Desktop Aquaponics System

I've always been fascinated by gardening, and discovering aquaponics sparked an instant desire to build my own system. As a first experiment, I repurposed an old childhood aquarium into a desktop-scale aquaponics setup, which has been running for nearly two years with almost no maintenance.

Aquaponics is a self-sustaining system where fish waste fertilizes plants, and the plants, in turn, purify the water for the fish. To create my system, I designed and 3D-printed a custom aquarium cover with an integrated vase. Instead of using a conventional filter, the pump directs water to the vase, which then returns to the tank through a siphon. The substract of the vase are expanded clay pebbles and the vase can accomodate up to 3 small plants

The design includes a removable front panel for easy maintenance and feeding, while the back section secures the vase, houses the lighting, and manages all hose connections. To prevent flooding in case of a siphon clog, I added a built-in safety tube for overflow protection.

The system works surprisingly well, having no fish casualties and only 1 water change/year