I get where you’re coming from!
There are a few things that I find fascinating about this whole idea. I’m wondering how small-scale you could take it down and still have it work.
I’m also wondering if the plants would grow in soil or with hydroponics.
I wish they had a better layout of the design.
I’ve seen working systems as small as a tabletop goldfish bowl. The smaller the system is, the less resiliant it tends to be, so keep that in mind if you decide to try it.
I’ve also seen setups that used animals other than fish. One guy had a small pool for his backyard duck flock, and by cycling the mucky water through a grow bed, he was able to keep it clean, where before he was having to dump the water every day. I’ve even seen pictures of some that were hooked into a house’s septic system. Needless to say, that person used it for non-food plants only!