Growing plants indoors is known to benefit people in real ways — through photosynthesis, plants release oxygen that we depend on to breathe. That’s a big part of why houseplants have become a fixture in so many homes. Beyond decorative greenery, though, more people are realizing that certain food crops thrive indoors too. If you’re already dedicating space to plants, it makes sense to choose ones that double as a food source and a decorative feature. Indoor aquaponics lets you do exactly that, without the mess of soil, fertilizer, and constant watering.

At its core, indoor aquaponics means raising fish and growing plants together indoors, in a relationship where each one supports the other. Fish generate waste as they live, and that waste is rich in nutrients plants need. In a standard aquarium, you’d need a filter to strip these materials out of the water — if left unchecked, that waste builds up to levels that poison the fish. An aquaponic setup sidesteps this: the plants (along with any worms in the system) take up the waste as food, so at a small scale you don’t need to physically remove it. The plants act as a living filter, sending clean water back to the fish. That means the water in an indoor aquaponic system can be reused indefinitely — the fish keep producing nutrient-rich waste, the plants keep consuming it, and the water stays clean throughout the cycle.

Plants don’t actually require soil itself to grow — soil is really just a medium that delivers nutrients and water to their roots. Supply those nutrients and that water directly, in an enclosed space with adequate light, and soil becomes unnecessary. That also means you skip digging, amending soil, and getting your hands dirty, while still producing your own food and fish through an all-natural process free of synthetic chemicals.

Aquaponic systems are frequently run in enclosed spaces such as greenhouses, and they can also operate outdoors where the climate cooperates — but they work just as well set up inside your home. Running the system indoors gives you one major advantage: full control over the climate your setup needs. Grow outside, and the weather dictates what you can plant and when. Move it indoors, and you control the temperature yourself while sidestepping the pests that plague outdoor gardens entirely — snails, gophers, weeds, slugs, and the rest simply aren’t a factor.

Aquaponics also lets you produce more food in less square footage, and mixing different crops can create an attractive, varied display that adds visual interest to your living space. Picture harvesting fresh, organic produce right there in your living room.

Ultimately, the success of an indoor aquaponic system rests heavily on the health of your fish, since they’re the ones generating the nutrients your plants rely on. That means looking after them properly is essential to getting good results — keeping the water at the right temperature and pH, providing adequate light, and maintaining sufficient oxygen levels for a healthy fish environment. Beyond that, the routine is simple: monitor your water quality and feed your fish, and you’ll have what you need to grow plants successfully through your aquaponic system.