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Two Rocks Balanced - 64L - Low tech

Happy birthday to my tank. Here are some pictures, after a major cleanup this weekend. Enjoy.

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Alexander Belchenko said:
Try to add some crypto tabs to its roots zone, it helps to get more colors.
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Thanks for the advice. I did a major cleanup this weekend and added some Tropica nutrition capsules. Is there something specific you recommend for crypts?
Otherwise the lack of color might just be due to the 'low-light' setup and the shade that the bigger crypt makes from behind.
 
Yes, flamingo looks quite pale in low-tech, but adding crypto tabs helps anyway. It also need a lot of light, because of lack of hlorophyll in their leaves.
In the past I've used Tetra CryptoTabs, today I'm using local brand tabs (and they work better), but I doubt you can get it outside my country, so I don't bother you with its name.
Have no experience with Tropica's capsules, but judjing from description - that should be great.
 
Good looking tank. What sort of lily outlet do you use? Mine look the same but don't even go below the water level even though the tank is nearly full. Cheers
 
Konrad Michalski said:
Good looking tank. What sort of lily outlet do you use? Mine look the same but don't even go below the water level even though the tank is nearly full. Cheers
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Sorry Konrad, I baught the entire aquarium kit second hand, so I have no clue about the lily outlet brand. It is some no-name pipe.
 
Added a batch of Limnophila hippuridoides to the back.
Also turned back the 'plant' tube in the light, that was disconnected on day 2. So running at 2x24W, as a trial. I am adding 2ml EasyCarbo daily too. If something goes bad, I will disconnect the tube again. I just wanted the new arrival to get some good light and turn pinkish. Enjoy the shots.

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Hi TallDragon, what a wonderful tank! I'm hoping to set up a low tech tank in a month or so and was wondering if I could pick your brain? Are you still running the light(s) for a 6hr period? How has your Rotala/Ammania indica performed in this low-tech setup? Any plants that really didn't work/have melted away? I think your foreground is a mix of Blyxa and Eleocharis no? How have they performed? And lastly, are you fertilising at all?

A bit of a barrage of questions...Thanks in advance! There are many (amazing) high-tech setups on here but it's lovely to see the slower approach, it's no less pleasing :)
 
BexHaystack said:
Hi TallDragon, what a wonderful tank! I'm hoping to set up a low tech tank in a month or so and was wondering if I could pick your brain? Are you still running the light(s) for a 6hr period? How has your Rotala/Ammania indica performed in this low-tech setup? Any plants that really didn't work/have melted away? I think your foreground is a mix of Blyxa and Eleocharis no? How have they performed? And lastly, are you fertilising at all?

A bit of a barrage of questions...Thanks in advance! There are many (amazing) high-tech setups on here but it's lovely to see the slower approach, it's no less pleasing :)
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Hi BexHaystack,
Thanks for your your kind words. Here are the answers:
I am running a single 24w light now for two periods of the day: 7am-10am (This is so that I enjoy the tank in the morning), then 4pm-9pm to enjoy the afternoons and nights.
I dose 1,5ml of Easycarbo, but the tank was doing ok, when I wasn't doing any liquid carbon during fall and winter months. I do a regular waterchange: app. 40% (a bucket's worth) weekly. I have used JBL's fertilizer balls, but recently I tried the little Tropica pills and they are working nicely, especially on the new growth on the Hygrophila polysperma rosanervig at the back, on the left. Also, I have an air pump running during the night for 4 hours. I cannot confirm that it does much, but I doubt it hurts. I also use a mix of Micro and Macro element fertilizer mix, 2ml of each, per week after water change.

I think the Rotala indica is doing ok, in the spots where it has taken root and gets plenty of light. Some parts have just floated up after their stems sort of rotted away. But keep checking back.

Foreground is partly Eleocharis acicularis - which I would not recommend it is pretty pointless. The really dominating plant in the foreground is not Blyxa, but Echinodorus tenellus 'Green' which I added a year ago in post #35. It has crept forward and is moving rightwards.
Plants that have not worked: pretty long list, read the journal! :). But seriously, most things have survived and have grown slowly but surely. The Ranunculus inundatus did melt away fully. That is the one I miss the most, as it had lovely texture and color. Also the Ludwigia palustris disappeared.
My favorite plants is the Ludwigia repens, front and center.
 
Hey TallDragon, thanks for the tips and thanks for taking the time to reply! I look forward to more updates on your tank and hope that it continues to flourish :clap:
 
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