Possible to rescape or shut off the tank better?

[ching4ever]

Hi!

I'm going oversea for study soon. I wish to keep the tank as usual but it is impossible as nobody will helping me for the plant trimming and water change. So my thinking is, change all the tank into low tech planted tank.

I already rescape my 2ft(2'x1'x1') tank into a low tech tank. It only using one 20w Azoo super light, no filer, no co2, no fert. Plant only fern and moss inside, fish only around 5 small guppy inside. With my experience of keeping guppy at indoor and outdoor, guppy that keep inside the indoor tank with weekly water change, don't know why my guppy just hardly breed. While keeping them outdoor with only a flower pot and no water change, it breed non-stop. Not sure what's wrong, maybe my skill...

Now my problem is the 4ft(4'x1.5'x1.5') tank, i wish to rescape it into a low tech tank like the 2ft. The current equipment i have for the 4ft is 3x36w Philips FL, 1x40w Azoo super light, 2000L/H canister filter, 2.5L CO2, holland sand, AC Fan, PMDD fertilizer.

I'm planning to take out all the stem plant inside the tank, left only fern, moss, bolbitis, some rosette type plant like helferi. For lighting, co2 and fert, all will be lower down to keep the plant grow slow. Fish will be given away most of them to keep the water condition.

Do you guys think it is possible to keep this 2 tank with no water change for 1 year time(like the thread, low tech tank)? If it is can, any advice for equipment i should cut down? Any plant i can add inside the tank?

I know this may sounds crazy for no water changing for 1 year time. And i think most people will ask me to close down the tank first, after finish study only start again. But after seeing the low tech tank thread, i'm just wondering if this can do to my tank or not

Thank you for answering my stupid question and sorry for my poor english

[|squee|]

If I were you...

I'll remove the CO2 completely and leave the rest alone. Stemmed plants take out. It's possible to keep the tank water-change free, look at the Beginner's Corner sticky regarding Non-CO2 method. Add as much slow growing plants as you can into the tank. You need someone to top up the water occasionally when the water level gets too low.

It's not crazy not to change water for 1 year. Just read the above-mentioned sticky. BTW, your English is good enough, don't worry.

[ching4ever]

Thanks a lot for the info. After reading the thread, i think i have some idea to rescape my tank.

[Jungle-mania]

It seems like a hassle to me to keep a low tech tank if no one is there to appreciate or maintain it. I recommend shutting down just out of practicality. No point worrying about it when you are overseas.

[ching4ever]

Appreciate sure got people to appreciate it. Just the maintain works nobody know how to do it. My parent rather go for outdoor gardening because it is consider easier than planted tank.

Anyway, thanks for the comment. I'll note it down, after the final decision make, will update again.

[seed75]

It will be good to inform your parents not to overfeed the fishes in order not to have any possible change in water condition...

[ching4ever]

Thanks seed75 bro for the info.

[solonavi]

IMO, Low maintenance does not means zero maintenence. Mr. Murphy may knocj on the door(tank) anytime unless u design a 100% failsafe setup.

Thus, u may wan to discuss with ur family on their opinion.

Juz my 2cts.
JC

[kemp]

I wonder wouldn't it end up a breeding ground for mosquitoes??

[ching4ever]

if the tank is design 100% low tech, the maintenance should be very low. yes, its true that not zero maintenance, it still need someone to keep an eye on the tank.

about plant trimming, the plant all will be 100% slow grower, i think with low light, low co2, low fertilizer, everything else also low, even 1 year time, the plant won't grow much compare to a high tech tank. water top up, feeding fish, dosing fertilizer, all will have people to help me to do it, i think this can prevent the tank to become a mosquitoes breeding tank. anything else that need to care about it?

[diki]

With small number of fishes in there, I don't think mosquito is a problem.

Wat I worry is the algae boom (worst is BBA) that would wipe out all the plants and hides the tank. I realise that this can be the worst thing tat can happen to u. Really need to think through, especially the light since imbalance cause algae booms, like what happened to me.

[|squee|]

BBA imho is a rarity in Non-CO2 tanks if done right (no frequent water changes).

[wks]

Something that you need to consider while you are away for a year.
a) Light tube burnt out. Who cares?
b) Washing of filter or worse, filter breaks down. Who cares?
c) Short circuit of electrical equipment ie aquarium light. I experienced this myself personnally.
d) Power shutdown by mistake. This happened to me too and I only realised two days later due to my busy work schedule.
e) Leaking tank. Who cares?
f) Dead fish or diseases due to whatever reason. It will wipe out the whole fish population if no one knows what to do.
g) Ops, over fertilization and algae starts to bloom. This also happened to me while I was away on reservist training. My wife only added one extra 20ml of liquid KNO3 and A TEA SPOONFUL OF K2HPO4 by mistake.
g) Any form of accident can happen and you will be blamed because no one else want to take ownership of the tank.

Just my 2 cents.

[ching4ever]

diki: that is one of my concern, algae bloom. anyway, algae is not a big deal since i can rescape the tank after i back from study. plant is just a add-on, the main actor, is the fish.

|squee|: thanks for the info. from my experience, hair algae will much easier to bloom compare to the BBA in a low tech tank. just my 2 cents, not sure whether it is correct or not.

wks: the tank will be monitoring by my sister and parent.
a, c, d) my dad will look after the electric problem.
b) i'm thinking to add-on another filter in case the old one spoil.
e) if it is really happen, what they will do is just like last time my 3ft tank leak, take out all the fish and put in another tank, all other stuff will be clean and put in the store room, plant will throw to outside pond. so i hope this will not happen...
f) if the tank did not make any changes, it is very rare to get disease or cause dead to the fish. my mom will take care for me to take the dead fish out from the tank.

i'm going to leave a tank for 1 year without water change and plant trimming. monitoring the tank, fish still will have people helps me to take care of it.

[|squee|]

Ching, yes in my first time Non-CO2 2ft, my Narrow Leaf Java Fern had short strands of hair algae where it was nearest to the lights (right underneath). However this might be just due to mistakes on our part. (Perhaps Tom can comment here? Or Peter?)

[lwm999]

Just to cater for cases of unthinkable, you might want to prepare a procedure to take down the tank, like how/what to remove, where to store the equipments, etc.

[kemp]

hey, that's quite a useful idea as well

Just to cater for cases of unthinkable, you might want to prepare a procedure to take down the tank, like how/what to remove, where to store the equipments, etc.

[ching4ever]

hey, that's quite a useful idea as well

agree with that. a good idea

[Fuzzy]

My personal opinion is, unless your family members appreciate the tank, and are willing and able to carry out the necessary maintenance.

Sell or give away your livestock, and clean up everything and put into storage for the year that you will be away.

Because even if your livestock survives the neglect, you're going to come back to a tank in horrifying condition after a year, if they're not going to spend time maintaining it.