23 DIY Aquaponics Systems To Grow Vegetables & Fish Together

DIY aquaponics systems can be created to fit the space you have to provide a steady supply of fresh food. Vegetables and fish can be grown together in a home aquaponics systems that designed for small or large spaces.

With these ideas and easy to follow instructions, you will be able to customize a growing system for a small balcony or large backyard. Reduce your grocery bill, eat better and become a member of the sustainable lifestyle with one of these DIY aquaponics systems.

You may also like to see: diy hydroponics systems.

1: Metropolitan Bathtub Style DIY Aquaponics:

If you think most of the diy aquaponics are ugly looking and heavy to build, this one would certainly feed your need. This is amongst the best backyard aquaponic systems. Amazing in looks and economical, this aquaponics system by milkwood would be a complete surprise when done. You need to first set up the pond by digging the soil – later on, the bathtub acts like the growing bed; there is a drainage system that links both, the pond and the bathtub together.

2: Sexy DIY Shelfponics:

If you do not have much garden space, you can have an indoor aquaponics system like this one by gardenpool. This looks amazingly beautiful in lounge spaces and even in the kitchen area. As the name suggests, you can have a four level or five level diy aquaponics according to your need.

3: Sustainable Indoor Aquaponics System:

If you opt to work with this diy aquaponics system by makezine, you would require simplest tools from IKEA and any hardware shop. Your need a Antonius frame connected with two baskets and plastic containers.

4: Indoor Decorative System

Create a decorative indoor DIY aquaponics system like this one by instructables that will look like a part of the room decor with this unique idea.

An inexpensive shelf that you put together yourself can be modified to hold a fish tank on the bottom and growing vegetables on the top shelf. Many food bearing plants produce textured leaves and colorful flowers that make attractive houseplants and will look like part of the interior decor when growing on an attractive shelf.

These plans show the aquaponics system created on a white shelf, but the shelving unit can be painted any color to match the interior room design. An indoor system like this one will allow you to harvest fresh food year around.

6: Indoor Plan For DIY Aquaponics:

Within the basic frame structure, you can install the tubs (plastic containers), join them through drainage system and get a lovely aquaponics for your living room like this one by wikihow that will keep you family happy.

7: Wall Garden Aquaponics System:

You must be having an idea that how vertical or wall gardens are made – using the same concept, you just have to make a water container along with it, and install drainage system. This is amazing and new style of diy vertical aquaponics by lifeaquatic.

8: Desktop DIY Aquaponics Gardening:

This is a video tutorial for building indoor aquaponics.It work best in the winter season if you’re looking for growing indoor plants.  It’s a total $183 project – within such a limited amount you can get an amazing aquaponic gardening experience. For more details, please see the following youtube video tutorial 

9: Tabletop DIY Aquaponics:

Just imagine, if you can get a lovely aquaponics system like this one by gardenthrifty.blogspot and that even for just $50. On the table aquarium, you can place PVC slab with plants in it and use bulb to provide the supplement light.

10: 55 Gallon Aquaponic Gardening System:

Under $150, you can get this simply wonderful diy aquaponics system by aquaponics-system– this may look too intricate at first, but with detailed instructions and step by step pictures, you can learn a lot.

11: Top Tank Balcony Aquaponics:

Look for a tank that is commonly used for keeping seafood or other edibles. You need another top tank that would be growing bed. For detailed mechanism, see the detail at blog.shanghaiaquaponics.

12- Balcony Aquaponics

This homemade aquaponics system by instructables uses large coolers as the main tanks to hold fish and vegetable plants. All the other components can be purchased at any building supply center at a minimal cost.

The overall size of this growing system is ideal for an apartment balcony or small porch. Easy to create and simple to maintain, this small system will provide you with fresh fish and vegetables for a year around harvest.

13- Aquaponics System From Recycled Parts

Building an aquaponics system will never get any simpler or less expensive than this idea. Use these free plans and items that you probably have laying around to create a functional, attractive and affordable DIY aquaponics system by instructables for your backyard deck.

Most of the recycled parts are lumber and will blend in well with the look of a wooden deck.

The entire system will only take up one corner of your deck space and reward you with fresh herbs, vegetables and fish. This aquaponics gardening feature will also provide you with an interesting conversation piece when you’re entertaining guests on your deck.

14- Bathtub Aquaponics System

Give your bathroom a remodel, then give the old bathtub a second life as an aquaponics garden like this one by milkwood.

Even if you don’t remodel your own bathroom, a used bathtub is easy to find and cheap to buy. The recycled bathtub will become the container for vegetable and herb plants and sit atop a water container that will hold edible fish. The water container to raise fish in could even be another bathtub.

This is an ideal design for an urban rooftop garden since the components are lightweight and maximize space by being stacked one on top of the other.

15- Indoor and Outdoor Aquaponics System

The fish tanks are indoors and the container garden is outdoors, yet they are connected for mutual benefits.

Ingenious design that is perfect for homes that have a walk-out basement. The water is recycled and reused so the fish waste from the indoor tanks feeds the growing vegetable plants outdoors. Gravity and a small pump help to keep the water flowing so the fish and plant life can thrive.

This indoor and outdoor aquaponics system at imgur is large and will provide a lot of fresh protein and vegetables for most of the year.

16- Plastic Tote Aquaponics System

If a container can hold water and soil, then it can be transformed into a money saving aquaponics system that is capable of producing edible fish and vegetables.

These free plans will show you how to build a small aquaponics system like this one by instructables from an 30 gallon tote and a 15 gallon plastic grow bed. This will create a a garden and fish tank that is the size for a small balcony or porch. It’s also a good size for beginners who want to experiment with growing fresh vegetables and fish through an aquaponics system.

Very little space or money is needed for this DIY project, and the detailed instructions are easy to follow.

17- IBC Conversion

An inexpensive food grade IBC (Immediate Bulk Container) can easily be transformed into a productive and attractive aquaponic system. This DIY project uses easy to get items to build a system that is an ideal size for urban apartment balcony or as part of a small backyard container garden.

These free plans show you how to cover the plastic and wire container with re-claimed lumber to make the DIY aquaponics system like this one at hometalk look attractive. This type of sustainable food source fits in perfectly with the trend towards urban gardening and growing food in small spaces.

18- Small or Large Aquponic System

This free tutorial will show you how to build a small or large aquaponics system that will meet your specific needs.

Use these plans to build a small aquaponic system by affnan2.rssing.com for a balcony that will grow a few fresh herbs and a few small fish. This same website tutorial will show you how to create a much larger system that can produce an abundance of fresh vegetables and fish.

Whatever your growing needs for backyard aquaponics are, this tutorial will show you how to build a system to meet those needs.

19- PVC Pipes and Solo Cups

A few feet of PVC pipe and several Solo cups will enable you to grow a multitude of garden plants, that is if there is a tank of fish living under the PVC pipe.

This aquaponics system by ecosnippets is easy to build and support approximately 30 food producing plants and about the same amount of edible fish. This system is powered primarily by gravity so it will not increase your electric bill.

These free video plans will show you how to build this compact system that will provide you with an abundant harvest.

20- Aquaponics Greenhouse

When a sustainable food source is needed for main support of a family, you will need an aquaponics greenhouse. This DIY aquaponics system by knowstuf is ideal for temperate climates that have short summers and long winters. You will be able to extend the garden growing season significantly with this greenhouse design. Minimal electricity will be needed to heat and cool this greenhouse, so more money can be kept in your pocket.

This free video tutorial is easy to follow so you can begin construction on your new aquaponics greenhouse in the near future.

21- DIY Two Barrel Aquaponics:

This is one, very interesting sort of a diy aquaponics plan– with two big barrels and a couple of hours work; you can get a sophisticated and effective system ready. For step by step information and proper instructions, have a look at this picture guide at backyardaquaponics

22- Desktop Aquaponics System

Use this design idea to create a system that is small enough to sit on a desktop, yet large enough to provide you with fresh food.

Two small totes make up the containers for plants and fish and are just the right size to sit on top of a desk. This aquaponics system by instructables would be a great stress reducer for those who spend a lot of time working at their desks – just set the system up on your desk and watch the fresh vegetables and fish grow when you need a break from work.

Easy and inexpensive to build, attractive and very productive DIY project. Great for home office.

23- Transform Garden Scraps To Amazing Aquaponics:

Look for a proper space in your garden and brace yourself as you can construct a simple, vertical farm for fishes and vegetables. Interestingly, with only the area of 3ft by 5ft, you can make sure you have delicious meals on the dining table for a year at least. The materials needed for this activity are:

• Pipes
• Pumps
• Barrels
• Tools

You simply need 2 hours and you will be done – the proper information, with details about the measurement, joints and making is listed in this plan by yearzerosurvival; hope you enjoy this experience.

5: Small and Effective DIY Aquaponics

This is a simple and small aquaponics system by instructables that you can build initially to get your hands on it; later, you can use same idea and go bigger.This aquaponics system is not only interesting but effective too.