Water Garden Duo: Hydroponics / Aquaponics Ecosystem

Mom has been wanting a fish tank, but I was weary of getting something that required a lot of maintenance and frequent cleaning. I picked the Back To Roots system because it's an American small startup, and I liked the idea of a "self cleaning" tank that required little attention after initial setup.

I was impressed when the package arrived. The instructions came with great diagrams and photos, and I had it set up within an hour. I will add that you really need to wash and rinse the stones in cold water thoroughly. I kept adding water and swirling the stones in a large bowl, and did this several times until the water was clear and left litte sediment in the bowl. I used two and a half gallons of purified water instead of tap water, so I didn't even need to use the water treatment that was included. Instead of throwing a fish in right away, I decided to start the plant growing process first to let the ecosystem start with plants to start the oxygen cycle process. I also threw in some live plants on the bottom that the person in the pet store recommended. After about 3 days, plants were already starting to sprout. I then went out and got Buddy, a fiery red Betta. After letting Buddy sit in his bag inside the aquarium for 15 minutes to allow the water temperatures to balance out, I let Buddy into his new environment with a little fear and hope. He swam around freely, but I knew it would be a little while before we would know if he would be ok in the new water. Well, he adapted…