Aquaponics kit turns fish waste into food for you

By on Aug 02, 2012

This unique aquaponics system was designed as an indoor therapeutic garden utilizing the fish waste as plant food to grow vegetables. Shown off at a tradeshow in Japan, this aquaponic system takes advantage of the symbiotic relationship of plants and wastewater as the biological process of the fish waste breaking down provides nourishment for the plants. In turn, the fish get clean water.Click through for a video of the aquaponic system in action.

While aquaponics is nothing new, we covered a similar concept a few years back with the Inka Sun Curve that was more of an outdoor garden but operates on the same principles, this is one of the few we’ve seen that have been created to look more like a traditional aquarium system with a compact design. Because the effluent from the aquarium is consumed by the plants, the tank water doesn’t require changing as often and the cultivated vegetables can be eaten.

The original story had quotes from an unnamed source regarding the system:

“In this system, the fish droppings are decomposed by bacteria, so they become organic fertilizer for the plants. Aquaponics isn’t yet widely known in Japan. So we’ve designed this product to introduce aquaponics in the form of a display. We hope that, if people understand the concept, aquaponics will become widespread.”

“As an interior display, we think this system’s initial benefit is therapeutic. So we’ve created a soothing image by using curves, and we’ve eliminated the corners for safety. This display is also well-lit, so the plants grow well, and the fish look pretty.”

“Currently, we’re using lettuce, but flowers can also be grown. We expect this system will be used in cafes that feature organic vegetables or relaxing themes, and in nursing homes, hospitals, and the like. If people who can’t get outside easily can plant vegetables indoors, we think it could be therapeutic.”

This particular system will cost around $3,800 USD (around 300,000 Yen).

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[via Gizmodo, DigInfoTV]

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  • Mike

    so with your therapy you can enjoy a fresh bland salad :D

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jason-Frick/100001223981671 Jason Frick

    With crispy Tetras and Platys on top. :X

  • David Grim

    I see they have a nice, low stocking density. Those fish don’t look crowded at all.

  • Mike

    Well in aquaponic setups the idea is you can get away with much more crowded setups as the nutrients get exported into the vegetables that grow, that said usually those fish are used for food sources so you care a little less about “personal space”

  • http://www.facebook.com/david.chan.7140 David Chan

    how does the filter return water?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Matt-Meadows/100001064246230 Matt Meadows

    OK so those of us who have kept freshwater tanks before are a bit confused over why all the neons are at the very top, all the platies are at the very bottom, and (I guess it’s just a camera/timing thing) all the bubbles look like cubes.

  • Mike

    Different ways to do aquaponics setup, I’ve dabbled in a few myself just to see. But the general gist of things is that the lettuce isn’t in dirt, it’s in a course bed material like rocks, or something else that might give a lot of surface area, water trickles or is flushed (this is where different methods come into play) over the rocks, the nitrifying bacteria convert the wastes to nitrogen, the plants use up the nitrogen, water filtered.

    However it should be noted that the solid wastes which don’t always break down do need to be dealt with occasionally

  • http://www.facebook.com/david.chan.7140 David Chan

    Interesting. So where would the return pump be sitting in the pot and where does the water return to like where is the outflow of water going into the tank?

  • Mike

    It depends upon the system, however everyone that I’ve seen is basically set up like a tank/sump system, where the “tank” is where the plants grow, the “sump” is where the fish grow. The one in this article is the opposite of that since the fish are a visual aspect, however there does seem to be a secondary cylinder in the middle which I’m guessing is where all the “extra” water goes.

    Two basic designs that I’ve seen used in action, one is a trickle system in which case water trickles continuously over the media, the other is a flood system where the media bed complete fills up before triggering a siphon (hidden compartment) to evacuate the water. There are other methods too, here’s a webpage to give you an idea.
    http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/information/44-designs.html

    Now being as this system is reversed AND I don’t see any plumbing system inside that central tube (surge device) I’m guessing it’s a type of trickle system, so the pump in this case would be in the media bed, in a compartment to not allow and media to clog the pump. My guess is the volume of water in that centralized compartment in the tank (an overflow) can easily be held in the vegetable part should power go out.

  • Paul Zaino

    $3800 would buy ALOT of lettuce. I am sure this can be done much cheaper.