An aquaponic system utilizes fish waste to grow plants just like a natural ecosystem would. The best part is that you can purchase your own aquaponic fish tank kit, or build your own from scratch. We’re here to help you out no matter which route you’d like to go!
The absolute easiest way to get started in aquaponics is to buy an all-in-one aquaponics kit. These kids are marketed to beginners and children as they only hold a few gallons of water. If you’re looking for something a little larger, you’ll have to go the DIY approach which we get into further down this article.
Aquaponic fish tank kits can be a very fun learning experience, and even a gateway into a larger DIY setup. The best part about a complete kit is that they come with everything you need (except for the fish)
3 Best Aquaponics Fish Tank Kits
The market for these kits range from elementary school children to adults looking to grow some herbs for their kitchen. No matter what you’re looking for in a kit, it’s probably covered in our top 3 below.
Best Aquaponics Fish Tank Kit for Kids
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Back to the Roots makes the best aquaponic fish tank kit for beginners. This particular model is geared more towards children as a hands on learning exercise, but can be appreciated by anyone. This model does come with a PetSmart coupon for beta fish, however some buyers were sent an expired coupon. Beta fish come in a variety of colors and sizes and typically cost anywhere from $5-$20 by themselves.
What we love about the Back to Roots tank kit is how much children seem to genuinely enjoy it. This is a great compliment to school curriculum by offering learning materials to teach your children all about an aquaponic system.
What’s also nice is that Back to the Roots offers a “guaranteed to grow” promise. They will reimburse you, or send you a brand new kit if you can show them you aren’t seeing any growth. “No growth” is a common complaint on some of the other kits sold online with bad reviews. These guys made a much better kit and offer this guarantee on top of it.
Back to the Roots has a super cool backstory as well. It was founded by two college students who were so excited about what they learned in a college class, that they wanted to simplify it and share it with everyone! Back to the Roots has a giving heart and has thoughtfully created a campaign called #GrowOneGiveOne. Basically, if you post what you grow on social media with that hashtag, the company will donate an indoor garden kit + curriculum to an elementary school of your choosing (US only). What’s not to love?!
Best Large Aquaponics Fish Tank Kit
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This product began as a Kickstarter campaign and has since become one of the best aquaponics fish tank kits. Unlike the Back to Roots kit mentioned earlier, this kit does not include everything, despite costing much more. The AquaSprouts system does not come with the tank, it is meant to go on top of a standard 10-gallon fish tank.
The AquaSprouts Garden is more of a legitimate kit meant to grow aquaponic plants veggies, or herbs for personal use compared to the Back to Roots system which seems almost like a toy.
That black bar going over the top of the system is meant to hold a grow light. The grow light is not included but reviewers have suggested that you’ll probably want some type of additional lighting depending on where your tank will be. Smaller kits can be placed in a window sill, but this one definitely cannot. If you need a grow light, check out our post on the best LED grow lights.
This AquaSprouts system is an excellent choice if you have a bit more money to spend and are not ready for a complete DIY setup that may require more planning or space.
Best Aquaponics Fish Tank Kit Design
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We absolutely love the clean design of the Joyfay kit. However, ere’s where our list hits a slight drop off. Unless you’re blown away at the cool design, we recommend the first two kits above all else. This is still a good option if you’re digging the sleek look as much as us. Something about this kit though is that it is made in China and sold by multiple sellers on Amazon and other sites. The reviews were all over the place but this particular model sold by Joyfay seems to be the winner of their group.
We have a few suggestions if you go with the Joyfay model. Like with most aquaponic systems, adding a snail can help with waste buildup you may experience. Make sure to rinse your pebbles before adding them to the system because the dusty residue can cloud up the water if you don’t. Also, the instructions are not written in English, but using the images on their Amazon listing it’s pretty self explanatory.
Lots of folks have had great success growing all types of plants including mint, basil, and rosemary. Other reviewers were disappointed with the noise level of the pump. However the seller has told people to only open the filter about halfway and it should be smooth sailing after that.
Aquaponics is not a household term, but it should be. There is so much to learn through an aquaponics fish tank kit and you can’t go wrong with our 3 favorites on the list above. Not only are these kids great learning experiences for children or adults, but they can provide legitimate plants! You don’t need much space to house an aquaponic tank system that grows herbs for your kitchen. They may seem like expensive kits at first but saving money on herbs and other common plants and vegetables makes the purchase well worth it!
