Aqua Design EcoCube User manual

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Our Story
Our names are Eric Suen and Kevin Liang. We’re UC San Diego students and
aquarium geeks who met in high school and instantly became intrigued by planted
aquatic ecosystems.
After working in the aquarium industry for a few years, we eventually started our own
online aquarium store while selling shrimp out of a garage in San Francisco.
As we got older, we saw the bigger challenges humanity as a whole faces in terms
of food and water shortages and wanted to use our knowledge of aquariums to find
a solution.
Aquaponics, a method of raising crops and fish
together in a recirculating system, grows food 30 to
50 percent faster, using far less space and 90 percent
less water.
In 2013, we launched our first product, the EcoQube
—a desktop ecosystem designed to bring the
practical concept and beauty of aquaponics into our
everyday lives!
1,500,000 people die of
hunger every year.
1.2 trillion gallons of waste
water are dumped in the
U.S. annually, harming the
environment.
5,000 people lack
clean water daily.

Remove Aquaponics Filter, aquarium, and electricals from packaging.
2. Place Aquaponics Filter on aquarium and add “Grow”soil* or “Origin”sand to
aquarium along with any plants* or decorations*.
1.
3.
4.
A desktop ecosystem that uses Mint or Basil to filter water QUICK START GUIDE
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To save trees, we only included essential information here. For FAQs, please visit
adiventures.net/faq. For international EcoQube owners without seeds or plant medium,
please visit adiventures.net/international.
Insert net pot (plant medium included inside) into slot in filter cover with engraved
ADI logo facing forward. Place seeds from packet inside plant medium.
*Denotes Sold Separately
Gently pour conditioned water over soil* or sand, filling aquarium all the
way to the rim. Minor debris and cloudiness is normal and will clear up
within 3 days.

Press
Here
For Cloudy Water: Press once for 24-hour
sterilization (light will appear red).
For Regular Maintenance: Press a second
time for 2 hours of sterilization per day
(light will appear green).
5. Plug power supply cord into 110V AC- 240V
AC (international) outlet and connect it to
single end of 3-way splitter. Connect 3 ends
to pump, LED light, and UV sterilizer*. Run
water through filter.
7. Wait until plant is at least 1 inch tall (about 3 weeks old) before introducing
any fish to allow ecosystem to mature. Place EcoQube in a warm, dark
area to help accelerate this process.
Power Supply
3-Way Splitter
Connect to pump, LED
light, and UV sterilizer*
6. Press once to turn on LED light.
Leave white lights on for 6-8 hours per day.
Plant should start sprouting within 2 weeks.
1st Press: White Lights On
2nd Press: Lightning
3rd Press: Cloud Cover
4th Press: O
Press for Changing Colors
Turn on UV sterilizer*:
8.
*Denotes Sold Separately

The EcoQube is a desktop ecosystem designed for the lowest maintenance possible so that you can
spend more time enjoying and less time cleaning. However, proper care is essential to ensure a
healthy and functioning ecosystem.
A desktop ecosystem that uses Mint or Basil to filter water MAINTENANCE GUIDE
TM
Sponge
Notes of Caution:
•Always keep pump inside filter (highlighted) submerged
in water when filter is running.
•Always unplug filter first before lowering water level
below its water chute or removing it from aquarium.
•Don't consume plant grown from filter. Many chemicals used in aquariums can be extremely
harmful if consumed.
How to Maintain Your EcoQube:
•Wait at least 3 weeks before introducing any fish to aquarium. Start off with 2 small fish (white
cloud minnows or zebrafish recommended) and slowly add more as plants grow. Limit each
aquarium to 5 small fish to avoid overcrowding.
•Feed only what fish can eat in 10 seconds 1-2 times per day.
•Don’t remove filter cover until plant has grown in or else plant will fall and roots will rip.
•Raise LED light (holding side without wire) as plant grows. Trim leaves if plant no longer fits
beneath light at its highest setting. Always be sure to leave at least one set of three leaves intact
when trimming.
•Add more plants (Java Ferns and Anubias recommended) inside aquarium to promote natural
filtration.
•Detoxify 2 gallons of water with 1 ml of “Refine”water conditioner.
• Top off aquarium with RO/DI water or bottled water only to ensure there are no extra minerals in
water. Filter is not compatible with salt water since it was designed for plants like Basil and Mint
that can only grow with fresh water.
•Make sure water level doesn’t fall below water chute on filter. Replenish evaporated water at least
once a week. Don't stir soil or sand when adding water.
•If filter gets clogged, remove filter cover, take out sponge,
and rinse sponge in conditioned water. Remove any
debris on bottom of filter and place sponge back into filter.
•For extra clarity and cleanliness, turn on UV sterilizer* when introducing new fish to aquarium to
get rid of microbes, unwanted bacteria, and algae.
*Denotes Sold Separately

The Aquaponics Cycle
3. Water is filtered
through plant medium.
4. Plant absorbs nitrates
as nutrients for growth.
5. Clean water is
transferred back
into aquarium with
ammonia removed.
2. Bacteria in water
breaks down ammonia
into nitrates.
1. Fish are fed food and produce
amonia-rich waste. High levels of
waste substance are toxic for fish.
Minimum
Water Level
View our Science Project Kit and learn more about aquaponics at adiventures.net/learn.