A cheap 10-gallon aquarium at Walmart: about $13

An aquarium hood: about $21

Bulb(s) – one florescent, one incandescent is ideal, but just florescent will do, too: $5 +

A submersible heater: about $14

For a "deck" for my plants to sit on, I bought a 4x8 "eggcrate" diffuser they use on lighting fixtures for dropped ceilings. It’s a little pricey – it was $18, and of course I had to cut it down and only used less than ¼ of it. It works perfectly, though, because it’s plastic and won’t rust or deteriorate in the water… Here’s how to cut it… My husband showed me this – it’s apparently the way they do it in construction, so it’s messy! Might want to do it in your garage! Measure and mark what row it needs to be cut at. Have someone help you hold it vertically. Take a screwdriver and push it through the 2nd from the top hole in the eggcrate. Take a hammer and hit the screwdriver, causing it to "pop" the plastic, being careful to go straight down that row. Each "hit" with the hammer will take out of few of the plastic pieces. Do the same in the other direction and – voila! – you have a perfect-sized grate for your aquarium!

Line your aquarium with some polystyrene foam for insulation if you plan to keep it somewhere cool, like in your basement or in a cool greenhouse in the winter. If warmth isn’t an issue, this isn’t necessary.

Place something in the four corners to hold your deck up about 3-4" off the bottom of the aquarium. I used little clay pots turned upside down. Place your submersible heater on the bottom of the aquarium. Fill the aquarium with water to about 3" (covering the heater). Place the grate over the heater, on your four "legs". Now you’re ready to plug in your heater, your light cover and put your cuttings in pots or bags of moss on top of the grate.

Denise