OMG: Your Goldfish Can Grow a Garden
We’re used to seeing goldfish in plastic bags at state fairs. We’re used to munching on their cheesy cracker doppelgangers during snack time. We might even be guilty of chowing down on some of their fishy friends on Taco Tuesdays. But one thing we never expected? Goldfish that garden.
Let us explain: This clever fish tank is called an EcoFarm. It’s a mini loop ecosystem based on aquaponics principles. What the heck is aquaponics? It’s a food production system that combines conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment.
That’s a lot of science banter, we know. Here’s how all this relates to a fish tank: Move little Goldie into this tank that’s topped with a grow bed. With a special pump placed in the EcoFarm, fish waste is pumped out of the water and into the grow bed where it acts as a fertilizer for the plants. The plants then work as a natural filter, cleaning the water that goes back into the fish tank. Basically, all you have to do in all of this is feed the fish!
Don’t expect to start a full-sized garden out of the EcoFarm (unless you plan on buying a few), but it can grow cherry tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, basil, thyme and other herbs. As if this effortless garden wasn’t easy enough, it’s also self-cleaning. The water being filtered through is always fresh, so no need for that monthly scrub down.
For those of you who’ve been itching to garden but lack the time and space required, the EcoFarm would be a perfect start. It’s practically effortless and could be growing you a basket of fresh strawberries in no time.
The EcoFarm is currently wrapping up their Kickstarter campaign. Sadly, these guys are less than halfway funded. If you’re all about this fishy garden, help them out by donating. Pitch in €85 (approx. $108) to have your own EcoFarm shipped over from the Netherlands. It’s certainly not the cheapest fish tank, but just think about that next dinner party when guests will be raving about those juicy tomatoes and you can say, “Oh yeah, my fish grew those for me.”
Would you drop $100 for this fish tank? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
