Aquarium enthusiasts know that a fish tank is more than just glass and water—it’s a living canvas. Modding, or customising your aquarium with enhancements beyond the basics, transforms a simple tank into a vibrant ecosystem and a personal statement. Whether you’re a seasoned aquarist or a curious newcomer, here’s why adding mods to your fish tank is both thrilling and beneficial.
: That intro is a contribution of Bing Co-Pilot AI 2025, the rest of this page is written by me a human.
So you got the cheap and cheerful smart fish tank and it’s been fun; the unboxing, the setup, adding fish and admiring the lovely presentation. Well now it’s time to take it to the next level, in this article we will add a deck height adjustment as well as an air pump/ bubbler and some potted plants.
If you haven’t got the tank yet, you can ready my review(https://naturalway.online/2025/01/04/xiaomi-mijia-20ltr-smart-fish-tank-review-maintenance-guide/) and grab the tank from China here:
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mt1l93b
Your go to site for all things Xiaomi Mijia is obviously AliExpress, everything is affordable and good quality.
Here I’ve added a VERY quiet air pump and bubbler to provide the fish with optimal oxygen saturation of their water.
Link to air bubbler : https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKWOMBB
Next we raise the deck height with some black 3D printed parts available on AliExpress, options on the store are 3cm raise(which I have) and 5cm raise. As you can see the plants work their way out and up the sides so 3or 5cm doesn’t really matter, if you have some jumping fish then 5cm could put them at risk of jumping out of the tank so be aware.
Link to deck height adjustment blocks : https://a.aliexpress.com/_m0AAg6N
Now we have raised the deck height there is room to grow plants in our tank, here is a number of pots holding rooted plants that are used for fish hiding spaces and to provide beneficial filtration in the water channel. I have garlic cloves and a carrot, the garlic sprouted after day one and took a week to get to this length whereas the carrot has slow growing roots but a more appealing top leaf section(IMHO), you can also use sweet potato or other hard vegetables.
12-January-2026 Update: After trying plants like this I discovered the garlic just goes moody after 2 weeks and you need to remove it or replace it all the time, so be aware of that fact.
Also available on AliExpress is a user serviceable filter system which also looks 3D printed, you would fill one side with foam elements and the other with bio-material.
Link to 3D printed substitute filtre cage : https://a.aliexpress.com/_mLybxRb
Link to big plant holder : https://a.aliexpress.com/_msxfOzb
Link to small pot : https://a.aliexpress.com/_mPH4frx
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