Monday, December 28, 2015

Aloe in aquarium


I found this aloe vera on the street. 


Buy Aloe on Amazon (paid link):

It was badly damaged by the care of its previous owner and the cold of a September night. I want to resuscitate it! 

First I have to cut off clearly dead parts of the plant. I use a knife to remove dead and broken leaves. 

The bottom part of the plant does not look healthy. Let's cut it off. Of course I might be wrong about it...,but anyway.

I will try to bring back to life these parts of the plant: a stem with three good looking leaves and 2 separated leaves.

I am using water from my aquarium. Though, room temperature tap water should do. Pour water in a cup. Silly fish want to get in the cup! I know from my experience, that a leaf of aloe vera placed into water may sprout roots in a couple of weeks. That's my intention with this plant.



Put the leaves in cups filled with water and place them near a window. The aloe vera likes bright sun and dry soil with deep penetrating watering.

About one month later I noticed a growing root! All three leaves looks greener and healthier! The separated leaves of the plant did not survive.

A couple more roots sprouted in about a week.


A new leaf start growing about a month later! Roots grows longer. The plant looks very healthy! Plants are very adaptive in general and this one is living proof of it.



It's time to build new home for my plant. I want to plant the aloe on a top of my aquarium. Yeah, suspending the plant right in water! It will have unlimited access to water and all goods dissolved in it. Take a disposable plastic cup. 

Cut it from the bottom to the brim. 

Carefully! Don't cut through the brim. 

The top of my aquarium is inclosed in a profile with sides measuring approximately 15 by 10 mm.  Let's make the same size rectangular cut along the brim of the cup,  about 5 mm away from the brim. Make the cut about 15 mm long along the brim. 

 Then cut about 10 mm down away from the brim. 


The aquarium enclosure should fit firmly in this cut.

Make the same size cut on the other side of the brim. Make both cuts on the same half of the cup! This part of the cup will be inside of the aquarium. Cut off the bottom part of this half of the cup. It opens ways for the roots to grow and fish won't get trapped inside of the cup.

 The housing for my plant is ready! It is a bit flimsy, but it should do for this size plant.


Hang the housing on the side of aquarium. The cut half of the cup goes inside of the aquarium. Fit the profile of the enclosure in the rectangular cuts on the cup.


Place the aloe vera inside of the housing. The leaves rest on the brim of the cup preventing the plant from sinking underwater.

Actually it looks better on the back side of the aquarium.



Make sure the roots are submerged under water.

I may need to replace this housing as the plant will grow bigger.
Have fun and happy gardening :)

2 comments:

  1. Does it survive long term with roots just in water like this or does it decline after a while? I know some plants absolutely thrive like this, but had never thought to try this with aloe.

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    1. Thank you for the question!
      It survives for over an year. Than I got another aloe and set it up in a different way - and it grows just fine as of now ;) Check videos on this playlist for more details about both plants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xpRkks8W3U&list=PLM88hGt0AfGsFAwwJanPYh9eN37LjI2Co

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