Before Planting 6
After 7 Days 7
After 14 Days 8
After 21 Days 7
After 28 Days 7
TOTAL MEAN 7
 The table indicates the results of the pH level of Aquaponics that
indicates at level 7 before planting and after planting which means
that the said level of pH is neutral. It also indicates that it is good for
aquaponics system.

CHAPTER 5
SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Summary
This study was conducted to measure the effectiveness of
aquaponics system with 60 respondents, 30 in lettuce and 30 in
pechay by getting the survival and mortality rate. The said study aims
to determine the following;
1. To know the feeding requirements of Tilapia as a source of
nutrient.
2. To evaluate the survival rate of leafy vegetables planted in
Aquaponics system.
3. To determine the mortality rate of leafy vegetables planted in
Aquaponics system.
4. To evaluate the organic water composition of Aquaponics.
FINDINGS
After gathering the data, the researchers found out the following:
1. The feeding requirement of Tilapia as the source of nutrient is
3 cups per meal everyday.
2. The survival rate of planted vegetables through Aquaponics
system is 100% (30) for Lettuce while 75%(21) for pechay.
3. The mortality rate of planted vegetables through Aquaponic
system is 0% for Lettuce and 30%(9) for Pechay.
 4. The pH level of Aquaponic is at level 7 which means it is
neutral and good for Aquaponics system.
CONCLUSION
After gathering the data in the desired time, the researcher will
now conclude that the feeding requirements of Tilapia is 3 cups per
meal everyday which is a good source for nutrients of Lettuce and
Pechay which in results give feedback in mortality rate, having 0% in
Lettuce and 30% in Pechay, with also a survival rate of 100% in
Lettuce and 70% in Pechay, in which the said aquapohics pH level is at
7 which means neutral.
RECOMMENDATION
The researchers will recommend the following:
1. Aquaponics system must be monitor at all times to guarantee
that there will be no more malfunction.
2. The future researchers can introduce other vegetables to
have further experiments in the said system.
3. The future researchers shall ensure good source of water in
fish tanks and monitor every day the said tanks.
4. The future researcher can apply organic fertilizers such as
biofilters and etc. to ensure good production.