disclaimer: I received the product below for free in exchange for my honest opinions. All opinions remain my own.
Aquaminiums
Please ignore the clutter in the background : )
Product Manufacturer: The Aquaponic Source, Inc.
Product Use: Used for housing fish or other aquatic life and for growing plants. The tank is its own mini eco-system.
Product Features: east setup, LED lighting, kits come with everything you need to get started except the fish and the plants (and decorations), upgrade kits available, has ventilation/feeding holes in the top and holes for air pump tubes and heater cord.
Price: $59.95
Misc.: available in black or white, watch your own mini eco-system on your desk.
Mommy in PA: I actually couldn't believe it when this showed up at my house. I've always loved being able to show my kids science related activities first hand (we have been helping out the Monarch Butterflies since my daughter was little) and this was just one more opportunity to get involved in a hands on way.
My kids had gotten baby Betta Fish for Easter this year so we decided that one of them would make the perfect inhabitant in the Aquaminium. Setup was super easy and the kit came with everything we needed (even chemicals to make the water safe for our fish). We chose a Marigold for our plant because I happened to have some of them left after our trip to the cemetery (you can either use a plant or seeds, whichever you prefer). This was actually the most time consuming part of the whole setup because if you use a plant you have to remove all of the dirt from its roots before inserting it in the grow cube. We actually had to cut the grow cube into sections due to its size.
Now how the Aquaminium works is you feed your fish as you normally do but the fish waste is then converted by microbes and worms into fertilizer that in turn feeds the plants through a wicking system (the wick goes from the plant pot on top down to the water in the tank), then the plants filter the water and it goes back into the Aquaminium. Hence your very own eco-system on your desk : )
This picture was taken right before we changed the water out. If you look closely you can see a piece of plant debris at the top (only thing we did not like about the Aquaminium, totally minor). Also if you look closely right behind the baby Betta you can see the wick : )
Now you do still have some maintenance so don't forget to do your weekly water changes and keep an eye on your wick to make sure it is still in the water...we learned this one the hard way. I am going to attempt some herb seeds in my Aquaminium this time. And I've already been eyeing up the larger systems for the future. And be sure to check for plant debris in the tank on a regular basis...our Betta was trying to eat a piece of the Marigold plant that had fallen in through the feeding holes : )
I think this would make an awesome gift for a teacher to use in their classroom. It's a awesome learning tool!
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