One of the most important components of an aquaponics system is a biofilter. The biofilter is responsible for breaking down ammonia from the fish waste and turning it into nitrates. This is essential to keep the water quality high and prevent toxic ammonia buildup.
There are several different ways to set up a biofilter in an aquaponics system.
- One common method is using a media filter, a container filled with porous material such as gravel, sand, or ceramic balls. The bacteria will grow on the surface of the media and break down the ammonia.
- Another option is to use a fixed-film filter, which is a system that uses living bacteria films to break down ammonia. This type of filter can be either an open-media filter, which has the media exposed to the water flow all of the time, or a submerged-media filter, similar to the media filters mentioned earlier.