Aquaculture Research

Where we started

Our historic tilapia research effort in Punta de Palma, Guatemala, demonstrated the ability to grow out approximately 1000 harvestable tilapia in a 25 m3 pond using intensive aquaculture techniques. We transitioned this to a local family as a sustainable and profitable business.

RAS - Recirculating Aquaculture System

Building on the successful demonstration of a household scale RAS at our El Puente site in May 2022 by students from Northwest Nazarene University, a second NNU team in May 2023 added a hydroponics system with 60 tomato plants to evolve the RAS (with tilapia) to a complete aquaponics system. We plan to provide a local family an RAS within the next 6 months as a key step in learning "what needs to be true" for a local family to profitably run the system in a long-term, sustainable manner.

This combined aquaponics system can produce up to 200 1+ lb tilapia and several hundred pounds of tomatoes, peppers, or other vegetables over a 4 month grow-out period. The full aquaponic system with over 150 tilapia and 30 pots each of tomatoes and jalapenos was successfully demonstrated at El Puente during summer 2024.

In partnership with Northwest Nazarene University, we installed, and successfully demonstrated a solar-powered RAS at our El Puente site and an attached hydroponics system. The RAS is the basis for demonstrating family-sized systems that can be replicated using locally available components.

Reapplication with Arnoldo

In Fall 2025, we successfully reapplied our first RAS outside of the El Puente walls, at the home of Arnoldo. Arnoldo is also learning the details of tilapia management and is leading the care and maintenance of all the El Puente aquaculture systems, with the goal of being our local technical expert and ambassador.

We also have built a 7 m X 8 m concrete fish pond at El Puente - it is currently stocked with 1100 fish for its second growout period. We are also planning our first pond system outside of El Puente at Arnoldo's property.

Reapplication to a Tilapia Farmer

Since our focus is to reapply learning to real-world applications, we are partnering with a local "self-taught" tilapia farmer to demonstrate intensive aquaculture techniques. We demonstrated both the effects of aeration and the solar power system in Randolfo Lemus' ponds in a full grow-out season in early 2022. In the test pond, observed yield was 330% higher than the farmer's prior yields in that same pond.

Automatic Fish Feeder

In 2025, both Olivet Nazarene University and Northwest Nazarene University developed prototype fish feeding mechanisms to automatically calculate and deliver the appropriate amount of feed to the fish, based on the number and average weight of the fish in the system. One of these units worked successfully for 5 months last year, providing the feed for our RAS. In 2026, both schools developed improved versions of their feeders, one for the RAS and another (larger) unit for the concrete pond. These feeders are now in operation feeding our tilapia in both systems. We believe this type of system can enable easier reapplication to other farmers by reducing the complexity of managing the feed calculation process.