Terra Aquatica WaterFarm V3 15 liter

The WaterFarm is a complete hydroponic system for one plant, or several smaller ones, with a 15 litre reservoir. It is the compact version of the same design as the AquaFarm, and what makes it interesting is that it contains no water pump.

How air lifts the water

The growing chamber of clay pebbles sits above the reservoir of nutrient solution. Between them runs a pumping column: a tube reaching down into the liquid, with a drip ring at the top.

An air pump blows air into the bottom of that column. The rising bubbles drag solution up with them, a venturi effect, and at the top it emerges into the drip ring. From there it drips over the clay pebbles, works down past the roots, and returns to the reservoir through holes in the base of the chamber.

So there is exactly one moving part in the whole system, and it is a small air pump. No water pump to seize, no timer, no valves.

Why that matters to the roots

Every circuit the solution makes aerates it twice: in the pumping column, where it literally rides up on bubbles, and again as it falls through the clay pebbles. Oxygen in the root zone is the main limiting factor in hydroponics, and this design adds it as a by-product of circulating at all.

What to expect from the size

A 15 litre reservoir means one substantial plant or a few smaller ones, and topping up more often than the larger AquaFarm. For a balcony, a windowsill or a first go at hydroponics that is exactly enough. If your plant runs on to real size, or you want to stay away longer, the 35 litre version is the logical step.

The build is two-part, so you lift the growing chamber off to reach the reservoir and the roots. That sounds obvious and is not: many systems give no access to the root zone without disturbing the plant.

Technical Specifications:

• Reservoir: 15 litres
• Drive: air pump, no water pump
• Operation: pumping column with venturi effect to a drip ring
• Substrate: clay pebbles
• Build: two-part, reservoir and root zone accessible

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a water pump? No, an air pump lifts the solution through the pumping column.

What is the difference from the AquaFarm? Same design, larger reservoir and more planting room.

Which substrate do I use? Washed clay pebbles in the growing chamber.

Should it run continuously? These systems are designed to run around the clock.