What if you could raise fish and grow fresh produce at the same time, in the same space? And what if you could do this without soil, pesticides, or other toxins? This may sound like some weird science experiment, but for two college students at St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, it’s the next great entrepreneurial idea.
Jack Ikard and Shannon Crow have given fish-keeping a sustainable makeover with their invention, AquaSprouts. The device puts the farm right in your home by using aquaponics — a method that basically replicates the way plants and animals work together in nature. As fish create waste, the plants suck up the nutrients from it, fueling their growth. An added bonus of AquaSprouts? In this YouTube video, Ikard tells Good Day Austin that you don’t even have to clean the tank — ever.
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The system costs about $200 but actually pays for itself in the long run, Ikard says, because of the food you grow and the fact that there aren’t any costs to upkeep or maintain AquaSprouts.
With dreams to mass produce their aquatic innovation, the team is currently raising funds via Kickstarter. Who’s betting that they are going to be successful raising a lot of greenbacks for this green idea?