Last Updated on September 8, 2024 by Sara Rose
Many people want to try aquaponics, but don’t know where to start. This is why we have created this article to explain how to choose the best aquaponic starter kits to suit all your needs.
Aquaponic starter kits come in all shapes and sizes. There is a lot of room for you to choose what you want.
Some kits are the full system including the hardware. In this case, hardware refers to the tank, piping, filters, pumps, etc.
Other kits contain all the things you need after the tank is set up. This means testing kits for you to measure PH/ other key criteria, beneficial bacterias, and other liquid solutions to adjust certain aspects of your tank water.
The aquaponic starter kit that you choose depends on what you need and how much you want to do on your own. For the laziest of people, it is possible to find a kit that only requires a simple setup and nothing more.
Read on to hear about our recommendations for the top aquaponic starter kits on the market today!
Table of Contents
Finding Your Home Aquaponics Kit
First off, let’s discuss how to choose the best aquaponic starter kit. There are a few key things you should look for when making your decision.
Based on your needs, decide if you want something with the grow-beds and tanks included. This choice would be the easiest way for a complete aquaponics beginner who doesn’t have a lot of time to experiment.
Usually, these kits contain a grow bed, a water reservoir for your tank, tubes/ piping, and relevant pumps/ electricity. Some aquaponic starter kits even have special grow lights included. Getting something with lights is especially useful if you don’t have enough natural sunlight to grow plants.
If you do not need the grow bed and tank you can look at a different kind of aquaponic starter kit. They sell kits that include all the tools necessary to maintain your tank and grow bed ecosystem. This option is most useful for someone who already took the time to set up their system but doesn’t want to spend too much time maintaining their tank.
Certain kits only come with a grow bed that you can easily connect to any tank while others have the whole system.
Next, you can consider the size and space available in your house. One cool thing about aquaponic starter kits is that they also are available in very small sizes.
The small-sized option is ideal for an aquaponics hobbyist that doesn’t have a lot of space. They make some small enough to fit on a desk or a windowsill. Generally, if you are choosing this option, you don’t care too much about how many vegetables you are producing.
Aquaponics systems are very aesthetically pleasing. So a small one makes a good addition to any home!
The last consideration is your budget. The prices range from cheap to very expensive. Decide how much you want to spend and only look at options within your budget. This will help you not waste money unnecessarily when making your purchase.
Once you have gone through all the above aspects, you are ready to look at specific kits on the market. We have reviewed many products and have selected two of the top ones.
Read more about: What You Can Grow In Aquaponics
Top Aquaponics Kit On The Market 2021
For someone who wants a medium-sized system, we recommend going with the AquaSprouts Garden Aquarium Kit. There are a few reasons why we like this product.
First off, the tank size can accommodate 10 gallons of water. 10 gallons is a good starting size for a beginner aquaponics hobbyist. However, it is not too small that it won’t be able to produce fish and vegetables.
In 10 gallons of water, you can raise about 4 fish. The amount of fish is dependent on the variety. For example, if you want to raise tilapia the recommended amount is 1 tilapia per 3-5 gallons. It also depends on what size you plan on raising the fish to get.
With the Aquasprouts Garden Aquarium Kit, it provides an adequate amount of growth space for your vegetables. This kit is an add-on to any standard 10-gallon tank.
Please note it does not come with a tank. However, 10 gallon tanks are easy to find anywhere.
The add-on is a built-in grow bed onto a frame that goes over your fish tank. The water is pumped up from the tank into the grow bed. This water then filters through your plants providing them with nutrients from your fish.
After the plants absorb the nutrients, the water continues flowing through another filter before re-entering the tank. It is very simple and easy to set up!
This product comes with a light bar, pump/ timer, and the clay growing medium for your plants. It is also relatively affordable. You can find it for 180$ on Amazon Here!
Second Recommended Aquaponic Garden Kit
The second aquaponic starter kit that we recommend is the Brio 43368 Aquaponic Kit. This one is nice because it contains the tank and the grow bed. It also is by far the most aesthetically pleasing one we have found on the market today.
It has a very sleek design which makes a great addition to any living room. This product contains the tank, grow beds, pumps, and built-in LED grow lights! You can even control the grow lights and the fish tank lights.
As you can see, there are many different things to consider when choosing the best aquaponic starter kit for you. There are hundreds of different styles available on the market, so base your decision on your specific needs.
Don’t be overwhelmed with the choices. No matter which one you choose you will learn a lot about aquaponics and it’s a great starting point! Start with a small kit and work your way up to a larger size as you become more confident.
Read more about: Your Step By Step Guide To Choosing The Best Vegetables For Aquaponics
