Aqua farm: what is it and what is it for?

It is actually possible to combine an aquarium and a vegetable garden. Growing dill with parsley on the windowsill and enjoying the glimpse of colorful fish is not a fantasy. The modern direction in agriculture for the cultivation of fish and plants has long been working on this principle, for example, in Australia. Now you can place a miniature aqua farm at home. It is a small vessel of water, planted on top with pots of fresh herbs.

A small ecosystem was invented by two Californians, graduates of the research university in Burkeley (California) - Nikil Arora and Alejandro Velez. They decided to create a mini-farm that is harmless to people and the environment. The inventors recruited a group of researchers to implement their idea: in hydroponics, aquaculture, biology, engineering and design. As a result, they received a design that is convenient for offices, kindergartens, schools and residential buildings. Such a mini-vegetable garden is indispensable in megacities, where wildlife is becoming less and less.

The origins of such an agronomic system are found among the Aztecs: islands (chinampas) were poured in small freshwater lakes near the coast and fertilized with lake silt, even if there was no rain, the water rose to the roots from the lake. In this way, they planted maize, beans, tomatoes, pumpkin, hot peppers. In one year, sometimes up to 4 harvests were taken.

In southeast Asia, rice is planted in flooded fields and carps, eels, crucians and snails are raised. Fish destroys pests, fertilizes the soil and is a source of food for humans. The aqua farm combines hydroponics (growing plants without soil) and aquaculture (keeping fish) - this is called aquaponics: fish waste is processed by special bacteria and then green shoots feed on them, and clean water is sent back to the aquarium. Aquaponics is a promising area of ​​aquaculture. In this economical way, useful plants are grown and organic residues from cultured fish are purified from the water.

At home, there are no restrictions on growing green crops in such an ecosystem. Moisture-loving species are best suited. They grow all year round. A few days after planting the seeds, sprouts will already appear.

In the aqua farm, leafy greens, spicy herbs grow well, oats and wheat are well suited.

It is better to place the aquarium in a sunny place, for example, by the south window. Basil and lettuce love an abundance of sunlight, but you need to pay attention so that direct rays do not fall on the water, from which it can bloom. Wheat is less demanding on lighting, you can choose this crop if there is little light in the room. A small lamp will help out on cloudy days or long winter evenings. Wheat, basil, buckwheat, flax and lentils grow well in small pots. In addition to them, you can grow in a small garden: arugula, parsley, dill, mint, cilantro.

A farm is a miniature ecosystem closed in a circle as follows:

1. the remains of food and waste of fish, together with water, are pumped into the pots, thereby providing nutrition for the greens;
2. plants purify water.
3. the water is returned to the aquarium.

Fish feed green friends, and they serve as water filters in gratitude - this is a miniature decorative aquaponics.

The container can contain from 3 to 5 inhabitants. The main requirement is that the fish be insensitive to ammonia and nitrites dissolved in water.

Several species of fish are suitable for growing.

• Guppy. These are unpretentious freshwater fish. They are considered to be the most suitable pets for beginner hobbyists. They love fresh and clean water, so the first weeks of their stay on the farm, until the ecosystem process starts, should be watched.

• Danio rerio or zebra. They are mobile and striped fish with long fins, quite sensitive to changes in the composition of the water, especially at a young age. It is recommended to place 3 individuals in the aquarium, they are schooling fish, otherwise they will feel uncomfortable.

• Siamese cockerel. It is strongly advised to choose a cockerel. He has proven himself very well in the aqua farm, but only alone - in company with others, he can behave belligerent.

• Gold fish. For a goldfish, the size of the aqua farm is a bit tight. When she grows up, she will have to look for a new home.

You can make your own farm aquariums from available tools, but it is much more convenient to purchase a ready-made set in the store. An aqua farm is a vessel with a lid on which containers with a mesh bottom are located. The 11 liter aquarium is made of polycarbonate, which is indistinguishable from glass. It is a very lightweight material.

Another important quality of such an aquarium is that it cannot break. It is strong and durable, it keeps the temperature inside the tank well. It has a special chamber for a water pump that silently lifts the water up to the roots. A small hole for feeding fish is located in the lid.

Plants are not grown in soil, but in a special substrate - porous pumice. It is placed in mesh containers and inserted into a pallet. Roots can grow through the net from the container. The pallet with 5 seed containers is made of polypropylene. The pump built into the pallet is powered by the mains, there must be a socket nearby. The dechlorinator removes chlorine from the tap water, as well as salts and heavy metals, thus creating a safe environment in the aquarium. The compact format allows you to place the truss on a window, desk or kitchenette.

The standard set of the aqua farm includes various components.

The following elements are intended for the aquarium:

• transparent container;
• cover-pallet with containers for seeds;
• pump (powered by 220–240 V mains);
• packing with gravel (to the bottom of the aquarium);
• rubber tubes:

1. flexible - for supplying air to an aquarium with a tap;
2. rigid - mounted in a pallet with a mesh on one side;

The following elements are required for water:

• D-Klor - air conditioner-dechlorinator for water purification from the water supply system;
• Zym Bac - a concentrate with beneficial bacteria that keep the water clean;
• TidyTank is a substance for removing dirt from gravel and walls.

For fish, it is worth purchasing components such as:

• Fish Prep - organic food;
• Nature Pro Plus is a therapeutic compound.

Plants will require components such as:

• containers for greenery;
• a package of porous substrate for plants;
• a set of environmentally friendly seeds.

The aqua farm requires a minimum of maintenance costs, but first you need to start the ecosystem process. Doing it yourself is quite simple, there is an instruction in the kit. The assembly steps look like this step by step:

• choose a place for the aquarium, it should be well lit and not far from an electrical outlet;
• the set must be removed from the packaging: rinse the reservoir and pallet;
• now you need to build a farm on aquaponics;
• connect a rigid rubber tube with a pump, only not connected to the power grid at this time;
• wash the gravel with hot water and pour on the bottom;
• pour water of neutral temperature into the vessel (you can stand it for about two days);
• add 1 bag of Fish Prep and half a cap of the conditioner-dechlorinator;
• the container with the fish is immersed in the aquarium for half an hour, then the fish is released, the carrying container is removed; first add a little water to the carrier to the fish, wait about half an hour, and then proceed to this point;
• wash the pallet with containers;
• the wire from the pump and the rubber tube are passed through a slot in the pallet;
• put a lid with a tray on the aquarium;
• the substrate is washed with hot water directly in the pots and placed on a tray;
• sprinkle with Zym Bac solution, it will take the whole bottle;
• sow seeds in a container, it is better not to plant different types in one;
• set to the minimum power, connect the pump to the power outlet.

After installation, immediately or after a few days, the water may become cloudy. If this happened right away, it means that there is dirt and dust on the gravel, you have to wait until it settles. In a few days, this can also happen, but this means that the biological process of water purification has yet to start. When all the inhabitants get used to each other, this should pass.

To decorate the aquarium, you can take artificial algae and small grottoes.

Nothing superfluous should get into the water from the scenery: it nourishes the leaves that are eaten. Live plants are also not needed in the aquarium, they take food from those planted in pots, which makes them grow more slowly. It is not necessary to water the grown greens, but the seeds and seedlings do not have a developed root system, therefore it is advised to sprinkle them a little with water. Sprouted seeds grow very quickly, and soon they will not have to be watered at all.

The ideal home aqua farm only feeds the fish daily: 1-2 pellets per fish.

Water is periodically added to the container in descending order with the addition of an air conditioner-dechlorinator: 1 cap for 6 liters. Every month the aquarium is treated with a product to remove sediment from the gravel and walls.

Fish swim in the water, small beds turn green before our eyes and produce juicy and vitamin leaves all year round - as advertisements promise. It's worth considering what real buyers are saying. Families with children buy such a product, of course, as an aquarium, which does not need to be looked after, and green salads can also be cut to the table.

Only for some novice aqua farmers, fresh greens do not grow: 1-2 leaves appear, and then long stems only stretch out. But the petsilia fish in the aquarium hatch fry and feel great. Perhaps this can happen from a lack of lighting.

Many owners find it difficult to find a suitable place for a garden aquarium. Too intense sun causes the water to bloom, and if there is partial shade, the greenery will slow down growth due to the lack of light. Others put the aqua farm on the windowsill, the water does not turn green. A small living corner is suitable for relaxing in the office center of a huge metropolis. The fish in the aquarium, the murmur of water and healthy greens above it - all this is obtained with a minimum investment of time and effort. It also calms the nerves, helps to distract and relax.

Some owners of the aqua farm find out that after the first harvest, mold appears on the containers, and the roots of the plants rot and they turn yellow. It is necessary to remove diseased greens and thoroughly rinse the substrate before planting again. And someone completely refused to grow greens and uses the aqua farm as a regular aquarium. One of the owners was forced to additionally buy a thermostat for heating, since the Siamese cockerel in the aquarium turned out to be cold. Others are not satisfied with the fact that water must be added to the aquarium very often, since it evaporates quickly.

According to the majority, the fish are happy to eat food from the aqua farm kit., but in a separate case, the standard type of food did not interest the fish. The owner had to choose individually what to feed the pets. All unanimously agree that this is a beautiful and entertaining purchase that is suitable for busy people as a means to relieve stress, and for novice aquarists, especially children.

You will learn more about what an aqua farm is from the video.