Cool at School

Something Fishy at West Greene

By Lauren Bertovich.

Aquaponics is a plant cultivation system similar to hydroponics but including Aquaculture, or life forms that live in water. West Greene’s Aquaponics project began last year under science teacher Mr. Kurt Jones but what’s been learned reaches far beyond the boundaries of any classroom.

The three parts of an Aquaponics system are highly dependent on each other. A large tank is needed to house fresh water fish; often used are salmon, blue gill, carp, trout and tilapia. A decision must be made about whether the fish will be pets or used as a food source. Smaller, decorative tanks can house ornamental fish species such as goldfish, tetras, angelfish and betas. These small systems are good for beginners and can grow flowers, houseplants and herb gardens. After that, just add food! The fish eat, swim and produce waste in the fresh water that will flow into a large basin via gravity or pumps depending on system design.

Austin Crouse, Jud Meek, Avery Berdine, Jade Rittenhouse, Jeremiah Miller and Brock Bedilion with the Aquaponics system at West Greene High School.

Here’s where you get to see nature doing something truly amazing. Within a large basin, plants are housed in individual baskets and supported in the water using tiny pebbles of extruded clay. These

pebbles support the plants and increase surface area within the basin, allowing the growth of good bacteria and providing shelter to aquatic red worms. These worms and bacteria feed on waste, converting it to nitrate, a key nutrient in plant growth. Another key ingredient is sunlight, and indoor Aquaponics systems often require artificial lighting. The types of lamps used in at West Greene are LEDs and operate using minimal electricity.

The Tilapia used in the project reside in the first tank and are the first step in the Aquaponics system.

Under the artificial lamps the plants grow, absorbing the nitrate created by the bacteria and worms. The plants complete the third step in the Aquaponics cycle by filtering nitrates and providing fresh, nitrate free water that is pumped back into the first tank, supplying the fish with clean water. The process repeats.

The collaboration not only in creating the project but also within it is important. The project combines life sciences, chemistry, agriculture, and engineering and emphasizes the importance of teamwork and problem solving. Pollinating the plants indoors was a problem: “There are no bees or birds in the classroom so we used q-tips to pollenate our plants,” said Brock Bedilion, a student at West Greene.

The plants receiving artificial light from the LED system.

Communication throughout the project was vital, not only within West Greene but also other school districts. The Tilapia used in the project were donated by Mc- Guffey High School. Tilapia, native to the Nile River need warm water. Construction supplies were donated by Intermediate Unit 1. West Greene Engineering instructor,

Mr. Eric Armstrong, supplied the students with a “Raspberry Pi” device, a single board computer that teaches students how to build and program a computer. The “Pi” was used to create a temperature gauge to ensure a constant water temperature between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Students also used a 3-D printer to create custom brackets that aided in project construction.

This project teaches important lessons to these young adults soon entering a working society. Just like the relationship between the fish, plants and bacteria, we are all responsible for specific contributions and if one is eliminated an entire system could fail. The participants go above and beyond by sharing their knowledge and involving the elementary students. When a student becomes the teacher it solidifies what is learned and knowledge is always better when shared. For West Greene, it has been a journey of exploration; they’ve learned that with collaboration, communication and problem solving, anything is possible.