Need help with 1ft cube

[Weirong]

Hi all experts,

I have absolutely ZERO experience with small tanks and I'm trying to set up a 1ft cube tank soon - NO tech (No filter, no CO2, no ferts, no base fert, no fan)!
Just water and normal lapis, normal room temperature.

A few questions.

1) Plants - Elatine triandra (APP), crypts and Blyxa Japonica

2) Lights - 9w-13w PL

3) Fishes - 2 Otos, some small rasboras (later)

Will this setup be ok? What do I need to improve on?

[|squee|]

Can, but I'd include a miniature water pump for water circulation

[Fei Miao]

Yes a small filter would be good... another thing is the tank would do better with a fan, if it is not in an air-con environment, what do you reckon is the average room temp?

You can always DIY one using those PC cooling fan it quite easy.

[ranmasatome]

i dont think the blyx or elatine will do well..

[Weirong]

Thanks for the advice. The purpose of this setup is to be almost maintenance free. But I'm sick of the same Java Ferns, nanas and Moss (U get the picture).
Just tested with bare tank, water and light. Temp about 28-29. I think I can maintain it at about this temp if I raise the light higher above the tank.

I'm sure the Japonica will do well but not too sure about the APP though...

[Phillipians]

i believe they will only survive if you are able to provide them some form of carbon for eg, seachem excel till they actually mature before you stop using them. Or use in small amounts then. If not, i ll go for the usual ferns, mosss nanas, and stuff which are low tech

[Weirong]

Would cultivating the APP in another high tech tank until they mature, and then transferring them to the low tank tank work?

[Fei Miao]

Replanting established APP from a high tech tank helps....
... just to share; I had tank wth just APP and Blyxa japonica in a 1 feet cube with no CO2, about 11W lights, ADA amazonia soil and a DIY fan before, amazingly the plants were doing very well; I can't really pin-point why factors causes the plants to grew that well, it could be the tank is situated in a cooling part of the house it could be the ADA soil or a combination of all the factors . I believe every tank is different, it's no harm experiimenting.

BTW That tank is now the 1ft cube vivarium .

[Weirong]

Replanting established APP from a high tech tank helps....
... just to share; I had tank wth just APP and Blyxa japonica in a 1 feet cube with no CO2, about 11W lights, ADA amazonia soil and a DIY fan before, amazingly the plants were doing very well; I can't really pin-point why factors causes the plants to grew that well, it could be the tank is situated in a cooling part of the house it could be the ADA soil or a combination of all the factors . I believe every tank is different, it's no harm experiimenting.

BTW That tank is now the 1ft cube vivarium .

Sounds almost similar to what I'm trying to do. But then you used ADA soil and a fan, while I'm trying to use just lapis.
Maybe I will do the transfer later this week and add a fan after all.

[ranmasatome]

i would suggest using the ADA soil... i have a 2 ft with lapis and its the blyx dungeon there.. i put blyx.. blyx dies...mroeover your tank dont have base fert right?
i also have 1 ft with some sort of volcanic soil.. the blyx does okay there..
personally i think app is a no3 hog...if you culture it in a high tech tank and then shift it, the leaves will look big for a bit..like maybe 1-2weeks..then the form will change after that.
it actually looks nicer in a low tec tank but that is if you can keep it alive... i usually do high bioload in a very mature tank for these plants.

[valice]

Think YMMV for Blyxa.... I have only lapis sand without any base fert... Only mulm... And they are growing like crazy in my tank (high tech though)... Blyxa will be very slow growing in a low-tech tank.... It needs a far bit of fertilization thru water column since it is very much a stem plant...

[Weirong]

Ah... Root monsters in base ferts shld do the trick. Of coz I will be using mulm and old water from another tank.

Well... only ONE way to find out!