unnamed plant

I found a few plants in a lake a few weeks ago when i was hiking. Now I know they say never put plants like that in an aquarium... however this plant looks almost like bamboo and has leaves every inch and a half up the stem... it turned brown towards the top but now the roots are kicking and new leaves are sprouting.

Also theres a plant that looks like java fern and the roots are starting to grow all the way up the plant. I'm starting to think its supposed to lay flat...?

Any suggestions on what these may be?

A picture would be interesting. Since you live in the northern part of the USA, my guess is the plants would not do well in a tropical fish aquarium. However, you could set up an aquarium with regional plants and animals. Some Aquabid vendors even sell fish that are native to North America. Just make sure about game and fish regulations, and don't release any fish into local bodies of water.

The March or April issue of Aquarium Fish Magazine had an article about keeping native fish. You may want to look at a copy.