A fishtank that doubles as an herb garden? Meet the windowsill-friendly EcoFarm

By Jennifer Laing | September 11, 2014 - 11:59AM

To many New Yorkers, a pet is a fish and a garden is a few small boxes of herbs on a windowsill—and that’s just fine with them. EcoFarm—the brainchild of Alex and Nacho, two engineers (one Dutch, the other Spanish) based in Rotterdam, Netherlands—takes the concept one step further, combining the two to create a totally modern looking fish tank with a pretty herb garden that sits atop.

But the combo isn’t just aesthetically pleasing. EcoFarm is based on the science of aquaponics, a food production system that blends conventional aquaculture (the raising of aquatic animals in tanks) with hydroponics (the cultivating of plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. Say what?

The waste of the fish is used as a natural fertilizer for the plants and, in return, the plants clean the fish tank’s water. Which means, you get a garden of fresh and tasty herbs, spices, even cherry tomatoes, that NEVER need to be watered and a groovy fish tank that NEVER needs to be cleaned. How’s that for effortless?

The EcoFarm uses aquaponics: the fish waste fertilizes the herbs, while the herbs clean the tank

With 17 days to go, EcoFarm has raised €10,383 ($13,418) towards its goal of €125,000 ($161,540). A pledge of €85 ($110) will get an EcoFarm unit sent to you. If the project meets its Kickstarter goal, you can expect to receive your EcoFarm in mid-December.

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