Aquaculture Solutions
Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic animals and plants for food or for pleasure. We have quality products to ensure your venture is a success.
Welcome to Aquaculture Solutions
A company specialising in the design and construction of economically viabile, environmentally sound and aesthetically pleasing fish farms and aquaponics systems.
Processes in nature typically have a circular flow so that the by-products of one process become the inputs of the next. This maximizes efficiencies and minimises wastes, inspiring the approach to our designs and builds at Aquaculture Solutions. We promote technologies that feed people, in a manner that is environmentally gentle and financially viable. These processes include aquaponics and the intensive farming of fish.
Services we offer include the following:
- Assessing sites to confirm suitability for the planned species and scale of production
- Designing efficient infrastructure to produce the target species and tonnage with the lowest possible input of energy
- Erecting the infrastructure using quality products and materials to ensure hassle free operation and durability
- Training farm staff to operate the farm effectively and efficiently based on our Standard Operating Procedures, inclusive of day to day management as well as the medium to long term maintenance and production strategies
- Mentorship support to farmers to ensure success through remote monitoring of weekly charts and tables, along with periodic site visits – the focus here being to observe the trends and implement corrective action prior to significant problems occurring
- Problem solving on operational fish farms and aquaponics systems where we are called in to identify the root cause and provide solutions to solve a problem and prevent it from reoccurring
- Optimisation of the systems and processes on existing fish farms or aquaponics systems to maximise output from the investment
The scale of projects already completed includes commercial facilities right through to apartment balcony systems-for-one. We are approachable, innovative and creative and will find a financially attractive aquaculture solution for your situation.
Fish Farms
Aquaculture Solutions believes in recirculating technology for fish farming, for the following reasons:
| Ability to farm successfully irrespective of the ambient climateOption of erecting the infrastructure close to the market, feed supplier or other strategic advantageBiosecurity to protect the fish stock from wild diseasesReduced risk of farmed fish escaping into the wildAbility to control, reduce and even remove negative environmental impactsVastly reduced water required as compared to pond farmingProduct quality can be controlled for excellenceGreatly simplified harvesting, allowing for marketing of smaller quantities frequentlyAbility to link with aquaponics, increasing income and usually profit too |
We have erected and operated fish farms with a production capacity of up to 120 tons p.m. across several African countries. Invite us to advise you on the most appropriate installation in your setting, to erect the facility for you and to train your staff to operate it optimally.
Aquaponics
The word aquaponics is derived from the parent industries of aquaculture and hydroponics. In aquaponics, water from fish is cycled continuously through beds or rafts in which plants are rooted. Friendly bacteria convert the ammonia released by the fish into nitrate, which is the primary fertiliser required by plants; the vegetables take up the nitrate, cleaning the water for the fish.
If the system is correctly balanced and operated, the fish can provide all the nutrients required to keep the plants growing and fruiting optimally, and the plants in turn remove the nutrients at the rate at which they are released by the fish – perfect symbiosis.
Aquaponics is typically used to produce a diverse range of vegetable and herb crops, but can replace soil based beds in a flower garden with the benefit that the plants grow in water and so they never experience water stress. A second advantage is that there are seldom any weeds.
Due to the completely natural processes and reduced stress experienced by plants growing in aquaponics, pest problems are limited and only the very gentle green label pesticides (all organically certified) are required to control these bugs. This combined with the improved flavours found in aquaponics crops makes them both healthy and delicious to eat, hence the name Living Larder.
Whether you want to establish a business producing high quality, healthy, tasty crops for discerning customers or if you just wish to enjoying growing for your own needs, allow Aquaculture Solutions to show you how to best harness the wonders of aquaponics.
The first Living Larders have been operational for 10 years on the same water without any water being dumped. Water removed from the system when harvesting crops and fish is replaced with new water and Aquaculture Solutions supplied tilapia, trout, cucumbers, lettuce and mixed salad greens to supermarkets and restaurants.
Aquaculture & Aquaponics Videos
Follow the link below to view the videos we have made on our favourite subject. Each video takes hours to prepare, shoot and edit, and they are offered as a free service. If you enjoy them please subscribe to our channel and select the `like’ button.
About
Leslie Ter Morshuizen and Aquaculture
In the summer of 1990, after working as a skipper on a commercial fishing vessel, Leslie enrolled at Rhodes University where, in 1995, he graduated with an MSc Ichthyology. He then followed his dream and became a commercial fish farmer. Over the next 29 years he perfected his expertise while he designed, built and managed fish farms, and trained people to operate these farms optimally. He has worked across much of sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian Ocean islands and up into Eastern Europe.
Aquaculture Solutions is a pivot away from pure fish farming into Aquaponics, food security and blue carbon solutions to the overpopulation, food shortage and climate crisis. The first successful commercial aquaponics facility in South Africa was designed, erected and managed by Leslie in 2012, and eventually sold in 2021. He continues to innovate, transforming traditional aquaculture into nutritious, ecologically sound, beautiful answers to some of the most challenging dilemmas facing modern society.
Leslie is a proud father and a passionate fisherman. He values integrity, relationship, quality and professional excellence, and gets satisfaction from finding the perfect niche solution to each client’s unique conundrum.
Leslie was the founding chair of both the Aquaponics Association of Southern Africa as well as the Catfish Growers Association of South Africa. In addition, he served for many years on the committee of the Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa and AquaSA.