Commercial Aquaponics in the Community: Food On The Move

Urban Aquaponic Farm Design for Year-Round Community Food Security in Tulsa, OK

Since 2014, Food On The Move has acted as a mobile food initiative that has been working to end food deserts throughout Tulsa and its surrounding communities.

Food On The Move focuses its efforts towards ending food insecurity in Oklahoma communities through food distribution, educational programs, workforce development, health assessments, and innovative solutions.

While Food On The Move pursues its mission to transform food deserts and combat food insecurity, we are proud to serve as its aquaponic farm designer, manufacturer, and partner.

The Mission: Eradicate urban food deserts through high-output, year-round indoor agriculture.

Annual Leafy Green Yield: 116,189 to 145,236 plants harvested annually.

Annual Fish Yield: 3,253 lbs of sustainable fish protein.

Core Systems Deployed: Growasis Double-Decker DWC, AquaBundance Media Beds, Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS).

The Fish: Designing the 5,700-Gallon System

Six 950-gallon fish tanks were sized based on the nutrient requirements for the large plant system. We projected that the growth period from fingerling to harvest weight is 12 months, resulting in a harvest weight of 1.5lbs per fish. We installed fish tank windows for fish health monitoring and added an aesthetic.

The large water volume and fish stocking densities mean we needed to enlarge the solids filtration system. The high-profile polygeyser uses beads and an air-triggered backwashing cycle to separate fish solids from the main system water. The beads give nitrifying bacteria a surface to colonize and populate. It’s this bacteria that converts toxic waste to nitrogen-rich water for the plants. (Aquaponics!)

The discharge sludge from the polygeyser is extremely rich in nutrients but overly dense in solids from the fish waste, which can be devastating in any aquaponic system. So, the solids must be removed from the water column. When the filter is discharged of the solids, the discharge is added to two mineralization tanks for further nutrient extraction. Once the solids are separated from the water, that nutrient-dense water is returned to the main system’s water supply. This method enhances water conservation while supplying as many nutrients as possible to the plants.

• (6) 950 gallon fish tanks
• Coupled or decoupled fish and plant sumps
• High-profile Poly-geyser Solids Bead Filter

• UV Sterilizer
• Automatic Water Top Offs
• Remote Monitoring & Controller
• AquaHeat Water Heater

380 Fish per Tank

3,253 lbs Harvested Annually

2,280 Total in System

The Plants: Custom Vertical Hydroponics & Deep Water Culture

Food production is the goal. We accommodated their request to grow leafy greens and vegetables by deploying both deep water culture and clay media growing methods. We installed sixteen AquaBundance media beds where shorter vining and rooting vegetables will grow within waist-high frames. We added a trellising rack that doubles as a light rack. Each grow bed has a 600w Pinnacle LP grow light suspended from the light rack to imitate sunlight.

Their leafy green production will take place within one of (5) 4′ x 84′ Growasis Double Decker Raft Systems. The Double Deckers allow for doubling the production square footage without doubling the footprint. Both top and bottom tiers are equipped with full-spectrum LED grow lighting.

Off to the side is a fully connected, custom-designed 3-tier seedling start and microgreen system. The nursery is fully automated with state-of-the-art full-spectrum LED lighting, pumps, and timers included as standard. The nursery has the capacity to maintain a consistent seeding schedule for the DWC production as well as produce high-value specialty microgreens.

• (458) total 28-hole raft boards
• (37) 162-hole transplant raft boards
• 11,788 total planting spaces

• 144 sq/ft growing space
• 64 plants at a time
• 14,130 lbs of tomatoes per season

• (189) 10”x20” microgreen trays
• 150-flat microgreen capacity
• 3,900 microgreen flats annually

116,189-145,236 Annually

1,620 lbs Annually

4,160 Annually

Specialty Commercial Aquaponics Equipment

Every plant space uses grow lighting supplied by Thrive Agritech. There are a variety of lighting fixture models suspended over the plant systems tailored to specific crop production. The lights are connected via the GrowFlux universal dimmer and access point to independently control light zones and schedules.

This farm features a pure oxygen nanobubble system from Moleaer. Nanobubbles dramatically increase dissolved oxygen in the water. These microscopic bubbles remain suspended much longer than conventional aeration & enhance root respiration and support beneficial microbial activity in the root zone. The result is stronger plant growth, improved nutrient uptake, and a healthier overall system.

Monitoring is critical for peace of mind, especially over weekends and holidays. A HYDROS monitor was installed with various probes and sensors to track pH levels in both the fish and plant sump, water temperature, flow rate, leak detection, and water levels.

Why the Engineering Matters: Real-World Viability

We don’t believe in forcing a client to choose from rigid options because every community’s needs are different. By engineering this custom layout with stacked vertical tiers and automated filtration, we proved that large-scale aquaponics can be highly productive, efficient, and operationally viable. The system is designed to maximize food output per square foot while reducing manual time and common mistakes that often disrupt food production loops.

By mobilizing healthy, high-quality food into hard-to-reach and economically challenged communities, Food On The Move is removing barriers that limit access to nutritious food.

We are extremely proud to be a partner alongside Food On The Move as they bring sustainably grown food to their communities.

Learn more about Food On the Move here:

Foodonthemoveok.com