Low Tech Low Budget Hospital Tank

[crutter]

Hi all this is my first time posting on here, I joined a few weeks ago and in that time learnt a whole lot from this site. I currently work at a small hospital which has a 85 litre fishtank which I maintain, currently it is stocked with 4 goldfish which are fast out-growing it. I am planning on re-homing the gold fish in a friends pond and setting up a low tech planted tank. So could you guy's please answer a few questions for me please.

Can I use an under gravel filter if only growing plants attached to the decor? The reason I ask is because I only have a budget of around £150 and need to get a filter, gravel, hardscape and possibly lighting!

The tank has 1 24" T8 and I have a 30" T8 to donate, Would this suffice?

Should I dose EasyCarbo or go non Co2 route?

Sorry to ask so much I just dont have any Low Tech experience

Also just a though, I was reading George farmers article on setting up a planted tank at your LFS. if any of you know of a hospital with a poorly maintained tank why not offer your services. Even when im maintaining my work tank in its current state people always stop and chat about it(I even got a £25 donation off one kind bloke today), it's a great way of promoting the hobby.

Thanks

Chris

 

[CeeJay]

Hi Chris

Welcome to the forum
As this tank is in an environment where maintenance may be haphazard to say the least, I would be inclined to go low tech and not use any Easycarbo or CO2.

Can I use an under gravel filter if only growing plants attached to the decor?

You can but this will limit your plant options to the likes of Anubias and mosses etc, but external or internal at a push, would be better for nutrient circulation.

The reason I ask is because I only have a budget of around £150 and need to get a filter, gravel, hardscape and possibly lighting!

£150 should be more than enough to set up a low tech tank. You won't need a huge turnover per hour on your filter if you keep it low tech. To save yourself a few quid why not use this Cat litter, I use it in all 3 of my tanks. It's a bit light so you don't really want any bottom feeders stirring it up. But at £3 a bag you can't go wrong.
I would advise just using the one 24" tube on this tank. So you certainly don't want to be spending any of your money on lighting.
I run a 95l heavily planted low tech myself using 1 x 18w tube. This hasn't seen a water change in 2 years .
Fish are fine, (Harlequins, Zebra Danios, Neons and Guppies, all been in there from the start).
Plants are slow growing but that's not a problem, and no algae
The key is low light. Get this right and your life will be easy.
My regime on this tank is:
Feed the fish daily
Clean the filter (when I get round to it )
Hope that's of some use to you.

 

[faizal]

Hi Chris !!!! Welcome aboard UKAPS !!!! Just like you said,....this is a great forum where we can gain loads of knowledge on keeping freshwater aquarium plants

Wishing you an amazing journey ahead!!!

 

[Tom]

I did a budget setup for PFK a while back, where I had £100 to set up a complete tank, including gravel, plants and fish. It can be done. The tank itself was a 60 liter-ish, with everything included. It only cost £50-60. I think it was an Elite one, around 24"x15"x12" or thereabouts. There was an Elite Stingray filter included.

Tom