The Aquaponic System – World Water Solutions

Tilapia, Hawaiian Prawns, and a Closed-Loop Water Cycle

This is the heart of the sanctuary — a 300-foot-long, 6,100-square-foot aquaponic system raising tilapia and freshwater Hawaiian prawns. Fish waste becomes plant food; plants clean the water; the water returns to the fish. Nothing is discharged, nothing is wasted.

The channel is built with Firestone 45-mil non-toxic pond liner — one 30×100 ft roll for the main run, plus three 20×100 ft rolls for the connecting sections — sealed with professional bonding adhesive to create a fully closed, leak-proof loop.

Footprint: 300 ft long, 6,100 sq ft total surface area

Lining materials: One 30×100 ft + three 20×100 ft Firestone 45-mil pond liner rolls, professional bonding adhesive

Livestock: Native tilapia and Hawaiian freshwater prawns

Circulation: 2–3 correctly sized pump stations moving water from fish channel through biofilters, into the greenhouse, and back — sized to keep flow constant without stagnation or wasted energy.

Duplicate at home

Start with a single IBC tote or a 4×8 ft stock tank lined the same way with EPDM pond liner. One small submersible pump, one grow bed of gravel or clay pebbles, and a handful of tilapia or goldfish will teach you the same nitrogen cycle at 1/100th the scale.