Low Tech Planted Tank & Progress Report

[Low Tech Tan]

No filter, no airstone, no CO2, no fertilization, only lighting.
Started 2 months ago with several strands of water sprite planted to a height of 1cm in one corner.
Current maintenance includes feeding fishes, skimming of 4-6 cups of water from the surface weekly, and replenishing with fresh tap water. No dechlorination.
Critters all healthy with 7 baby Endler guppies recently found. Parents of endlers do not seem to eat their young, but I feed my fishes well with fighting fish food.
Glosso growing well so far, fissidens definitely thriving, other plants growing well too.
No algae problem, oto makes short of any occasional algae that appears.
Over 30 fishes in this 40cm tank. Unknown number of Red cherry shrimps & 1 Amano shrimp.
Microcosm is currently very stable, seems to be balanced.

Will keep updating this experiment.

Low Tech Tan

[Adrain]

Just beautiful!!


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[Adrain]

Where do you get the plants from?


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[Urban Aquaria]

I see that you are using just an Up Aqua Y-Series 3-4 Watt clip-on LED lightset on your 40cm tank? That's a good move for your low tech setup, as the lower wattage light intensity is sufficient for the plants yet keeps algae growth minimal.

Great job maintaining the balance!

[thebaldingaquarist]

Low tech tan is power!

[Low Tech Tan]

Thanks for the input on my lighting Urban Aquaria...very helpful to me as I already threw away the packaging...oops

Haha...thanks for the kind compliments baldingaquarist...just trying my best...I'm a real rookie actually...haha

"Where do you get the plants from?"
Hi Adrain. Bought them from the 2 shops that sell plants at C328 because I live in the west area.
I wish I could have saved money by getting free plants or exchanged my plant cuttings, but alas, I am new as you can see from my forum membership (lol).
The fissidens were especially costly! I paid $15 for each small clump! $30 for both in total........

Thanks Adrain, actually I (very honestly) think that the beauty of my LTT is nothing compared to the beauty of the many tanks showcased here. I just want to add my thoughts below to contribute my 2-cents worth.
I just like mine PERSONALLY because of the personal effort I put in, and seeing the fruits of my labor after lengthy and patient cycling of the tank with gradual additions and grooming/replanting.
It took me several weeks to get the water sprite to complete the background with constant replanting of the trimmings.
I do not think it compares to the beauty of the many tanks seen in the forum, but I take pride in the work now that the landscaping is finally complete with much patience ( there is always this urge to see early results, but that often ends up in screwing up a low tech tank, from pervious hasty experiences)

My current conclusion therefore is that to create a low tech tank successfully, the aquarist must take things slow and gradually...a test of patience. But it pays off in the end when the microcosm succeeds.
Rushing to complete a low tech tank often ends up in failure and severe algae problems especially when you get demoralized and start neglecting the tank (been there with same lighting specs).
Additions of animals must also follow a sequence, starting with algae crew only initially. I remember the first critters I added were just nerites, followed by 2 otos & Amanos when the (7) snails could not eat up my algae fast enough.
As I wanted add more plants later on, especially those that are known to succeed better with CO2, then I added more and more Endlers until I hit 30 adults. The idea is to use CO2 exhaled by the animals to "feed" the plants that demand more CO2.
I only increase fish count based on the "feel" that my plants can both use the CO2 from fishes, yet are able to convert their wastes in harmless substances fast enough, so as to keep the water conditions good and prevent algal bloom.
Of course, I must stress again that patient cycling of the tank has played an essential part. Without proper root systems and establishment of majority of plants before adding new plants, the method of balancing would not have worked effectively (IMHO).
In my case, I was trying for the goal of simplistic layout and beauty, with main focus on low maintenance and cost, ie. a tank that runs on its own for the most part with minimal care and technology, yet pleasant-looking enough, and allows me to enjoy keeping and breeding many fishes without hassle. I also had in mind when conceiving the tank to provide an ecosystem for the guppies breed and the young to thrive naturally within the main tank. (Hence the plant cover with the choice of water sprites that is really working out well for me.) The dense water sprite background plays a 2-fold purpose with regards to the guppies, providing both hiding space for the young if needed and respite for the female Endlers which sometimes get endlessly chased by the males. Therefore I also recommend a minimum of 1:5 ratio of females to male guppies, to prevent the females from getting too stressed out from being chased all the time.
Fertilization: I just let shit do the job, and when a balance is struck, I really don't see the need for artificial fertilization.

I cannot boast of any greatness in knowledge and experience of planted tanks, certainly ever-rookie compared to the tons of experienced aquarists & aquascapers here.
I am as my name suggests - low tech tan - having fun creating something specific on a budget (ie. as close to the balance of nature's self-sustainability as possible, so that it is affordable, practical & rewarding for amateurs like myself).
I have a baby, so I do not spend too much time or money on a tank, and I just want something that I can entertain and educate my baby as he grows.
I learn as I go along, grateful for bits of information from forums such as AQ that really add up.
And of course the helpful comments I get here.
I don't see myself being able to have the resources (time especially, based on my lifestyle) for a beautiful high tech tank (or tanks), so I set my focus on cultivating low tech tanks.
They may never be as awesome looking as the high tech tanks here (that I am green with envy), but I'm content with pushing the boundaries of LTT that fits my lifestyle & partiality towards maximizing nature's course and minimizing human's interference. A "Laissez-faire" tank system if you will, that reflects my view on how an economy should work....as opposed to artificial stimulus, which I equate to CO2 injection and artificial fertilization & filtration. I'm just being too philosophical towards approaching planted tanks, I wholeheartedly agree....LOL....but that's just MY own opinion. And I really have NO problems with high tech tanks (in fact I ENVY them!) when I look at the planted tank hobby objectively, and not as an extension of my own beliefs....hehehe.

Sorry I end up ranting...I'm just using my thread as a semi-blog about my tank.

Best regards,
Low tech Tan

[Adrain]

I see! Those fissidens would burn a really deep deep hole in my pocket. Hahs. Thanks for sharing what you went through!


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[Adrain]

Anyways there's no need to compare your tank to anyone else. Since it's a hobby it's best to be contented with what you have achieved with your limit. everyone has limitations to how much they can spend and how much time they can afford to take care of their tanks


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[Low Tech Tan]

Yalor....those fissidens are really the most expensive items in my tank...
They were one of the last additions to the tank...that's why I decided to just get burnt and pamper the tank (and reward myself) after going so far with it.
I would have thought $30 is nuts at the early stage of planting....LOL....
My wife was like WA LAU when she heard the price of the fissidens....LMAO....

[Low Tech Tan]

Better pic today after topping up some water.

[Adrain]

Haha! My gf was like the hell? When I bought few pieces of driftwood for my tank. She said she rather pick some from the beach haha!


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[thebaldingaquarist]

Base on your replies, I think a book from Diana walstad with be a good read for you. If you do come by it, bring a copy home and read it.. Will surely deepen your understanding of the aquarium. Book name is ecology of the aquarium or something similar.

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[thebaldingaquarist]

Haha! My gf was like the hell? When I bought few pieces of driftwood for my tank. She said she rather pick some from the beach haha!


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Ask her why need to get Bobbi brown, just get crayon from bookstore.

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[Low Tech Tan]

Thanks for the book recommendation. I think it would be a refreshing read. Noted it!

[Low Tech Tan]

Here is how my tank looks today.
Removed the sword leaf anubias as I thought it didn't really fit in.
Since the swordplant is already growing, and spreading new plantlets, I thought it would fill up the empty space over time.
Glosso is also doing well, so it may help to carpet the empty spot too.
I recently trimmed off one long stalk of the water sprite because it became too tall and its leaves began to spread too wide over the water surface. Just a tip for water sprite keepers, just prune off the "too-tall" stalks occasionally, new stalks will replace them, because water sprites are super fast growers.

[Low Tech Tan]

Here is a tip on Nerite snails & water sprite: Nerites WILL damage water sprite stalks & leaves!!
Although nerites are generally harmless to MOST plants, their grazing will damage SOME plants which are SOFTER like water sprites!
So, if u are thinking to let nerites co-exist with soft plants like my tank, you have to trim off the damaged parts of the plants that the nerites grazed.
Alternatively, if the tank is big n you do not have enough time to tend to plants damaged by nerites, remove the nerites...lol.
Honestly, my nerites are kinda redundant in my matured low tech tank. My 2 otos are more than enough to control "whatever" algae. My RCS & Amano shrimp are harmless to plants n are welcome additions to make the tank more "lively".
The shrimps may not be needed for algae with otos around, but I think they provide the minor detailing work. However, shrimps excel in clearing up carcasses of dead animals in the tank AND leftover fish food. Shrimps also eat shit sometimes, helping to breakdown shit.


Just adding some info to help fellow low tech tankers.


Low Tech Tan

[felix_fx2]

Ask her why need to get Bobbi brown, just get crayon from bookstore.

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Why use eyeliner, can use pencil.

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[Low Tech Tan]

Pencil is needed for the chewren in school, don't waste. Tell her to reuse some of your activated carbon for eyeliner when you throw away your filter pads. FOC like picking driftwood from the beach

[Astronaut]

Very Beautiful

[cmwong]

I didn't know that Glosso can grow without CO2.