Patent ID: 8677942

Claim:
An aquaponic method for symbiotic rearing of one or more aquatic species and one or more plant species comprising: a) providing i) a tank which houses one or more aquatic animal species; ii) a plant growing apparatus which houses one or more plant species growing in an aqueous environment; and iii) a biofilter module for receiving a waste stream including solid waste and water from the tank, the biofilter module comprising a solids removal means and a biological waste digestion unit for digesting solids from the solids removal means to produce plant nutrients, wherein the biological waste digestion unit comprises a biological species that at least partially digests solid waste from said solids removal means to plant nutrients, and further wherein the biological digestion unit comprises a plurality of trays which are able to be rotated such that the trays are actively receiving solids from the solids removal means when in a receiving position and not receiving solids from the solids removal means in a non-receiving position, and wherein only a subset of the total number of trays are in the receiving position at any time; b) rotating the subset of the total number of trays in the receiving position to the non-receiving position such that the subset of the total number of trays in the non-receiving position do not receive input of solids from the solids removal means, whilst the total number of trays process the solid waste from said tank; c) transferring solid waste from said tank to said biofilter module; and d) transferring said plant nutrients from said biofilter module to said plant growing apparatus.