Vase Aquarium Garden

This cylindrical shape vase is about 12 cm high and it has about 12 cm diameter. 

It would make a nice aquarium garden.

 I like to put some gravel in my aquariums. 

Add dechlorinated water. 
1.3 liters fit in this vase.

 Let's add aquatic plants.
 I am going to use this seashell to anchor a dwarf water lily. 

Use any aquatic plants you may find available for this purpose. 
Here it goes. 

Colorful sea glass rocks make a nice addition.

 The rocks look nice inside of the seashell. 

Let's add some more aquatic plants. 
Hairgrass grows slowly and look nice. 

I wonder how the fast growing Elodea would grow here.

 Seed shrimp Ostracoda are amazing critters that I add into all my aquariums. 

They feed on algae and any organic detritus they can find.
 It makes them an indispensable aquarium cleaning crew.

Add a couple small size pond snails. 

They make nice addition to the cleaning crew and look great in aquariums.

 Also, I add duckweed and an aquatic floating fern. 

We have made a simple, yet good looking aquarium. 

A small pinch of fish food flakes helps the cleaning crew get by and it boosts algae growth. 

Snails and seed shrimp eat algae, produce waste and algae feed on that waste.
 It creates a natural cycle.
 We have made a self sustainable aquarium. 

I have already prepared a cover for this aquarium that also serves as a planter for the garden. 
Check my previous videos about how to make planters.

There are many land plants and herbs that grow with their roots in water. 
I put some succulents, Wandering Jew, and cactuses in this aquarium garden. 
That is how it looked on October 19th, 2019 

Here you can see the aquarium garden on November 25th. 
It's been about 5 weeks since I set it up. 

Here you can see snails crawling around.
 Great, I don't have to worry about feeding them in this self-sustaining aquarium. 

I still have to add water to the level.
 Always add dechlorinated water. 
Check my video about it. 
New York city dwellers like me can put tap water in an open cup and let it sit overnight. 

The next day the water is ready. 

Add water to the level as necessary. 

Keep tubes of the planter above water. 

Make sure the roots of the plants stay in the water all the time. 

Here you can see roots of different plants. 
Roots of this Wandering Jew plant are longer than the height of the tank. 
Roots of succulents are much shorter in comparison.

 Most of the water evaporates through the leaves of the plants. 
Small slow growing plants need less maintenance. 
The fast growing Wandering Jew plant already needs to be trimmed. 

The cutting can go right in the same planter.

 For now I let it grow here. 
Later I may move it to another aquarium garden or give it to friends.

 I keep my aquarium gardens in an apartment with normal room temperature. 

Just make sure the roots stay in the water. 

Seed shrimp and snails produce nutritional waste for plants and for algae to grow. 
I keep aquarium gardens close to the window, but away from direct sunlight.

Trim plants and add water as needed once in a blue moon to have an otherwise no maintenance aquarium garden :)

Have fun and happy aquarium gardens :)