Having never had live plants in an aquarium before I was at a loss of what to get. They seemed pretty expensive so I just opted for the cheapest option – a variety bundle sold on Amazon. They arrived alive and seemingly happy and now a week on ALL the plants I ordered are thriving and growing – even the one I thought was dead on arrival! And they’re doing a bang up job – the water is almost clear again. I have ordered some shrimp and look forward to adding them next as the tank continues to cycle.

More in depth update: some have noticed I do not have a filter on this tank. Instead I’ve opted to take all I learned on my former permaculture farm and apply it to aquascaping. The bottom of the tank was filled with an inch or so of rocks to provide a surface for healthy bacteria to grow and aid in filtration. Above that is sifted organic garden soil I made myself with bunny droppings and plant wastes over several years. This will provide nutrients for the plants to grow. Next was the water which was mostly tap but I did add 2 gallons of water from two different ponds to provide a boost for healthy bacteria. From here I added plants which do a lot of the heavy lifting as far as filtration of fish wastes (which they’ll use as fertilizer.) But as with any plants some leaves will die and break off. To avoid this being an issue I took a clump of rotted wet leaves out of a river and put them in the tank to encourage growth of the organisms that break down dead plant material. A cleaning crew of shrimp will arrive next before I’m ready for fish. In the end I’ll have a fully articulated self-sustaining mini ecosystem that does not require a filter or water changes. As I live in a cold ass basement I did find I needed a heater. This whole process has been a return to Old School fish keeping.