My nano NPT

[comet]

After much failure and set back. Finally manage to set up my NPT, natural planted tank. No Co2, no fertilization. Just use normal potting soil and plain gravel.

Now having some slight BGA attack, but still within control level.

Still need some time for the plant to grow tall enough to cover the background as well as the foreground plants. So far no major issue, happy fishes with happy plants.

Tank specs:

Approx 8G
24w PL lighting
Substrate: Potting soil and plain gravel
Fauna: 10 neon tetra, 3 otto catfish
Flora: Echindorus tenellus, cyptocoryne wendtii 'green', Blyxa japonia, anubias barteri var. nana, ludwigia palustris 'green' (to be confirm).





Like to thank a few of the bros here that inspired me to start keeping my own NPT tank, and above all to Diana Walstad for making the setup possible.

Any comments are welcome!

[comet]

Here's a small update. Plants and fishes are doing well. Except for some yellowish coloring in the water. A few plants are growing rather fast

[fireblade]

wanted to try using normal potting soil but worried that I cannot reused my lapis in future..
used normal potting fertilizer instead ... water also turned yellowish... wonder if it is the wood or the fertlizer..

[comet]

yup. But its better now as compared when I intial start it. I do some water changes at start and gradually reduce it. Seems much better.

[flybaits]

using normal potting soil and mixed gravels for my sakuras, cherries and malayans in 2 ft tank for a few months now and so far so good with no water change. stargrass and watersprites doing very well. blyxa japonica, crypts and hairgrass growing. using 20w lighting n sunllight with internal atman filter. have mosses, fissidens, duckweeds too...

wild look now....

cheeers!!

[rwalker]

After much failure and set back. Finally manage to set up my NPT, natural planted tank. No Co2, no fertilization. Just use normal potting soil and plain gravel.

.... above all to Diana Walstad for making the setup possible.

Welcome to the 'dark side' bro . The yellowish in the water is due to twigs ,etc in the soil leach out tannins. Your fish and plants will be fine though.

Plant a bit more heavy will keep the algae at bay.

Good luck.

[comet]

Thanks bro!

By the way,how long will it take for the color to be gone?

[rwalker]

The leaching process will take a while to complete. Water change will remove the tannin. But most low tech approach discourage frequent water change. So you have to strike a balance.

[comet]

The color of the water now starts to get more yellowish. And I began to see more Blue-green algae. I wonder if is my tank that contain too much nitrate/ nitrite. I do not have the test kit. Should I do a water change or let it be? Was concern that a water change will supply the algae with more nutrients.

[fireblade]

I think you will need to change water ...
my tank also getting golden liao..
see my 2 ft thread... will update with pictures soon..