Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture (aquariums) with hydroponics (the cultivation of plants in water), and it’s a growing trend.  We have seen a number of home aquaponic systems launched in the past decade but none quite as refined and advanced as the Grove Ecosystem.

The above video and Kickstarter page thoroughly explain how the Grove Ecosystem works, so we’ll simply highlight the key features.  Modern aquarists have seen all this technology before, but it’s the first time we’ve seen it all incorporated into an advanced aquaponics all-in-one system.

At the heart base of the system is a custom 25 gallon acrylic aquarium.  As with all aquaponics, it is this aquarium, stocked with fish that you feed, that will hydrate and fertilize the plants within the system, supplying them with nutrient-rich (ie fish poop) water.

The top of the Grove features a height-adjustable, controllable LED light fixture.  Users can alter the spectrum from ~2,000K to ~5,000K, dim the LEDs, as well as set custom schedules.   A second LED light fixture on the lower level illuminates another shallower grow area as well as the aquarium below.

The Grove features air temperature, humidity, water temperature, and water level sensors to automate plant and fish care.  These sensors, along with the owner’s personal set of instructions, will tell the Grove when to turn on and off the lights, pumps (to feed the plants above), and circulation fans.

And, as with all high tech gadgets these days, you can wirelessly monitor, log, and control the Grove with your smartphone or any app-enabled device.

At the time of this writing, the Kickstarter campaign has nearly doubled its initial target goal, which means the Grove Ecosystem has the green light for mass production.  The expected starting price is not for the weak of wallet though.  For all this home appeal and technology, the Grove will start at a handsome price of $4,500 USD.  You can still contribute to the Kickstarter campaign in order to purchase the first-run systems at a big discount (starting at $2,700).