The self sustaining aquarium exists!

Since I remember I have a deep attraction to water ecosystems (aquarium, paludarium, biotope, pond, etc...)
I like to observe the harmonic balance between water, plants and animals. I even love to hear the rippling of the water... without having to go to the toilet all the time. ;-)

Once upon a time...

When I was a child we had an aquarium, it was nice and relatively big.
It was really funny to see how everything was growing and how the fishes interacted with each other...
But after a while the annoying part of having an aquarium become bigger and bigger... the maintenance!!!
Replace a part of the water each week, clean the sand all 2 weeks, clean the glass all 3 weeks etc...

So finally I ended up working with my father on the aquarium each week. - Thanks pa!

Back to the future!

Now, 20 years later (OMG, am I really that old?!?), I have my own children and I would also like them to have the chance to immerse themselves in these water worlds and to experience firsthand how the life in the water evolves.

But to be honest, I have no desire to clean an aquarium every week... So I researched a bit, for smart systems, which allow a cleaning less often.

My research has focused quickly on aquaponics systems.

Aquaponics definition from Wikipedia
Aquaponics refers to any system that combines conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as snails, fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. In normal aquaculture, excretions from the animals being raised can accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity. In an aquaponic system, water from an aquaculture system is fed to a hydroponic system where the by-products are broken down by nitrifying bacteria initially into nitrites and subsequently into nitrates, which are utilized by the plants as nutrients, and the water is then recirculated back to the aquaculture system.

Window to Nature

Finally I've found what I think is the best aquaponics aquarium for an apartment (or office or simply for everywhere).
It is the EcoQube C:

When compared to similar desktop aquariums there is one striking difference between the EcoQube and its competitors. And this the self sustaining system upon which it runs.

The idea behind the mechanics of this system is in the growing of a herb/plant above the aquarium. The plant uptakes its nutrients from the tank water and essentially ‘cleanses’ the water through its root system.

Does this system work?

I installed the EcoQube in January and you can believe me or not (I would not have believed it myself).
I have NEVER replaced the water and NEVER cleaned the sand and only 2 times cleaned the glass and 3 times cut the plants a bit.
Because pictures says more than 1000 words, this are the photos after more than 6 months:

This is one of my two cappuccino snails.

This is one of my Neocaridina davidi var. "Blue Dream".

This are my Mosquito Rasbora.

I'm really happy with my EcoQube C and to be honest, I did not think at the beginning that it would be that good. And by the way... the EcoQube's filter is the most silent one I've ever (non) heared!

Who knows, perhaps one day there is a little bigger EcoQube with an aquaponics system with which you can even harvest tomatoes. :-)

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