The total microbial community in different compartments of the Aquaponics system has not been characterized or studied enough . As the Aquaponics systems can have different subunits , for instance ; fish tank , bio-filter , mechanical filter , settler , or hydroponic section , with each of them having different possible designs and different optimal conditions , the microbial communities in these components may differ drastically , and are , therefore , interesting to analyse , the goal being improved steering of the processes . Until now , nitrifying bacteria are the best studied group of environmental importance in the Aquaponics systems . Within this group , the ammonium-oxidizing bacteria , who convert ammonium to nitrite , are of particular interest . This group of chemolithothropic bacteria was restricted to two evolutionarily distinct line-ages of the class Proteobacteria , although also ammonium-oxidizing archaea are known . For the conversion of nitrite to nitrate , nitrite-oxidizing bacteria are responsible , e . g ., Nitrospira species or Nitrobacter species . Recently it was described that a Nitrospira species is also able to perform the complete nitrification from ammonium to nitrite . On the other hand , organisms that perform denitrification , ANAMMOX ( anaerobic
ammonium oxidation ), or dissimilatory nitrate reduction are also known . This is a more heterogeneous group of organisms that may exert a substantial influence on the total nitrogen cycle in the Aquaponics system .
Is a Biofilm in an Aquaponics System bad ? Indoor gardeners often poorly understand biofilms . While most gardeners are ready to wage war at the first sign of biofilm , these microscopic colonies actually have the potential to be either friend or enemy in an Aquaponics system . Just as nutrient solutions and root rhizospheres are colonized by a wide range of different microbes , so too are the biofilms that develop in all systems . While the term “ biofilm ” has often come to be associated with an evil , pathogen-filled , slimy source of disease-ridden grime clinging to hydroponic system surfaces , this is not always the case .
Healthy biofils exist everywhere in nature where moisture and nutrients are present , containing a diversity of microbial life , many biofilms associated with colonizing the root system contain important beneficial bacteria . These include plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria , which can assist with nutrient uptake as well as competitive suppression of pathogens . In aquaponics systems , biofilms
AgriKultuur | AgriCulture
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