CSSGH: a Closet-Size, Solar-Smart Aquaponics Micro-Farm (Making-Of)

TL;DR

We built a closet-size, solar-anchored aquaponics greenhouse (CSSGH) that runs with very low maintenance, grows lettuce & cabbage on two tray levels, filters with papyrus + Elodea, and powers itself via portable solar + smart scheduling. All-in ~€750 at PoC scale, reproducible for schools, labs, makers, and space-analog demos.

▶️ Watch the Making-Of video: 

What is CSSGH?

The Closet-Size Smart GreenHouse (CSSGH) is a compact, vertical aquaponics system:

• 45 L aquatic base with goldfish, red cherry shrimp, Elodea, and floating cover plants

• Two levels of trays (left/right) for lettuce & cabbage

• Papyrus phyto-filter (nitrate sink) with glass-wool/clay media box

• Solar + battery (GT200 class) with intermittent USB pump schedule at night and solar-only pumps by day

• Smart top-up from a watering-can buffer (dechlorinated 24–48 h), via Tuya/Smart Life scenes

This PoC/Prototoype is part of Ajinomatrix BioSphere’s roadmap toward ultra-low-maintenance, circular food systems—relevant on Earth and as building blocks for BLSS (bioregenerative life-support) in space-analog settings.

Build steps shown in the video

1. Frame & vase install — tubing with anti-siphon loops, overflow safeguards

2. Placement & routing — tidy cable paths, drip loops, wind-proofed hoses

3. Internal layout — 45 L base tank → papyrus filter box → two tray levels

4. Waterproof test — leak checks and quiet spillway returns

5. Power-on test — 200 W panel + GT200 station + USB pump control

6. Culture medium — expanded clay “brown balls” for aerated roots & biofilm

7. Energetic autarky — intermittent schedule + solar input = week-scale autonomy (and, lately, near-full loop on GT200-3)

8. Full aquaponics — fish→nitrification→papyrus/greens→clarified return

Why it matters

• Education & research: a tangible circular-systems lab under €1k

• Resilience: low-power, solar-assisted food micro-production

• Space-analog: compact, rackable, and automation-ready

Cost (PoC with ecosystem): ~€750

Who it’s for: schools, universities, labs, makerspaces, museums, community gardens, NGOs/off-grid pilots, space-analog teams.

Credits

Thank you: Coco, Stéphane Courtois, Emma Rocha, Jérémy Dupont.

Academic ecosystem: Prof. Mari Sandell (University of Helsinki) and Janne Saariko (LUKE, Finland).

What’s next

• Add DO/pH/EC logging and a local controller (ESPHome)

• Publish a materials passport and an eco-upgrade (recycled HDPE/silicone/TPE, LFP battery, ETFE skin)

• Release a replication guide for schools/labs and a “kit of parts”

Here is the commented out version of the video (with a voice-over) :

Contact / PoC franchise

Interested in hosting a CSSGH or running a replication cohort? info@ajinomatrix.org · LinkedIn: Ajinomatrix

Tags

#aquaponics, #solar #greenhouse, #low_maintenance, #circular_food, #STEM_lab, #papyrus_filter, #Tuya #SmartLife, #BLSS, #Ajinomatrix #BioSphere, #CSSGH