Review on 🐠 VIVOSUN 3-Gallon Aquaponic Fish Tank: Hydroponic Cleaning Tank with Bonus Thermostat, Flow Pump, and Ceramsite for Freshwater Fish and Plant Care by Danielle Jones

This tank is a lot of fun to set up and maintain. It is very nice to see the plants growing and the fish thriving. But it takes a lot of work. Another review calls it "not for beginners" and I agree and say it's not for the impatient. What's good: Although I've never grown plants in water, the aquarium really helps. , and by some magic nothing I planted has died (mint, basil above, some aquatic plants from the Petsmart below) - the water flow is suitable for roosters and he seems really happy in his little house - it's a ton of The Bad: Difficult to control nitrate and nitrite levels. I do 10-20% water changes weekly and have never seen nitrite fall under "danger" on a test strip. I'll try the bacteria starter pack, but that brings me to my next point: if you plan on eating plants, it really limits what you can use to treat your water. Most conditioners are not safe for human consumption and I am still hesitant to introduce bacteria even though they are commercially available because who knows what will happen if you eat them? The reservoir is flooded from time to time. Even with a plastic cap to keep rocks from clogging the drain, I found it overflowed every few weeks. Digging up the substrate and cleaning the drain is a hassle, especially if you're already late for work. I built a barrier to separate the substrate from the drain for easier access, but it's still not the most comfortable. - A bit difficult to manipulate the bed if you need to do something below. Despite all the minus points, I still want to give 5 stars. I love this setup and am really having a lot of fun with it. But since he has just flooded again, he gets a 4.