The Simplest Aquaponics Setup I Have Seen - elive aquaDuo Aquarium Filter

There we were standing in line at Mr. Aquarium this weekend when I looked over and saw a photo of a plant sticking out of a power filter. I admit I was intrigued. So, I left my wife and her new fish Luna (half-moon betta) in line and went over to check it out. The elive aquaDuo is just what it appeared to be - a power filter that incorporates a live plant as part of the filtration system.

The elive sell sheet

Online reviews for it are a bit spotty - pretty equal on the love and hate. I am wondering what plants would be most appropriate since the roots would stay constantly submerged. [I read the manual - they recommend peace lilies, arrowhead plants, pothos, and lucky bamboo.] At this size (and price point) I can not see it feeding a village, but as a novelty item, I am pretty tempted.

The manual

Points for Mr. Aquarium, which is already one of my favorite local businesses, their prices are actually slightly lower than the ones available on Amazon. $24.99 for the 20 gallon version and $19.99 for the 10 gallon version. If I come across any extra spending money this week, I will pick one up and report back to you on it. Maybe the tadpoles would like to hang out under a locally collected semi-aquatic plant...

May your thumb be green and green!

Lubbock Giving: Operation Wishbone - The Haven and Second Chance Dog Rescue

Here is the flyer

 I stopped by Mr. Aquarium yesterday - 34th Street is blessed with a lot of great businesses - Jenny came right over with a flyer and asked me to spread the word. She knows that my wife and I are dedicated to the idea of supporting no-kill shelters in their quest to make life better for the thousands of cast-aside pets our town sees every year.

From this 2013 Avalanche-Journal Article about local adoption and kill rates

We killed almost 24,000 from 2010-2012

In this season of cold and hunger, please set aside a little to help these shelters care for Lubbock's homeless pets. 

Our Condo in his dino pjs

Link to the Haven

Second Chance Dog Rescue (Snyder, TX) can be found on Facebook.

May your life be richer for what you give away.