Making Aquaponics More Sustainable Using Worms and Water Replenishment Combined with a Sensing- and IoT-Based Monitoring System

Aquaponics offers a simple conclusive solution to the food and environmental crisis around the world. This paper presents a comparative analysis of standard aquaponics with vermiponics (aquaponics with earthworms) before and after applying an optimal freshwater replenishment. Fish and plants were grown on a standard aquaponics testbed and a vermiponics testbed for 3 months each, initially without water replenishment, and then with 19% replenishment based on the fishtank volume. Water quality and environmental data were monitored, collected and processed using sensors and internet of things (IoT) devices. Daily growth analysis, the mean productivity of both testbeds before and after replenishment, the percentage of productivity difference and the general productivity comparison between standard and vermiponics testbeds were determined. Results showed an enhanced productivity of 2.83% and 5.54% for the standard testbed and the vermiponics testbed, respectively, when replenishment was applied. The yield improvement after replenishment was proven to be statistically significant, with p < 0.05 reassuring the impact of water replenishment. This research contributes to the understanding of the impact of water replenishment in aquaponics and vermiponics systems. Moreover, it provides insights into the effect of earthworms on both systems’ yield productivity.