How to Use a Fish Tank to Grow Mushrooms

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Things You'll Need

  • Fish tank

  • Potting soil

  • Mushroom spawn

  • Heating blanket

  • Towel

Growing mushrooms indoors is not difficult.

Mushrooms are classified as fungi and they will grow best in damp cool places. Although mushroom season is different all around the United States, it is easy to grow your own fungi any time of the year. You can grow your own mushrooms for eating and cooking and you can do it in your own home out of a fish tank.

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Step 1

Choose the types of mushrooms that you want to grow and find their spawn from a nursery, farmer or on the Internet. Popular choices are white button mushrooms and oyster mushrooms. Purchase the correct soil for their ideal habitat.

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Step 2

Spread two inches of soil into the fish tank evenly. Place the mushroom spawns into the soil. Cover the spawn with a thin layer of soil. Find a cool dark place to put the fish tank, such as a basement, cellar or cupboard. Anywhere that the temperature and lighting can be controlled will work for growing mushrooms.

Step 3

Place a heating pad underneath the fish tank and set the temperature to 70 degrees. Allow the pad to heat the soil and spawn for three weeks; by then the spawn will have rooted throughout the soil.

Step 4

Remove the heating pad after three weeks and place a wet towel over the soil. The temperature in the room should be lowered to 58 degrees. Check the soil daily and make sure that the soil and towel are still damp. If they become dry, add water. After 3-4 weeks, the mushrooms will appear and be ready for picking.

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