How to Make an Aquarium with Live Plants

Lena and Petya had long dreamed of their own aquarium, where fish could swim among green plants. Today, after much thought, they decided not only to create an aquarium with fish but also add live plants to watch them grow and develop in the water. Lena had always been interested in nature and plants, and Petya was just as excited about the idea of creating an ecosystem right in their room.

— Look at the beautiful plants I found online! — said Lena, flipping through a magazine about aquatic plants. — We can make a real aquarium with water plants that will not only be beautiful but also eco-friendly. Plants help purify the water and create a small ecosystem!

Petya looked at the pictures attentively:

— This is really interesting! I always wanted to have an aquarium, but with live plants, it will be even better! Look, it says here that we need plants like Anubias, Elodea, and Cryptocoryne. They can grow right in the water.

Lena nodded and began gathering materials:

— We will need a large glass container to create the aquarium, as well as natural materials for the bottom. I found the right glass, and for the bottom, we'll use stones and special soil for aquarium plants. And we also need a filter and a lamp to ensure the plants get enough light.

Petya eagerly joined in collecting the materials. They chose a large glass container that was perfect for their aquarium. Then Lena carefully washed the stones and soil to ensure they didn’t contain any dirt or chemicals that could harm the plants.

— First, we need to put a layer of soil so the plants can take root, — explained Lena, spreading the soil on the bottom of the aquarium. — We will place some stones on top to prevent them from being washed away in the water, and the plants can grow peacefully.

Petya watched eagerly at each step because creating the aquarium was such an exciting process. Once the soil was ready, Lena carefully planted several aquatic plants in the soil, starting with the largest ones so they wouldn’t shade the smaller plants. She chose Anubias, Cryptocoryne, and Elodea, which thrive well in aquarium conditions.

— Did you notice how the plants are already starting to stick to the soil? — asked Lena when they finished planting. — They grow pretty fast, and in a few weeks, the aquarium will look like a real water garden!

Petya was amazed at how quickly and beautifully it was coming together. He watched as Lena carefully arranged the leaves of the plants so they could develop and grow upward.

— Now we need to fill the aquarium with water and install the filter, — said Petya, once the aquarium was ready to be filled. — We also need to set up the lighting so the plants can get enough light for growth.

Lena prepared a bucket of water and carefully checked the temperature so as not to harm the plants. Once the water was poured in, Petya installed the filter and the lamp to keep the water clean and ensure the plants received enough light.

— Everything’s ready! Now we need to wait a few days for the plants to adapt to their new environment, — said Lena, as she filled the aquarium with water. — We can also add some small fish to help maintain the balance in the ecosystem.

Petya eagerly awaited to see how the aquarium would come alive with the fish. They decided to choose small goldfish and guppies, which would not only swim beautifully among the plants but also help keep the water clean by eating food leftovers and algae.

— How cool! We’ve created a real underwater world in our room! — exclaimed Petya, watching as the fish started swimming among the green plants.

Lena smiled:

— This is our little ecosystem! We can observe it like a living organism and learn how plants and animals can live together.

The two children proudly looked at their aquarium. Not only had they created a beautiful water space with live plants, but they had also learned a lot about how plants and animals can interact in ecosystems. Lena and Petya decided to continue taking care of the aquarium, adding new plants, and monitoring the health of the fish to ensure their little aquatic world thrived and developed.