Use a Fish Tank to Start Seeds

by Jennifer Poindexter

If you have an old fish tank in storage, it’s time to pull it out and put it to good use! If you’re interested in gardening and starting your own seeds, this fish tank has a purpose.

I have a few fish tanks in storage because my husband kept increasing the size of his fish tank as he kept wanting more fish.

With each increase, an additional tank would end up in storage in our garage, so when I discovered fish tanks are a great place to start seeds, I was ecstatic.

Here’s my quick tip on utilizing an old fish tank when starting seeds:

Quick Tip: Use Your Fish Tank to Start Seeds

If you have a limited space to start seeds, and you don’t want a large set-up with trays and lights, then a fish tank could be a compact way to start seeds inside your home.

I purchased a heating mat, meant for starting seeds, and placed it in the bottom of my fish tank. From there, I planted my seeds in different cells filled with quality, well-draining soil.

Once the seeds were planted, I placed a tray (with no holes) in the bottom of the fish tank on top of the heating mat. I poured water on the bottom of this tray.

Then I placed the seed tray inside the tray of water. This waters the seedlings from beneath and helps deter fungal issues.

Be mindful not to pour too much water in the tray without holes as the idea is to water the seedlings, not oversaturate the growing tray.

After this, I placed the lid on top of the fish tank and turned on the lights. This creates a warm space with excellent lighting and doesn’t take up much room.

The next time I experiment with this, I’m going to skip the heating mat, place water in the bottom, and the fish tank heater to see if I can water my seeds from below while also using the heating element that came with my fish tank.

If you’re looking for a more compact way to start seeds inside your home, reach for an old fish tank.

Hopefully this helps you save money on your garden each year while also gaining invaluable gardening skills in the process.