Low tech nano/dirt tanks

[diazman]

Hi all, just wanted to share my low tech tanks that I had setup using garden soil/potting soil instead of the usual aqua soil.

How i started out back in late 2011

Horrible setup i agrre



Used a 1ft tank to test if garden soil is ok to grow plants.

In the tank are:
Water Wisteria
Water Sprite
Some Java fern and anubias

Filtration:
Eheim 2041
24 Watts of DIY lighting

The result: Plant grew of course but it when out of control so badly that the fishes in it didnt have space to move around.

Then i decided to go soiless setup after itching to grow moss



The moss grew well in 30C + water albeit the slow growth. Had tons of cherries in it.



Current setup:



Ignore the blue hue, photobucket did auto corrections to the picture and it look crap.

This tank is a dirt setup, using those cheap $2 brandless garden soil you can get by the wet market florist. Topped up by china brand gravel.

Plant list:

Bacopa caroliniana **
Bacopa monnieri **
Water wisteria **
E.Tenellus
Red tiger lotus
Java fern
Windelov Java fern
Crypt undulata
Crypt C. Parva
Taiwan Moss
Anubias barteri

Inhabitants:
1 Platy
3 Galaxy rasbora
2 Cherry barb
4 assasin snails
couple of shrimps

Equipment
55 watts lighting
GEX S HOF

Some may comment that the lights are way overkill for this setup, but the plants are doing extremely well, took off alot during the first month. (set up is going 2 months old). I'm trying to achieve a jungle like effect. Hope it goes well. The sole platy,the cherry barbs and the galaxies get along well with the shrimps, no death so far. The shrimps also venture out in the open actively. Brave souls haha

That's all for this post. Feel free to ask anything you like!

[bravobb]

You tear down the moss setup (2nd picture) ?

[felix_fx2]

I have only 1 sentence & 1 question.

Lovely example of a wastlad tank, love it man!

Question, did it have charcoal bits anot... ??

[diazman]

You tear down the moss setup (2nd picture) ?

Yeap, tore it down, gave some of the moss away and put what ever is left into the current setup, not much of it left though. The moss was getting overrun by the shrimps haha. (only 1 tank setup policy in my home, mom's order )

Some did ask me why not go for a bigger setup. My answer is simple.

1) I lack in the scaping department for bigger tanks
2) Got too accustomed building up nano tanks since I was only allowed no tanks bigger than a 45cm setup

[diazman]

I have only 1 sentence & 1 question.

Lovely example of a wastlad tank, love it man!

Question, did it have charcoal bits anot... ??

Sorry for the late reply, missed out your post. As for the charcoal, answer is nope. I picked out all of it. a pain in the arse job but it was worth it. Tank water is still yellow after coming into 2 months old lol! (that's for adding half a pack of sera superpeat =_=)

Anyway, here is the update as of 2 march. The bacopa caroliniana is getting as invasive as the water wisteria. I have no choice but to trim them weekly. So much for low tech setup hahahaha! The overkill wattage must have boosted alot of growth I witnessed during photoperiod, there is tons of air bubbles rising from the substrate. Is it oxygen? The substrate is not anaerobic though. Sorry for the poor picture though, waiting for my new camera which will be with me somewhere during late march

If you are observant enough, you can see the red tiger lotus is peeking behind the DW. I hope it grows up though. Although many would prefer it to be low laying near the substrate, which is what i'm getting now but it prefer it to be growing upwards, can cover the empty spots hahaha



More info:

25% WC every sunday + clearing of HOF
Fed the fishies once a day

[diazman]

Just a quick update, trimmed the plants abit, the bacopa and the wisteria is overshadowing the whole tank. After the trim, the tank looked abit better, can see the fishes haha.

[felix_fx2]

Sorry for the late reply, missed out your post. As for the charcoal, answer is nope. I picked out all of it. a pain in the arse job but it was worth it. Tank water is still yellow after coming into 2 months old lol! (that's for adding half a pack of sera superpeat =_=)

Anyway, here is the update as of 2 march. The bacopa caroliniana is getting as invasive as the water wisteria

So same as me, hell alot of charcoal!!!
Barcopa is nice if densely planted and short (i think it's just me having this preference?)....

If you dare, daily WC 10%. very power.

[diazman]

So same as me, hell alot of charcoal!!!
Barcopa is nice if densely planted and short (i think it's just me having this preference?)....

If you dare, daily WC 10%. very power.

haha. bacopa is my all time favourite. Easy to grow, easy to get rid

I think i can manage 10% everyday. atleast until before i start school again. hehehe

[diazman]

Just a short video update on the tank. Excuse me on the background noise The platy quite annoying aye?

[diazman]

Latest picture on the setup. WC so took the picture along the way.


*weekly sunday WC, topped up with water straight from tap*



*bacopa, bacopa everywhere*


FTS shot

the tiger lotus finally took off but it came out too late, the bacopa began it's "operation D day" . whole lot at the back is filled with bacopa and water wisteria fighting for land

[felix_fx2]

barcopa madness... total madness....
they are crazy hardy plants. i grow them emerse without planting ok ! just cut and throw in pot...

btw, top view very sweet looking. i like that alot.

[stormhawk]

At this rate the fish can't swim very much.

Nice work diazman. Wisteria is a super strong plant. The burnt soil for gardening you used, did you check to see if it had those colored pellets in it? Some brands come with fertilisers in them that might cause problems in an aquarium.

[diazman]

barcopa madness... total madness....
they are crazy hardy plants. i grow them emerse without planting ok ! just cut and throw in pot...

btw, top view very sweet looking. i like that alot.

A couple of the bacopa just break water surface though. trying to make them flower then it will powerful hopefully they do. :P

[diazman]

At this rate the fish can't swim very much.

Nice work diazman. Wisteria is a super strong plant. The burnt soil for gardening you used, did you check to see if it had those colored pellets in it? Some brands come with fertilisers in them that might cause problems in an aquarium.

Haha. i rarely see my cherry barb and the galaxies in the tank. only the platy is eager to swim up front. i may have over done the tank with soil. wonder what will happen in another month or so . so far been letting the plants grow sbit after the ladt major trim. and the water wisteria is creeping low as if its trying to mimic my e tenellus.

[diazman]

Btw, the soil that I was a brandless garden soil. Nothing fancy about the soil, just tons of wood chips and charcoal bits. There no fertilizer or what so ever in it Sorting them out was time consuming but well worth it. I then mixed it with some clay substrate and peat before topping it up with normal 3-5mm made in china gravel. Works well for now but i will probably have to invest in root monsters few more months down the road..

On another topic, would it affect the plants if i were to downsize the light wattage? Its 55 watts now but i'm thinking of swapping to Up aqua LED set. :S

[diazman]

@ bro felix_fx2

Did you manage to get your bacopa to flower bro? if so, any tips? I heard the flower smells like lemon..

I also noticed that my cherry barbs are dancing in a "breeding like" mode. Am aware that its a male and female pair. Maybe they spawned somewhere in the tank.. never see any fries though but i see my yamato munching on what looks like fish egg..

[felix_fx2]

@ bro felix_fx2

Did you manage to get your bacopa to flower bro? if so, any tips? I heard the flower smells like lemon..

I also noticed that my cherry barbs are dancing in a "breeding like" mode. Am aware that its a male and female pair. Maybe they spawned somewhere in the tank.. never see any fries though but i see my yamato munching on what looks like fish egg..

Yeah, emerse growing they flower quite often, glosso also flower.. both white... never smelled them.
The parts that grow out of water, keep them out of water 2-3 weeks. They should flower.. (more likely they will start growing out of the tank abit when that happens)

[diazman]

Yeah, emerse growing they flower quite often, glosso also flower.. both white... never smelled them.
The parts that grow out of water, keep them out of water 2-3 weeks. They should flower.. (more likely they will start growing out of the tank abit when that happens)

Think i should be getting some flowers soon. 3 of them already grew out of water for about good 5 days now. Should have gone with bacopa monnieri instead of bacopa caroliniana. haha corolianiana is too soft and flimsy that they are bending in the tank instead of growing up wards.

Anyway, here's a short update. The java fern is kicking alot of baby sprouts, but not really growing new leaves.

On another note, DUCKWEEDS~! haha. I swear they grew out of nowhere (i diligently clear every single one out) and suddenly, bam! another platoon of floating stuff by the bacopa.



Tiger lotus within the bacopa mess


Can you spot the shrimp?


FTS shot


Trimming session soon?.

[diazman]

A few more. Before and after trimming.


The tank must have been a good for growing these. The bacopa grew long roots suspended in the aquarium water.


Every trimming session amounts to this. Into the potted plant it goes


Aftermath FTS

[ivantan]

nice set up. inspired to do a low tech set up now