Low-tech (non-CO2) tanks post your pics!

[Plantbrain]

Decided to take a different direction: 046L zebra pleco tank, but the Red farowella bred first......






regards,
Tom Barr

[Stradivarius]

Greetings from Argentina,

Dimensions: 70x40x30 cm
Lights: Tube 18w 840
Filtration: Eheim Liberty 150
CO2 injection: No
Substrate: River sand
Parameters: not measured
Fertilisation: NPk + CSM+B
Water change: Nil. Top up only.
Water temp: 24 C.
Plants: Crypts and ferns
Bioload: Otos, SAES, hyphessobrycon eques

[Csababá]

Nice tank. What are the plants in the middle before and under the Micro/wood?

[gene]

Nice scape, do you use a base fert besides using river sand?

[Stradivarius]

Nice tank. What are the plants in the middle before and under the Micro/wood?

Hi! it is Blyxa Japonica. Chreers!

[Stradivarius]

Nice scape, do you use a base fert besides using river sand?

I did use some root ferts (DIY) at the start. Right now I just rely on mulm and ocassional water column fertilizing to keep the ferns in good shape. Cheers!

[Hilde]

Here is mine March 2010
LIGHT
PC 65 watt and Life-Glo 18 watt
PLANTS
Anubias nana
Bacopa carolina
Dwarf Lilly bulbs 2
Fern v Java v windelov
Fern v Java v needle leaf
Foxtail, frill
Foxtail, green
Moss, java
Rotala roundiflolia Sagittaria subulata
Stargrass
Wisteria

FERTS
Seachem comprehensive
Seachem Excel

[KeIgO86]

Dimensions: 36x24x26 cm
Lights: T5 24w
Filtration: Eheim 2211
CO2 injection: No
Substrate: GEX Dark Green
Fertilisation: Seachem Flourish and Excel
Fauna: Malayan shrimps, Oto, Guppies, Platies
Plants: Jap hairgrass, Blyxia, Marselia

[v_nod]

Hi Keigo, that's a very nice scape..reminds me of wild grass field..

[Hilde]

Substrate: GEX Dark Green

Lovely!!
I would like to try GEX substrate. I don't find it on line. Got a link to it?

[jeffteo]

I seriously missed this tank of mine ... no maintenance for 2 years yet one of my most enjoyable tank

Sorry to dig this out but how did you keep the moss down initially.

[Hilde]

Anyone doing it in the style of Diana Walstad or close to it?

I am doing it. Have 29G with substrate:
1st layer Laterite
2nd layer Reptile coconut bark
3rd layer Scott's top sol
Final layer Pool filter sand

I have to change the water monthly or have algae problems.

[Hilde]

What is the purist way of Diana Walstad?

Here is a thread on it. There is also a section on it, El Natural in APC.

[joe]

Sorry to dig this out but how did you keep the moss down initially.

No problem. I use cotton strings to tie the moss initially and after a few years, they just rot away naturally. The pic you see has the moss floating just above the driftwood

[jeffteo]

No problem. I use cotton strings to tie the moss initially and after a few years, they just rot away naturally. The pic you see has the moss floating just above the driftwood

It floated so nicely. I am inspired by you and started just a Nano. Didn't go for hair grass though. Bought it and changed my mind to HC. If the HC fail, i still have the hair grass as back up. hehe

[vai1296]

ADA 60 p for L046 Zebra plecos(8 in here), non CO2, no excel dosing.
Tank has not grown in obviously, but shall over time. The emergent growth has the benefits of plants, without algae, or CO2/dosing nutrient requirements.

The Bolbitus has done well, I did not think it would make it, but it has grown from small stumps and has 6 cm long leaves now. With time, this aquarium will blossom and fill in well. Trimming it a bit different. Water sprite grows very fast and is the main nutrient export. I also change the water weekly at about 40%. This unlike submersed planted non CO2 aquariums however.

The goal was more to have an aesthetic look, plants, large water changes for the rare $$$ fish, without any trade offs for the fish environment.

I can still see the fish under the wood, plants are very easy to care for.
When I have gone around looking at wood in natural places often, snags of wood sticking up would catch floating plants and grow out of the water just like this.



And



Fish are in there but hide.
100? CRS are also in there.
Bolbitus is growing without any CO2/Excel etc.


Regards,
Tom Barr

Sorry i just joined this forum and want to know what those Round leaf plants are?...I had something similar looking inside my tank a year back and forgot the name and have no been able to get some since....btw in the first tank i believe the first post or something like that...is it christmas moss...the tank that you took apart

[bryan]

Those round leaf plants looks like pennywort. You can find them at the nursery or some florist that sell plants.

[topgan]

My simple low tech (beginner)

Dimensions: 2 feet tank
Lights: T5 24w x 2tube
Filtration: overhead
Substrate: Dont know
Parameters: not measured
Fertilisation: Nitrogen + Floride
Water change: Nil. Top up only.
Water temp: 29 C.
Plants: ferns, moss, ricia (testing)
Bioload: 30 Neon tetra, 10 Head&Tail light Tetra, 5 golden algae eater, 1 guppy, 3 mosqitoes fish (from baby, dont know where they came from)DSCF6657(1).jpg

Above tanks started on Jan 2011.

[wrongwroks]

is soil an necessity to grow plants? wad plants is easiest to grow n safe for corys to live with?

[Hilde]

is soil an necessity to grow plants?

No! For ferns and moss don't require soil.