Smart Aquaponics System for Oreochromis niloticus Production

Abstract

Surigao City, found in the Northeastern part of Mindanao and facing the Pacific Ocean, boasts an abundance of fish; however, their prices are still high. This situation is due to the limited supply of freshwater fish, specifically Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), which is attributed to fishermen continuing to employ traditional fishpond methods. Considering this, the aim of this research is to design and develop a smart aquaponics system that incorporates recirculating aquaponics system (RAS) technology. The aim is to enhance the supply of Tilapia in the market. To achieve this, a developmental research design has been employed to create an efficient aquaponics system. The project incorporates two microcontrollers and multiple sensors to check essential parameters such as pH level, total dissolved solids, temperature, and water level. The study's results show a remarkable 6% fish growth, consistent operation of the system's circuit functions and water circulation, real-time data logging eased by the application software, and a power consumption of 193 watts. To examine the data acquired from the study, the researchers employed statistical methods such as mean, standard deviation, and frequency count. The tables and figures contain information on the system's hardware and software requirements, Tilapia growth characteristics, and a data overview of all sensor readings. The findings reveal that the smart aquaponics system could produce considerable growth of Tilapia within the tank while preserving fish development factors such as pH, salinity, total dissolved solids, temperature, and tank water level. The system likewise consumes less electricity and was rated "very acceptable" based on quantitative overall findings. These findings lead to the conclusion that Tilapia can effectively mass-produced using this aquaponics system. However, further research is necessary to prove a correlation between Tilapia grown in the smart aquaponics system and those raised through traditional fishpond methods.