Aquaponics systems can be created pretty much anywhere where there's sunlight and access to power, and can be as small as you can imagine. Some aquaponics designs utilize recycled 55 gallon drums, old bathtubs, or other repurposed, waterproof containers for their grow beds or growing tanks. Grow beds are simple enough to make, and you can use simple, cheap materials like gravel or lava rocks as your media. Alternatively, you can create floating rafts for deep water culture aquaponics out of styrofoam and small pieces of netting.
While some parts of your system will likely need to be bought, such as filters, pumps, heaters, or aerators; lots of the major components of your system can be made on your own. You'll need a pump in order to circulate water between the fish and grow tank, which will also require a power source. Some farmers install a solar panel in order to power their pump in order to maximize the self-reliancy of their system. The pump can collect water draining from the grow beds and direct it to the higher tanks, or it can be placed in the bottom of the fish tank and used to disperse the water over the grow bed. The aerator will need to run at all times in order to provide oxygen for your fish, and will need a reliable source of energy.
