Version March 29, 2013

1. Niskayuna Aquaponics
Round 1 Final Report
Team: Darius Irani, David Etkin, Anjuli Smith, Jason Tang
Advisor: Chris Jennings, Biology Teacher
Niskayuna High School

2. Round 1 Questions
1.What has been the biggest challenge for you thus far,
in regards to getting your project off the ground?
2.What type of impact do you feel your project has
made on your team, as well as other students in your
school?
3.In one sentence, describe what drives you to
advocate a greener way of living.
4.If you could go back, is there anything you would do
differently?
5.Describe your team in three words.
6.What have you learned most from this experience?

3. Round 1 – Questions Continued
7. Anything else you would like to tell us?
a. Supportive Community
b. Integrating STEMM with aquaponics
c. Opportunities to collaborate with
Schenectady ARC
Schenectady Museum of Innovation and Science
(Schenectady MiSci)

4. Biggest Challenge - The Leak
Team with Mr.
Yetto, the town
engineer
The leak from the flood tank to the grow bed could not be stopped with silicone. We consulted with the
town engineer who correctly diagnosed that the hole had been bored through an uneven part of the barrel
near the seam, and this caused the “toilet valve” flap to not be water-tight. The town donated two barrels,
and we re-bored the hole, keeping away from the seam. And It Worked. Yeah!!!

5. Impact on Team and other Students?
• School district budget
has $6.7 budget gap.
Aquaponics Project was
presented at a budget
forum to illustrate
usefulness of Science
and Music.
• Science lab restored;
some science, computer
courses, and music
ensembles still on cutting
block
All four students in the team have graduated from Van
Antwerp Middle School last year, and it is “under
consideration for closure” due to the budget crunch

6. Project Impact: 500 students + 30 staff
• Increased awareness
• Team learned a lot about
building system, strategies to
avoid leaks, and got a workout
carrying expanded shale to the
growbeds
• Students and faculty experts
outside of team identified to
help with robotics and music
components

7. Team in Three Words?
Diverse Connected Cooperative
Help from: A-Niskayuna B-Albany
C-Schodack Landing D-Cohoes
E-Schenectady F-Cobleskill

8. What drives us to advocate a greener way
of living?
• Green practice has saved
money for the school e.g.
geothermal heating
• Makes us think differently
o Aquaponics project needs the pump to
be running all the time, and to reduce
the power use….
o Tap into environment club to design
system to run pumps on solar energy
o Or work with our neighbor, General
Electric Global Research Center, who
are working on wind turbines
o Eat yogurt with tilapia!
• Strengthens community bonds
Yogurt with tilapia: Tilapia is used for the
• Real-life, long-term impact gelatin in this popular yogurt, and it is yummy

9. Do Anything Differently?
• Identify a community of
advisors with expertise in
building system and
maintaining the cycle
• Study resources before doing
the project
• Prepare mini presentations
summarizing content learned
• Try out other designs e.g. with
fish tank continuous fill design.
This prevents the fish tank
from completing draining if the
pump was to stop running.

10. Learned most from experience?
• Prepare for things to go wrong
because they do
o Leak
o Strength of pump – had to change from T pipe design to
direct design = purchase a stronger pump
o Purchase backup pump
• Improvise on designs to fix problems.
• Tilapia for school system, goldfish for NiskaDay
• Test thoroughly
• Reach out to local and virtual community for help

11. Anything else you would like to tell us?
• Supportive Community
• Integrating STEMM with aquaponics
• Opportunities to collaborate with
o Schenectady ARC
o Schenectady Museum of Innovation and Science
(Schenectady MiSci)

12. Supportive Community
• Three barrels donated by
Albany Container Corporation,
Port of Albany
• Expanded Lightweight Shale,
that gave us a workout, was
donated by Norlite Lightweight
Aggregate, Cohoes
• When we had to redo the flood
tank, the barrels were donated
by the Town of Niskayuna
• Town supervisor sent town
engineer to consult and advise One bag containing a cubic foot of expanded
us on cause of leak. With the shale weighs 48 lbs
correct diagnosis, we were
able to stop the leak.

13. Supportive Community…contd.
• While local grocery
chain cannot purchase
tilapia due to
regulations, they have
offered to filet the fish
on site. VP of seafood of
grocery chain will be
visiting.
• Local soup kitchen will
use the tilapia from the
Niskayuna Aquaponics
System

14. Supportive Community contd
Assistance from Advisor,
School Administrators and
Board, Community Members,
Parents Siblings, and
Students with :
• Building the system
• Growing awareness
• Purchasing supplies
• Driving us to places

15. Integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and
Music (STEMM)
• Kit Goldstein-Grant, neighborhood composer, affiliated
with Schenectady Children’s Theater, to run a four-session
musical composition workshop after-school with the music
department on the theme of aquaponics
• Design micro-computer (arduino)
to collect information from
sensors to computers for remote
monitoring
• STEM lessons for high school
students from SUNY and Cornell
University, and for lower grades
may be purchased online

16. Scale-Up Community Partnerships
Schenectady ARC
• Collaborate to setup
an aquaponics system
in Schenectady ARC’s
greenhouse
• Share curriculum
Anjuli (right) in Schenectady ARC Greenhouse
with horticulture educator Donna Vincent and
New Initiatives Director, Mark Sheehan
• Train greenhouse coordinator and staff to with communities
on aquaponics.

17. Scale-Up Community Partnerships Schenectady MiSci
• Collaborate to setup an interactive exhibit
• Adapt curriculum to NYS Education standards
Darius with Museum Director, Dr. Mac Suduth
• Display to teach about sustainability.
• Visitors would see system up-close
• First to be placed in the lobby, then to be moved to inside
space near new water exhibits in October.

18. More Connections
• Architecture for Humanity and Partners for
supporting the project….. Thank you for
making Nisky Smile.
• Share report and blog with Science Buddies
(once system is up and running)

19. Imagine….
Aquaponics Map Today
• Communities do not know
about the aquaponics map
• Few small-scale systems in
our region
The Aquaponics Map was developed by a
group in Australia in 2009
One Year from Today
• More communties connected
through aquaponics
• More people thinking and
talking about sustainablility

20. Contact
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/niskyponics
Blog
http://niskyponics.blogspot.com/
Twitter
https://twitter.com/niskyponics (@niskyponics)