There has been a lot of recent interest in growing aquarium plants emersed, i.e. with their roots in water but the rest of the plant growing above the surface. Most of this interest has been either as a way of establishing aquarium plants before ‘flooding’, as small scale ‘wabi kusa’ displays or rather artificial looking ‘paludariums’ with plants growing in pots secured at or near the water surface. There are fewer examples of using this as part of permanent naturalistic aquarium displays, but this can be spectacular and have a more natural look than conventional planted aquariums. Most plants grown in aquariums naturally grow this way (hence the need for CO2 enrichment to successfully grow some of them submerged – they are adapted for the much higher CO2 concentration in air than in water), and we are more used to looking at natural fresh water habitats through marginal vegetation.
Glass Boxes 