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.

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Raised Garden Beds How To Build A Bed in 4 Simple Steps

Raised garden beds are always a good option for Gardening. Though it might sound pretty troublesome to prepare garden bed it is not that tough. This article will put some light on Garden bed preparation.

The first thing you need to do to make a raised garden bed is to kill the weeds in the area you have planned your bed. The best way to do this is to first till the area with a tiller or plough it (in case the area is larger).

Next add a thick layer of compost and till again. You can also add layers of newspaper or cardboard to cover the area before tilling the soil.

It will kill most of the weeds in the first place. Weeds which have deep roots or runners can be killed easily by this process.

After covering the area with compost add some water to the soil and till it a bit. This will make the weed seed (which are present in the soil) to germinate. Once they germinate, till it once more.

This total process of watering and tilling you need to follow quite a few times. After making sure that there are no more weed seeds present in the soil, you can use your vegetable or other plants. Try not to use seeds at first and go for transplanting in the first year. After that you can use seeds as per your likings.

Another way to get instant garden bed is to cover the whole area with the topsoil bags which are readily available in any garden store. Try not to use cheap quality product but go for the company which is known for their product quality.

Cut one or two areas of each bag and plant your seedling or seeds there. After covering the whole area with topsoil bags, cover the exposed plastic area of the

bag with thick layer of Mulch. Now you have it, your own garden bed.

This type of permanent raised bed gardening is always helpful and it also makes the surrounding soil much more fertile and healthier. Raised beds warm up faster than normal soil. The best part about garden beds is you can make it any size you want. Keep enough space for walking, beside the garden beds and never walk on the beds.

Keep adding composts at regular intervals. It will keep the beds fertile. First year it is recommended to add 4 to 6 inches of compost. In the subsequent years ½ inch of compost will be enough to provide the required nutrition to the plants.


Have you prepared you garden beds yet? Share your experiences with us.

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105 Gallon Apartment System Update

The system at my buddy Saqibs apartment is doing well.  Saqib was away for a week for work, so a roommate was feeding the fish.  We think that he overfed our tilapia, Zeus, because the water is filled with brown algae.  Ive read online that this algae is not really caused by sunlight, but rather by overfeeding the fish.  High nitrates also lead to this type of algae.  Well be feeding Zeus less from now on, and I plan to clean out the filter to make sure everything is nice and healthy.

Saqib added some small lights to the system, and the plants look to be doing well.  Well get those lights up on chains soon.  In another 2 weeks, well be switching to some ornamental fish for the tank, and at that point well clean the tank and hang the lights.  Hopefully, that will help keep the algae in control, and help with the veggie growth.

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