Ready-made aquaponic kits can help you work with aquaponics despite your busy schedule. These all-inclusive kits come with everything that you need to create an aquaponic ecosystem. Ease of handling, low maintenance requirements, stunning aesthetics, and self-sustaining qualities have made them very popular among the masses. Depending upon the space availability, budget, and types of species you want to grow, you need to look for a kit with a specific size and features. You Can Also check the How to Clean Your AeroGarden?
While roaming around the market you will come across a wide range of aquaponics kits, but it’s hard to figure out which one suits your needs best. To help you make a wise decision we have reviewed the six best aquaponic kits you can buy in 2002. Plus a buying guide, in the end, will help you make a wise decision.
Contents
Top 6 Best Aquaponic Kits Reviews in 2024
1 AquaSprouts Garden, Self-Sustaining Aquaponics Ecosystem Kit:
AquaSprout garden is a self-sustaining kit that allows you to grow a wide range of leafy vegetables and kitchen plants. This creative system is designed for the tabletop and desktop aquarium system and is a great way to turn your aquarium into a beautiful centerpiece. The water capacity of the kit is 10 gallons, so if you win a 10-gallon aquarium, it’s a perfect way to go. Since it’s a self-sustaining kit, it eliminates the need for frequent water changes and filter replacement. Also, check the How Does an AeroGarden Work?
Also, it does not require the frequent addition of fertilizer, and the kit has the capacity to grow on itself. It is an indoor setup that transforms your 10-gallon aquarium into a self-sustaining aquaponics system. Nutrient and water recycling systems make it a virtually maintenance-free setup and help it stand among the best indoor aquaponic systems. It uses fish waste as a nutrient source and delivers clean and fresh water for the organisms in the system.
In this way, it saves you filtration costs and helps you get rid of the back-breaking cleaning process. The best part is that it comes with a detailed installation guide for setup and use. The biggest downside of the kit is that it doesn’t include all the necessary items that you will need to make it work. The kit is already expensive and the purchase of additional items will make it even more costly. Also, the filter is very strong and the current around the filter can kill the smaller fish.
Features:
- Water Tank Capacity: 10 Gallons
- Wight: 85 lbs
- Number Of Plants: 4 to 6
- Dimensions: 28 x 8 x 17 inches
- Virtually maintenance-free
- Grows a wide range of herbs and ornamentals
- Low cleaning requirements
- Self-sustaining system
- Missing accessories
- Current can kill fishes
Summary:
AquaSprouts aquaponics kit comes with a growing bed, grow media, pump, timer, and a lightbar. It only fits with a 10-gallon tank and is the perfect choice for tropical freshwater fish. The self-sustaining mechanism and ability to grow a wide range of plants help it stand among the best aquaponics kits.
2 Back to the Roots Mini Aquaponic Ecosystem:
If you’re looking for a mini aquaponic kit for 2-3 gallon tanks, Back to the Roots has got you covered. The mini aquaponic ecosystem by Back to the Roots can grow 2 to 3 plants and is a perfect mini garden for indoor and outdoor use. The system is made from bamboo and it uses all the green resources making it an environmentally friendly system. The space-saving design of the system makes it perfect for kids and people living in small houses.
It is pretty easy to handle and can be an excellent choice for schools and institutes. The system comes with a pre-installed growing bed, growing media, and a pump. All that you need to do is to add water to the plants. It fits with smaller tanks only. The self-cleaning and self-sustaining system recycles the fish and turns it into usable nutrients. Also, check the What Is Aerogarden?
Since the growing capacity is limited, it works best with small succulents and kitchen herbs. The kit includes many starter accessories like a seed, fish coupon, fish food, and water desalinator. The biggest downside of this aquaponics kit is that you can’t regularize the pressure of the pump. The pump can suck the smaller fish with delicate fins. Also, its capacity is limited and you may not be able to grow extra plants in this aquaponic ecosystem.
Features:
- Water Tank Capacity: 2-3 Gallons
- Wight: 4 lbs
- Number Of Plants: 2-3(Small Plants)
- Dimensions: 4 x 13.4 x 9.5
- Easy to install
- Low maintenance requirements
- Comes with starter accessories
- Best for educational purposes
- Space savings and easy to handle design
- High-pressure pump
- Limited capacity
Summary:
Back to the Roots mini self-cleaning kit is one of the best home aquaponic kits, that comes with low maintenance and self-sustaining abilities. It is the best aquaponics starter kit that includes many useful items and allows you to take a cleaner and greener start at your small aquarium.
3 Sweetsea Fish Bowl Betta Tank Aquarium:
Sweetsea Betta tank aquarium is a wall-mountable hanging kit that helps you create a mini aquaponic system for one plant and small betta fish. It’s a mini tank with a capacity of 4 to 5 cups of water. It’s a unique system that comes with a bowl-like fish tank with a flat bask. It’s a wall-mountable and looks stunning as a decoration piece in the home interior.
It features a space-saving design and is a perfect option for small offices and homes. Also, it is pretty easy to handle and unlike its desktop counterparts, its maintenance requirements are pretty low. The bowl is made with high-quality acrylic that is durable and transparent. Also, it is free of any toxins and absolutely safe for fish and plant roots. The self-sustaining system contains a plant bed that is already installed on the tanks. Also, check the How To Use Aerogarden.
Since its growing capacity is limited it is advised to grow the small houseplant and water-loving flowering plants. You can keep tetra and neon to enhance the aesthetics of your home and office. What we found a little annoying in this system is the limited space. The plant roots occupy too much space and you need to trim the roots from time to time. Cleaning is not a big issue but root trimming and space management are serious headaches for busy people.
Features:
- Water Tank Capacity: 4-5 Cups
- Wight: 170 grams
- Number Of Plants: 1
- Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 4 inches
- Space-saving design
- Durable acrylic construction
- easy to set up and install
- Perfect idea for home and office decor
- Low cleaning requirements
- Requires regular root maintenance
- Limited space
Summary:
The wall-mountable hanging mini aquaponics kit is probably the only system that you find in this size and design. It is perfect for home decor and allows you to grow beautiful flowering water-loving plants in a self-sustaining system.
4 Huamuyu Hydroponic Garden Aquaponic System:
Haumyau Huydramoic Aquaponic system is another compact kit designed for indoor use. It is a complete kit that includes a water tank, a pump, cam site, sprouting bed, a filtration sponge, and a user manual making it the best aquaponics system for the home. This ready-to-go package can hold upto 3 gallons of water and the growing bed’s capacity is for 4 to 6 house plants. The aqua tank is designed beautifully and it adds charm and grace like nothing else.
The tank is square-shaped with rounded edges that offer a sleek and elegant look. The system comes with a preinstalled sprouting bed and pumps. You can turn it into a beautiful self-sustaining ecosystem by adding a few seeds, microgreens, and a few fish to it. The plants use up the fish wastage and keep the water clean and fresh for a whole week Since it’s a compactly designed system, it easily fits on the smaller desks and shelves and does not take up too much space.
The filtration system is a simple sponge that offers decent performance. However, it requires regular maintenance to enhance the overall health of the system. You can add smaller rocks and pebbles to enhance the filtration capacity and beauty of the tank. The feeding hole is another great addition to the design. It’s a big hole that makes it easier to add food so that organisms in the system can support each other. Also, you can introduce a light cord or a heater through this hole. You Can Also check the Best AeroGarden.
The siphon design moves the water level in a tidal manner that ensures that roosts are getting the water and nutrients regularly. The instruction guide is included but the instructions are not pretty clear. The lid opening system is complex and a comprehensive guide is required to make a damage-free setup. Also, its growing capacity is limited; it is only suitable for microgreens and smaller herbs.
Features:
- Water Tank Capacity: 3 Gallons
- Wight: 55 lbs
- Number Of Plants: 4-6
- Dimensions: 5 x 11.7 x 7.9 inches
- Beautiful design and ergonomics
- A flat base makes it easy to place
- All-inclusive starter kit
- Low maintenance requirements
- Feeding hole for effortless handling
- Unclear instruction
- Complicated lid design
Summary:
Huamuyu Hydroponic aquaponic system is among the best residential aquaponics system including everything that is required. The kit includes multiple accessories and features user-friendly ergonomics making it one of the best aquaponics kits.
5 ECO-Cycle Aquaponics Indoor Garden:
If you love the big and self-sustaining aquaponics inside the house, the EcoCycle Indoor garden is the best option you can have. This is a big system with an impressive water capacity of up to 20- gallons. The system is designed to grow herbs and plants in a self-sustaining and maintenance-free system. It is a big and comprehensive system that consists of everything that you need to make it work.
The system fits with a 20-gallon tank. You can also make it work with larger tanks if the width of the tank top is the same as the width of the lid. The tank comes with a sprouting bed, a timer, a pump, and programmable LED mechanisms. You can program the LED to regularize the lightning and fulfill the growth requirements of the plants. The fish wastage acts as fertilizer for plants and plants provide freshwater and abundant oxygen for fish.
In this way, a self-sustaining system is formed with maximum maintenance requirements. The growing bed is large where you can grow a wide range of herbs, kitchen plants, and succulents. It is an easy-to-install kit that doesn’t require a filter. However, its pump pressure is very high and unfortunately, there is no way to regularize the pressure.
It can harm or kill the fish. Additionally, this kit aesthetically looks beautiful and features a compact size for ease of handling. This system is expensive but the best part is that it includes a 20-gallon fish tank. It eliminates the compatibility issue that you face if you buy a separate fish tank. Also, you will get chains to hang lights, biofilters, pumps, a decor tray, and a comprehensive instruction manual.
Features:
- Water Tank Capacity: 20 Gallons
- Wight: 17 lbs
- Number Of Plants: 5-10
- Dimensions: 25 x 13 x 10 inches
- All-inclusive kit with 20-gallon tank
- Impressive growing capacity
- Programmable LED and timer
- Low maintenance requirements
- Pretty expensive
Summary:
If you are on the lookout for a water garden mini-ecosystem for your home or office, this EcoCycle kit by Ecolife is a definite way to go. It impressed us with its self-sustaining abilities and you will not regret your choice.
6 Penn-Plax Aqua Terrarium Planting Tank:
Penn-Plax is another stunning aquaponics kit that combines outstanding features at a very competent price. This is a system that combines a plant terrarium and a fish aquarium making it the best aquaponic kit on the market. Its design is beautiful and the all-glass look makes it even more standout.
You will get a transparent glass tank with an aquaponic waterfall and a rocks space. Also, you will get plant-growing beds. The tank’s capacity is 1.85 gallons and its sprouting bed can grow 4 small plants. The system is equipped with a reliable pump that ensures that nutrients and oxygen are being recycled in a safe way. Also, check the How to Lay Artificial Grass on Concrete?
It is a compact design system that easily fits on shelves, dressers, or desktops. The task is smaller and it is well suited for smaller fish like tetras and zebras. The plant growing capacity is also limited and you can only grow smaller herbs and some flowering plants.
Features:
- Water Tank Capacity: 85 Gallons
- Wight: 14 lbs
- Number Of Plants: 2-3
- Dimensions: 5 x 9.5 x 11.75 inches
- Attractive design
- Compact and easy to handle
- Cows with filter and pump
- Limited space
Summary:
Penn Plax Aquaponic kit is an affordable option for people who are looking for a compact system to place on their tables and dressers. Its beautiful self-sustaining system allows you to grow fish and smaller herbs in a clean and healthy environment with minimum maintenance requirements.
FAQs:
How Many Fish Do I Need for Aquaponics?
The number of plants and fish should be equal in aquaponic. However, the number of fish you can keep depends upon the tan size and type of system you own.
Does Aquaponics Need Sunlight?
If aquaponics is not equipped with indoor grow lights, they definitely need sunlight for the growth of plants and the sustainability of the ecosystem.
Buying Guide:
These are the features that you must look for while buying a new aquaponics kit for home, office, or school.
Size
Size is the most important consideration while buying a new aquaponics system. Aquaponics systems are available in a wide range of sizes from small wall hanging sizes to big sturgeon-size systems. If you’re looking for an aquaponics kit for decorative purposes, buy a kit with 1-20 gallons of water capacity depending upon the size available. But for commercial purposes, you may look for 30+ gallon sizes for increased productivity and price.
Plant Capacity
Aquaponics kits for home and office use can grow 4-10 plants on the growing lid. The number of plants you can keep also depends upon the water tank capacity and size of plants you want to grow. One big commercial tank can grow many plants at a time.
Accessories
While buying aquaponics kits you need to look for the accessories it includes. The kit must include filters, light rods, and fitting components. You need all these things to make the system work. If any accessory is missing, you may face serious compatibility issues.
Pump
A pump is a key component of the aquaponic system. You need a reliable pump with adequate power to circulate the nutrients and oxygen throughout the system. Also, it plays a key role in the filtration process.
Maintenance Requirements
A good aquaponic system is one that sustains and maintains itself for a long time. You need to look for kits that do not require frequent water changes. Also, you must look for the type of filter and its capacity. Low-quality filters clog frequently and you need to maintain them regularly.
Budget
Aquaponic systems are expensive and it’s not a one-time investment. You need to invest money regularly for the proper functioning and maintenance of the system. The price of the kit goes higher as you look for fancy features like programmable light, big sizes, and advanced controls.
Wrapping Up:
We are hopeful that this review and guide will help you choose the best aquaponics kit for your home and office. All the systems reviewed above are tested for the quality and performance, but our top-three picks from the list are mentioned below;
- AquaSprouts Garden Aquaponics for its ability to sustain, wide growing surface, and low cleaning requirements.
- ECO-Cycle Aquaponics Indoor Garden for impressive growing capacity, Programmable LED and timer, and low maintenance requirements.
- Back to the Roots Mini Aquaponic Ecosystem for its space-saving design, ease of handling, and affordable price.
Finally, it is recommended to look for aquaponic kits that don’t require frequent water changes. Water cleaning can be messy, time taking, and also badly impacts the growth of organisms. It is advised to buy a kit that can sustain the health system for a longer period.