I started this tank as my daughter wanted one for her room. We mapped it out as a simple nature aquarium with sand, rocks, and wood - and plants that would be okay without co2. This tank is supposed to be my low-tech, low maintenance tank to compliment my other demanding high tech tank. To cut a long story short, things are not going well and this is proving to be a lot more work than setting up my high tech tank. I seem to have every variety of algae going, I had a HUGE amount of melting from the plants, and the diatoms seem to reappear overnight after a clean. I should have posted earlier - it's now 5 weeks old - but I didn't think I needed any help (hahahahaha). So here's the details with some photos - the full tank photos are from day 1 - the algae photos are where I am now. I have added a few more plants as I've gone along as I had so much melting. Just to note I am now going to go back to changing the water 3 x each week. Please do feel free to tell me where I can adjust things. THANK YOU.
Tank - 45 litres Superfish Scaper
Light - Came with the tank 24 watts, 269 PAR. Currently on 70% for 7 hours per day. This was increased over the weeks
Substrate - Tropica aquarium soil powder
Filter - Eheim Ecco Pro 130 external
Fertiliser - Tropica specialised nutrition (2 mils /1 pump after each w/c)
Water - RO cut with tap (80:20 ratio) - this is to do with the fish not plants
Water change - was at 2 x per week but going to 3 x per week. 50%
Livestock - Ruby tetras and cherry shrimp
Plants -
Cyperus helferi
Ludwigia super red
Lilaeopsis mauritiana
Bolbitis heteroclita
Bucephalandra pygmaea
Bucephalandra biblis
Bucephalandra sp red
Cryptocoryne hobbit
Cryptocoryne parva
Christmas and spiky moss
Tank - 45 litres Superfish Scaper
Light - Came with the tank 24 watts, 269 PAR. Currently on 70% for 7 hours per day. This was increased over the weeks
Substrate - Tropica aquarium soil powder
Filter - Eheim Ecco Pro 130 external
Fertiliser - Tropica specialised nutrition (2 mils /1 pump after each w/c)
Water - RO cut with tap (80:20 ratio) - this is to do with the fish not plants
Water change - was at 2 x per week but going to 3 x per week. 50%
Livestock - Ruby tetras and cherry shrimp
Plants -
Cyperus helferi
Ludwigia super red
Lilaeopsis mauritiana
Bolbitis heteroclita
Bucephalandra pygmaea
Bucephalandra biblis
Bucephalandra sp red
Cryptocoryne hobbit
Cryptocoryne parva
Christmas and spiky moss