Aristotelis
New Member
Hello,
I've been following and lurking this amazing forum since years but never been very active. Until now I had two tanks, one old and ugly second hand Rio 125 which with I started this whole adventure and one low tech 35l dennerle tank. Both gave me great satisfactions and learned and keep learning a lot. it never ends.
You can find some photos of those tanks here
The small low tech tank on RO water, gave me big satisfactions with the minimum maintenance. So I tried to convert the ugly Rio 125 to a low tech, but after so many years and extremely hard water, the tank or probably me, wouldn't collaborate any more. So I took the big decision and bought a proper custom made tank!
80x40x30h a shallow tank has always been my dream.
I want to make this tank low tech with lot's of hardscape in, so that in the end it becomes something like 60l of actual water, that eventually helps me with RO water changes and less maintenance
Here are some pics of my hardscape. My idea is to recreate something like the limit of river shore. The stones are collected close to an artificial lake near my house, called "Valvestino" and most of the wood is also collected.
Under the soil I have small lava rocks in big quantities
The soil, I couldn't find suggested soils in my country, so I went with some "Bonsai" soil that I could find in generous amounts at low price and I have already done a couple of experiments with dry starts on small plastic boxes, with great success.
Everything is topped with inert sand and very fine gravel.
The whole tank will be dry started, to create as big plant mass as possible before flooding.
Decent amounts of anubias nana, microsorum petite and some bucephalandra if I can get my hands on it.
Also rotala sp. colorata at the back and various cryptocorines that I don't remember right now.
I will try to do a semi-emersed Micranthemum sp. montecarlo here and here. In dry start it grows amazingly fast and it seems to stay still but happy, once immersed... will see.
Also will add lileopsis brasiliensis as a "carpet" on the lower right part that will propagate towards left but I will keep it sparse towards left.
There will be also emersed plants placed around and on top of the emersing wood.
Will it work? I hope so, this is my first real attempt on something properly designed and thought after.
My first lesson is that you need TONS of hardscape material to make something proper with good detail. That's the first secret to learn. If you don't have "the money", go out and search and get stones and wood.
Any feedback on the scape and low tech plants suggestions, is greatly appreciated.
p.s. Sorry but my photograph skills are terrible.
I've been following and lurking this amazing forum since years but never been very active. Until now I had two tanks, one old and ugly second hand Rio 125 which with I started this whole adventure and one low tech 35l dennerle tank. Both gave me great satisfactions and learned and keep learning a lot. it never ends.
You can find some photos of those tanks here
The small low tech tank on RO water, gave me big satisfactions with the minimum maintenance. So I tried to convert the ugly Rio 125 to a low tech, but after so many years and extremely hard water, the tank or probably me, wouldn't collaborate any more. So I took the big decision and bought a proper custom made tank!
80x40x30h a shallow tank has always been my dream.
I want to make this tank low tech with lot's of hardscape in, so that in the end it becomes something like 60l of actual water, that eventually helps me with RO water changes and less maintenance
Here are some pics of my hardscape. My idea is to recreate something like the limit of river shore. The stones are collected close to an artificial lake near my house, called "Valvestino" and most of the wood is also collected.
Under the soil I have small lava rocks in big quantities
The soil, I couldn't find suggested soils in my country, so I went with some "Bonsai" soil that I could find in generous amounts at low price and I have already done a couple of experiments with dry starts on small plastic boxes, with great success.
Everything is topped with inert sand and very fine gravel.
The whole tank will be dry started, to create as big plant mass as possible before flooding.
Decent amounts of anubias nana, microsorum petite and some bucephalandra if I can get my hands on it.
Also rotala sp. colorata at the back and various cryptocorines that I don't remember right now.
I will try to do a semi-emersed Micranthemum sp. montecarlo here and here. In dry start it grows amazingly fast and it seems to stay still but happy, once immersed... will see.
Also will add lileopsis brasiliensis as a "carpet" on the lower right part that will propagate towards left but I will keep it sparse towards left.
There will be also emersed plants placed around and on top of the emersing wood.
Will it work? I hope so, this is my first real attempt on something properly designed and thought after.
My first lesson is that you need TONS of hardscape material to make something proper with good detail. That's the first secret to learn. If you don't have "the money", go out and search and get stones and wood.
Any feedback on the scape and low tech plants suggestions, is greatly appreciated.
p.s. Sorry but my photograph skills are terrible.
