Aquaponics fish tanks work by taking ammonia-filled water from the fish tank created from fish waste and food, and water the plants on top with this water. the plants take the ammonia-laden water, filter it as plant food, and then return the water to the fish tank as fresh as if you used a regular aquarium filter. the image is a diagram of how. Top 6 est aquaponic fish tanks for 2021 | 1. penn plax 0.5 gallon aquaponic betta fish tank 2. back to the roots water garden self cleaning fish tank 3. penn plax 1.4 gallon aquaponic betta fish tank 4. sweetsea hanging wall mounted aquaponic fish bowl 5. aquasprouts garden aquaponic fish tank 6. lejoy garden aquaponic fish tank grow plants. In a small aquaponic aquarium you can’t keep the above mentioned fish, because these need more space. however, there are some fish that you can keep in a 10-20 gallon aquaponic fish tank: betta fish – you can keep only one male betta fish in a small tank, because they are aggressive and can kill each other..