Low maintenance tank - indirect SUNLIGHT!

[uklau]

Hi folks,

Lately, I have this crazy idea of making use of the corridor space (not obstructing the pathway) to set up some planted tanks (using the available sunlight). I’ve never set up any tank without lighting & filtration before. Hence, I would like to find out more before proceeding with this project.

I’m planning to have a 2 tiers rack with two 2 feet tanks located at the corridor as shown in the diagram below. The corridor is facing east with morning sunlight bouncing off wall 2 (very bright on sunny day). Direct sunlight is blocked by wall 1. Around noon time, there will be a direct sunlight on part of tank 1 for about 20- 30 mins.

1. Is this location suitable for low maintenance planted tanks? I hope the natural light is sufficient to grow aquatic plants.
2. If the above is yes, what are the plant that I can grow well in this environment? I have the following in mind (not using all of them). Please add on to the list.
   
   • Anubias var nana & coffeefolia
   • Java ferns
   • Bolbitis heudelotii
   • Echinodorus – let it grow through the water surface & flower. Which species will produce this effect?
   • Elocharis acicularis/echinodorus tenellus/Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
   • Moss – which will grow better or thrive in this environment?
   • Sagittaria
   • Vallisneria
   • Cryptocoryne* - any species should I avoid?
   • Hygrophila difformis – how to prevent it from growing roots on the stem?
   • Any non green color plants that will survive or worth trying?
   
   
3. What is a better substrate for this setup? I came from the Seachem Fluorite/Onxy era. Never used ADA/GEX soil (just return to the hobby after hibernating for almost 7 years). Coarse sand with root tablets/base fertilizer? What are the other commonly used substrate nowadays?
4. Planning to dose using EI (with Seachem Excel & Equilibrium). Anything else needed to make the plants happy?

If by introducing CO2 injection & water movement/circulation from filter would produce a significant better result with the natural light in this set up, I’m would consider convert the lower tier into a lockable cabinet for the CO2 tank & canister filter (more $$$)

Diagram as follow:
Capture.JPG

Thank you in advance for your input.

[Adrain]

First question is. What kind of neighbours do you have? Would kids mess with your tank? And would they be worried abt your tank breeding mosquito?

Secondly I have an outdoor tank as well. And it's not an easy task to maintain an outdoor tank. You cannot control the light intensity. And high chance you would have to deal with algae outbreak in the initial stage. Cause it's a whole new set up where light source and all is natural. Plants that you can use really depends on luck. They may thrive in our indoor tank but may not survive outdoors.


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[Adrain]

In my opinion, don't spend too much on an outdoor tank cause you might not know someone will come and do something to your tank. All your effort and money would be gone.


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[AQMS]

You can check with felix_fx2,one of the mod,
he have an outdoor set up.

[Cmlee]

i am interested to do one too

[apek19]

Tried with plant trimmings and a few leftovers. Stray cat drank the water and got his fur inside too. Would have lost fishes too if the cat saw them. Luckily, I haven't introduced them. Haha.

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[jiajuen900]

I have outdoor tanks with dwarf sagattaria.
Both set ups get about 1 hour of direct sunlight each.
No water change and are exposed to rain.

I've tried growing multiple other plants in my outdoor tanks (started experimenting with a few recently).
Most of them didn't manage to grow well. So far only managed with Cabomba, Tiger Lotus and some Echinodorus only in there immersed form. (Grown near water surface)

I think for my outdoor set ups, most vallisnera species couldn't take the acidity of the rainwater and Anubias always grew too slow to outcompete the algae growth. Most large Echinodorus species for some reason couldn't grow well in their emersed form too.

For some reason, only the hardy little dwarf sagattaria seem to flourish in my outdoor tanks. They grow like weeds and occasionally sprout nice white flowers.

I guess as Adrain said, you need to trial and error to see which plants are more suitable for the conditions of your outdoor tanks. Probably due to the fact that the conditions of outdoor tanks are not controlled by us and are often left to Mother Nature to decide.

For me I found that the initial set up tends to be difficult especially since the no tech system will take a far longer time to find some balance. (Cycling takes longer and algae outbreaks very rapid and sudden)

I also noticed that because we have little control on the tanks conditions, sudden changes in the weather, e.g. Weather very hot or very hazy tend to cause algae outbreaks. But these if not serious will be resolved without much intervention overtime.

Cheers,
JJ

[Cmlee]

When will you add in the fishes?

and does dwarf sagattaria requires gravel to grow?

[felix_fx2]

Sounds very exciting to challenge mother nature. Hehehe

My experience
Dwarf sag, yes hardy.
E tenllus, on bad months grow ugly long in slightly shady tanks. Need direct light to grow nice
Hair grass, not bad if don't have very strong sun. Else hair grass + hair algae is a pain...
Glosso, grows very nice in high exposure tanks with fert n High water change. Still decent in Lower exposed tanks
HC, awesome growth. But also a hair algae magnet for my tanks.

FYI, my tanks don't have much luck with rain water collection. But it has become a popular crow bath area.

[jiajuen900]

Yes. Needs gravel.
Of my 2 set ups growing Dwarf Sagattaria, one has black quarts with a base of lava rock (seeded with mulm from a pond), the other has used ADA Amazonia.

[jiajuen900]

I have outdoor tanks with dwarf sagattaria.
Both set ups get about 1 hour of direct sunlight each.
No water change and are exposed to rain.

I've tried growing multiple other plants in my outdoor tanks (started experimenting with a few recently).
Most of them didn't manage to grow well. So far only managed with Cabomba, Tiger Lotus and some Echinodorus only in there immersed form. (Grown near water surface)

I think for my outdoor set ups, most vallisnera species couldn't take the acidity of the rainwater and Anubias always grew too slow to outcompete the algae growth. Most large Echinodorus species for some reason couldn't grow well in their emersed form too.

For some reason, only the hardy little dwarf sagattaria seem to flourish in my outdoor tanks. They grow like weeds and occasionally sprout nice white flowers.

I guess as Adrain said, you need to trial and error to see which plants are more suitable for the conditions of your outdoor tanks. Probably due to the fact that the conditions of outdoor tanks are not controlled by us and are often left to Mother Nature to decide.

For me I found that the initial set up tends to be difficult especially since the no tech system will take a far longer time to find some balance. (Cycling takes longer and algae outbreaks very rapid and sudden)

I also noticed that because we have little control on the tanks conditions, sudden changes in the weather, e.g. Weather very hot or very hazy tend to cause algae outbreaks. But these if not serious will be resolved without much intervention overtime.

Cheers,
JJ

Sorry, I realized I mixed up imersed with emersed
Heheheh
I couldn't grow many Echinodorus species in their imersed form, only in their emersed form when placed close to the water surface.

[uklau]

First question is. What kind of neighbours do you have? Would kids mess with your tank? And would they be worried abt your tank breeding mosquito?

Great point! . I'm lucky to have good neighbors on the same stretch. I'm glad that this obstacle is cleared.

Secondly I have an outdoor tank as well. And it's not an easy task to maintain an outdoor tank. You cannot control the light intensity. And high chance you would have to deal with algae outbreak in the initial stage. Cause it's a whole new set up where light source and all is natural. Plants that you can use really depends on luck. They may thrive in our indoor tank but may not survive outdoors.

I've learnt from my mini outdoor "pond" on how to control the algae outbreak. It would be fun to take on this challenge. As for the unpredictable sunlight, that's how it is in the nature. I just want to have a natural tank out there . I'm not expecting it to be as good looking as the ones maintained indoor.

[uklau]

In my opinion, don't spend too much on an outdoor tank cause you might not know someone will come and do something to your tank. All your effort and money would be gone.

Fully agreed & aware of the risk. Recently, my outdoor mini pond was sabotaged. All the plants died overnight. Fishes & snails are OK. Suspected NEA folks may have done something at the tank.

[uklau]

Thanks for your input, jiajuen900's. Love your newly outdoor set up.

[uklau]

Sounds very exciting to challenge mother nature. Hehehe

My experience
Dwarf sag, yes hardy.
E tenllus, on bad months grow ugly long in slightly shady tanks. Need direct light to grow nice
Hair grass, not bad if don't have very strong sun. Else hair grass + hair algae is a pain...
Glosso, grows very nice in high exposure tanks with fert n High water change. Still decent in Lower exposed tanks
HC, awesome growth. But also a hair algae magnet for my tanks.

FYI, my tanks don't have much luck with rain water collection. But it has become a popular crow bath area.

Thanks for sharing, bro! Very helpful as usual. . When you mentioned high water change, how frequent is that? Once every 3 days?

[uklau]

Hi folks,

Just a quick update. These are how my outdoor tank turned out to be

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1435369239.057177.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1435369263.801544.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1435369282.143799.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1435369328.283616.jpg

My mini pond with emerged echinodorus
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1435369473.473024.jpg

[Cmlee]

Do you do any water change and do you use any filter?

[Bern C]

Very beautiful and healthy green plants~

[uklau]

@ Cmlee,
Change water every week & fertilize. No filter.

@bern c,
Thank you. All are easy plants. Even all the crypts melted away. Left over are the bacopa, hygrophilla, echinodorus & sagittaria subulata (this one took over the tank)

[tetrakid]

@uklau

Wa, very nice. I like.