| Plant Aquarium |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-205 |
|
|
|
advertisement
|
Q: I want to help my daughter put together an aquarium. Got any ideas?
A: (Jessie Mack Burns, Ask DIY Gardening expert) I do have an idea! How about an aquarium with a beta fish in the bottom and a peace lily on top? Beta fish, which are also known as Chinese or Siamese fighting fish, are so fierce that you can put only one in an aquarium or it will kill the other fish. But they're perfect for this aquarium, where the fish lives alone and where the plant thrives. Here's how you put the aquarium together: Materials:
Floral vase with a narrow neck to help hold the plants upright
Clear-plastic plant saucer that fits the neck of the vase
Chlorine aquarium water treatment (figure A)
Glass pebbles
One beta fish
Beta-fish food
- Knock any soil off the roots of the peace lilies and let them soak in water for at least a day to get rid of any other miscellaneous debris (figure B).
- Use scissors or a knife to cut off the bottom of a clear-plastic plant saucer to form a sort of "collar" for the peace-lily stalks. It will help hold the plants upright, and because it's clear it won't mess up the look of the aquarium.
- Thread the roots of the peace lily through the plastic "collar," so that the collar grasps the plant right where the green stalks start.
- If you've used the vase before, clean it well with hot water -- but no soap! Soap kills aquarium fish.
- Wash the dust from a fresh package of aquarium gravel and pour it two or three inches deep in the bottom of the vase.
- Wash some bright glass beads and decorations with hot water and place them on top of the gravel (figure C).
- Treat enough water to fill the vase with chlorine treatment, available at a pet-supply store. Make sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. Add the treated water and the fish to the vase.
- Insert the collar with the peace lilies into the neck of the vase, tucking the roots into the water. The leaves of the peace lilies should stand upright. Prop the plants in place with more floral rocks in the neck of the vase.
- There seems to be a myth perpetuated that beta fish feed off the plant, but this isn't true. Please be sure to feed this carnivorous animal with beta-fish food (figure D). The fish's waste, however, will provide great nutrition for the plant. For more information on betas that live in this environment, please see our second resource (Great information on beta ...), below.
More Questions for Jessie:
Q: What other plants besides peace lilies will work in an aquarium with beta fish?
A: Look for hydroponic plants -- the ones that don't mind having their roots completely submerged in water.
Q: I want to install a sprinkler system. Where can I get layout and installation information?
A: Go to a place that sells this type of equipment, like a garden center or hardware store.
Q: I'm interested in installing an underground drip watering system. Are these systems good, and are they difficult to install?
A: They are good systems; they help you regulate the water in your yard. They can be as easy or as complicated as you like. Remember always to check where your power lines and water lines are before you try one. That may save you a lot of grief. Web site resources for Plant Aquarium: Terrarium from HGTV.Com Great information on beta fish that live in vases Book: Aquarium Plants Manual: Expert Advice on Selection, Planting, Care and Propagation
By Ines Scheumann
ISBN: 0812016874
Barron's Educational Series Inc.
250 Wireless Blvd.
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Phone: 631-434-3311
Fax: 631-434-3217
Web site: www.barronseduc.com
| 
)
)
)
)
)
