The Self-Sufficient Planter Complete Bundle is designed to offer a futuristic approach to gardening, transforming how plants are nurtured. This innovative all-in-one planter not only enhances the beauty of greenery within your living space but also introduces the mesmerizing presence of a water reservoir nano aquarium.

Imagine immersing yourself in the captivating world of nature right in the comfort of your home. With this revolutionary planter, you can enjoy the soothing sight of underwater life while tending to your favorite plants. It brings together the tranquility of an aquarium and the vibrant energy of a garden, creating a harmonious and rejuvenating atmosphere.

This futuristic gardening solution provides a unique opportunity to cultivate plants while experiencing the calming effects of a mini aquascape. The synergy between the vibrant greenery and the aquatic environment infuses your surroundings with a sense of peace and natural balance, allowing you to truly connect with the wonders of the natural world.

In essence, the Self-Sufficient Planter Complete Bundle allows you to indulge in the beauty of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, bringing the outdoors inside and offering an unparalleled experience for plant enthusiasts and nature lovers alike.

> Dual-Level Design:

Our planter features a unique configuration where plants grow on the top while a water reservoir cum nano aquarium rests below. This harmonious arrangement brings together two distinct ecosystems, creating a visually stunning and self-sustaining environment.

> Natural Filtration System:

A cotton wick serves as a natural filter, allowing only nitrate-enriched water to ascend into the growing medium pot. By preventing solid waste from decomposing in the soil, we ensure that your plants thrive in a safe and healthy environment.

> Nutrient Recycling:

Thanks to the thoughtful design, any dead or dried-up parts of the plant can easily fall into the water tank below through dedicated channels. These organic remnants become nourishing food for the aquatic life you choose to add, such as fish, shrimp, or snails, creating a beautiful symbiotic relationship.

Legacy Square Planter

The first iteration of the self-sufficient planter began as a square planter box, with the initial design direction to have the nano aquarium module made out of acrylic. The choice of acrylic as the material for the tank was practical due to its ready availability and ease of workability with the limited tools available in our lab. This decision allowed for a swift and efficient construction process, enabling us to focus on refining the overall design and functionality of the planter.

Moreover, considering the potential to increase the footprint of the tank, the plan also entailed the possibility of adding the planters in a grid layout accordingly. This approach aimed to maximize the potential for greenery and plant growth, ensuring a harmonious integration of nature within the confined space of the planter.

The planter made its public debut at the Jurong Spring CC’s Impact Festival on 20th March 2022. This event provided an excellent platform to showcase the planter alongside other variants as a proof of concept, allowing us to gather valuable feedback from the general public. The insights and reactions collected during this showcase were instrumental in shaping the future iterations of the self-sufficient planter, guiding us toward further innovation and enhancement based on real-world responses and suggestions.

Cylinder Planter Variant (Generation 1 | June 2022)

The development of the planter underwent significant changes following extensive feedback from the general public and our early adopters. Upon further evaluation, we discovered that the costs and effort required to mass-produce the custom-designed acrylic tanks were not as practical as previously thought. As a result, the design of the planter shifted towards a more cylindrical shape, with a larger growing pot segment to provide ample space for the plant’s roots to thrive. In addition, the planter’s segment design was optimized to streamline production while maintaining a strict emphasis on quality and structural strength.

The transition to a cylindrical shape not only enhanced the planter’s aesthetics but also facilitated the later development of an LED grow lamp kit. This practical addition was influenced by feedback gathered from our own observations and the requests of our early backers. It became evident that not everyone had suitable access to natural sunlight for their planters, prompting us to address this concern with an integrated grow lamp solution.

Recognizing the diverse needs of our users, we decided that the growth lamp would be powered by a 5VDC USB-A socket. This choice allows our users the flexibility to power the lamp using a standard USB wall adapter or a power bank, catering to varying preferences and environmental considerations.

Cylinder Planter Variant (Generation 2 | April 2023)

Though with proper care and choosing the right aquatic organism for the nano tank segment, regular water changes are almost unnecessary as the closed ecosystem would mostly balance out the water perimeters and dissolved particle density naturally over time. But during those rare situations where the survival and health of the ecosystem require a water change, it was observed that it was a hassle & challenge to uncover the planting segment from the nano aquarium segment without either damaging the plant or causing the whole setup to tilt over when one swings away the LED growth lamp; the growth lamp was connected to the base coaster which the planter rests upon.

To resolve this issue and enable hassle-free maintenance in the future, a further design edit iteration was made to the planting segment, where a slot was added to a corner to allow for a secure mounting of the growth lamp shaft. It was also later observed that with this new update, an additional allowable height of the shaft had been freed, further negating the need for a longer acrylic shaft for mounting the grow lamp. This modification not only addressed the practical challenges of maintenance but also enhanced the aesthetic and functional aspects of the nano tank segment, ensuring a more seamless and enjoyable experience for aquarists and enthusiasts alike.

Revival of the Square Planter
(Ongoing Development | August 2023)

With the success of the Self-Sufficient Planter kits, we have received many suggestions and requests for a much larger planter system that embodies the attributes and technologies that made the original great. It was during those times when the idea of swapping out the original acrylic nano aquarium segment of the legacy square planter with a readily available, off-the-shelf glass aquarium.

During development, our suppliers introduced us to a larger, brighter USB growth lamp, which comes with an aluminum adjustable height mounting shaft, which allows the lamp to be positioned up to 70cm above the planting segment; an upgrade from the effective maximum height of 19cm of the previous version.

This new variant is currently at the developmental stage where the design is being optimized for production, reducing the overall material required, as well as determining a practical depth of the planting pot.