How to Use Egg Crates & Plastic Plants for Aquascaping

Trim a plastic egg crate to the size of your aquarium with wire cutters. Measure the interior dimensions of the aquarium. Check to ensure the cut egg crate fits snugly in the bottom of your aquarium; if it does not, clip away more with the wire cutters.

Place drops of aquarium epoxy on the bottom of a chunk of live rock and glue it to the plastic egg crate. This creates a focal point for the aquascape. Place more chunks, varying in size, to create rockier terrain. Glue at least one live rock to prevent the entire piece from floating to the top.

Poke the bottoms of plastic plants through squares of the egg crate to get an idea of how they will look when you glue them in place. Positioning the shorter plastic plants in the front and the taller ones in the back and sides creates depth. Once you are satisfied with the design, apply a drop of epoxy to the base of each plant and glue it in position.

Allow the egg crate, live rock and plastic plants to dry for at least 24 hours or for the time specified by the epoxy manufacturer.

Carefully lift the egg crate and set it into the aquarium. Pour sand around the plastic plants to cover the egg crate, shaking the aquarium lightly to settle it. Brush sand off the surface of the plastic plants and live rock with your fingers.

Fill the aquarium with water and enjoy your finished aquascape. If you want to add more plants, glue them to a separate, smaller piece of egg crate with epoxy and settle them into the sand. This creates varied levels that can make the aquascape more interesting.