Aquafarm: Betta Aquaponics tank

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Venturer4life

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
May 11, 2013
Messages
59
Location
South Florida
Hey everyone,
I just wanted to see if anyone had any experience with this tank? I was looking around online and saw this and it sounds incredibly cool! I am a biology major in college and I love everything living! I have done a decent amount of research on the topic, but still want to know more. A lot of people who bought the tank have not had success growing very much or keeping their betta/other fish alive, which I am contributing to lack of knowledge, experience, and education. Many of them seem to believe that they really don't have to do water changes ever... which I SERIOUSLY doubt, and I even saw a video of one guy who stocked his tank with (6) 1in african cichlids!!! Keep in mind, this is a 3g tank!!.

So does anyone have any experience with this tank or aquaponics as a whole?

Here is the link to the main site:
https://www.backtotheroots.com/shop/aquafarm

Thanks!!!
 
I think it's a neat sounding product however the growing of the plants seems a bit overstated. A single betta isn't going to produce much nitrate at all not to mention the lack of other fertilizers in the water for the plants to absorb. The plants will likely absorb all the ammonia produced by the betta but water changes are still absolutely going to be necessary.

If this was treated as a planted tank and fertilizer dosing was added to the tank using a pps pro system I think it would make for a much better system altogether.
 
Hey everyone, I just wanted to see if anyone had any experience with this tank? I was looking around online and saw this and it sounds incredibly cool! I am a biology major in college and I love everything living! I have done a decent amount of research on the topic, but still want to know more. A lot of people who bought the tank have not had success growing very much or keeping their betta/other fish alive, which I am contributing to lack of knowledge, experience, and education. Many of them seem to believe that they really don't have to do water changes ever... which I SERIOUSLY doubt, and I even saw a video of one guy who stocked his tank with (6) 1in african cichlids!!! Keep in mind, this is a 3g tank!!. So does anyone have any experience with this tank or aquaponics as a whole? Here is the link to the main site: https://www.backtotheroots.com/shop/aquafarm Thanks!!!

It looks like a very boring tank for the Betta. Mine like to swim among the plants and rest on them at times. A bare tank gives no hiding places.

It's a cool idea. But I'd rather do a planted tank FOR my Betta than buy a Betta for some plants.
 
Hey everyone,
I just wanted to see if anyone had any experience with this tank? I was looking around online and saw this and it sounds incredibly cool! I am a biology major in college and I love everything living! I have done a decent amount of research on the topic, but still want to know more. A lot of people who bought the tank have not had success growing very much or keeping their betta/other fish alive, which I am contributing to lack of knowledge, experience, and education. Many of them seem to believe that they really don't have to do water changes ever... which I SERIOUSLY doubt, and I even saw a video of one guy who stocked his tank with (6) 1in african cichlids!!! Keep in mind, this is a 3g tank!!.

So does anyone have any experience with this tank or aquaponics as a whole?

Here is the link to the main site:
https://www.backtotheroots.com/shop/aquafarm

Thanks!!!

I think it is very possible. It really depends on how you work it. I dont know that this exact tank is it but sustaining a tank with no water changes is possible The more research I do the more I believe it. It depends on balance. The right amount of nutrients, bioload, light, and plants. It is very possible.
 
I planned to address both of those issues.

First, I figured I would try to use my liquid ferts that I put in my planted tanks, cause adding more inhabitants is out of the question (though I considered trying to add a ghost shrimp or two and worst case scenario, my betta would get a tasty snack, but nothing larger than that). Also the ferts would give the plants more nutrients than just nitrates. Also I own an API test kit (which I think all aquarium owners should) and would keep a very close eye on my parameters.

Also, I absolutely agree that bettas deserve plants!! I always kept live plants with mine, and planned on planting it a bit with an oriental sword and maybe a moss ball ( I have never had one but my friend's betta loves to pick at his!)

My first concern is making the tank safe and interesting for a betta, which I have no doubts that I can do. I know a betta can be happy in a 3 gallon tank (as I have kept them in that or smaller (which I am ashamed to admit, but it was in my early years when I was learning the basics).
 
I don't think a betta would be enough to supply nutrients to the plants. They plants would get plenty of carbon dioxide but I don't think the betta would get a lot of oxygen from the plants because they release oxygen from their chloroplasts (leaves). But I'm no botanist.

I have seen this before but in a much larger scale

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I don't know if the pictures will upload I've never uploaded pictures before.
 
I was going to plant some plants under the water as well, and I think the air-lift system (the tube in the middle with bubbles) will help aerate the tank a bit as well. Regardless, betta's have a labyrinth organ which allows them to breath surface air, and many prefer to do so anyway. If I noticed any signs of stress due to lack of oxygen or water circulation, then I planned that I would put a splitter on the air pump and add an air stone to the tank. I plan to upgrade the air pumo to a whisper one, which is a whopping $4-5 on amazon, because I have had bad luck with the ones that look like the one they include in the past, and in this set up, the pump is crucial to the betta's life (due to ammonia spikes). My only worry with doing this is that bettas are not strong swimmers and don't really like current. I guess it will just have to be trial and error in order to get the least possible current.
 
Honestly for that kind of money I think I could make something about the same with a used ten or twenty gallon and have more fish.
 
Honestly for that kind of money I think I could make something about the same with a used ten or twenty gallon and have more fish.

That's a very good point and really wouldn't be that difficult to do.
 
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