Aquafarm Review Day 4

I recently received the AquaFarm that I had ordered from Back To the Roots.  It took quite a long time for this to be shipped out, but it finally arrived.  I set it up almost immediately, and then remembered that I wanted to do a "how to" video for setting it up.  I was too eager, and forgot!

Anyway, heres a quick review.  Ive had it set up for 4 days.  The first beta fish that I put in the tank died after 2 days, so I got a second beta for the tank.  I cant say whether the first beta fish died because of the AquaFarm design, or if it was just an unhealthy fish.  Well see how this fishy does.

AquaFarm Review

AquaFarm Packaging

Sorry about the dark photo, but heres the AquaFarm!

You can see where the airline tubing for the air lift goes down into the fish tank.

It came with Lettuce, Basil, and Wheat Grass

It also came with de-chlorinating chemicals, beneficial bacteria, a fish-cleaning solution, and a tank cleaning supplement called Tidy Tank.

Overall, I think this is a pretty cool system, and I cant wait to see what it grows!

AquaFarms are available from Back To The Roots for $60.

Read more

Aquaponic Windowfarm Update

Our windowfarm is having some ups and downs. The strawberries are growing and starting to turn red.

I planted some garlic and its sprouting.

The rosemary is great.

The parsley is great.

The basil isnt growing. Any suggestions on what I should try to replace it with?

Im going to finally finish the plumbing for Pogos 105 gallon system this week. By next weekend we should have it filled with media and water. Well start fishless cycling, and hopefully be growing soon!

Read more

Ordering another Water Test Kit and an Aquafarm Review to come!

Ive been waiting to receive a replacement color chart for measuring pH, Ammonia, Nitrate, and Nitrite levels.  I sent API $2 for a replacement, but its taking forever.  So, I ordered a new test kit from amazon.  Theyre marked down to ~$16 dollars from ~$20.  I can use this at home, since my other test kit is at Pogos apartment with his 105 gallon system.

Also, I just received my pre-ordered AquaFarm from BacktotheRoots.com.  This is the most hyped aquaponic kit that was on Kickstarter recently.  Im excited to get a Betta fish tonight and get it set up.  Ill have an unboxing video, and a review of the system in the coming weeks.

I also recently read an article about Aqua Vita farms in upstate New York.  Theyre one of the only commercial Aquaponic farms on the east coast.  Theyre looking for a buyer or investor, otherwise theyll have to close up shop in about a week.  Its a shame to see that they couldnt see profitable margins in their venture.  The owner, Mark Doherty, claimed that they had to redesign their system to make it more efficient and profitable.  However, they ran out of capital because of the redesign, and now they dont have enough money to stay afloat.  I hope them all the best, and I hope that I can someday meet Mark and learn from their experiences.  Heres a link to the article:  http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/06/aqua_vita_farms_owner_we_need.html.

Read more