Mark.A
Member
Hey all, I have a good amount of experience and knowledge of planted tanks but I have a query about my plans for my next planted tank which I am not sure of the answer to, so I figured I'd pick your brains and see if I can get a definitive answer.
First off I'll explain what I'm wanting to do. I am looking to set up a large tank (at least 4x2x2), low tech, with no CO2, and medium light. I also want to minimize the amount of work needed for maintenance due to my increasing age and back/knee health problems. Budget is not a big issue. I'm not loaded but I'm happy to spend a considerable amount getting the tank how I want it. The tank will be very heavily planted and aquascaped with either Flourite or Tropica Aquarium Soil, Azalea / Redmoor wood and some rockwork.
I'm thinking of utilising a sump system. I have also kept several reef aquariums before and I can see how a sump system could be beneficial for planted tanks, though I have never used one on a planted tank before. I think having the sump system will help with my efforts to minimize the amount of work needed for maintenance as well as a few other benefits.
I plan to use a doser to dose TNC complete. I am also planning to setup a large water container to be used for 50% weekly water changes, which will be made by pumping the water. With the system I am planning all I should need to do for the water change is open a valve to drain the tank, close the valve once it's half empty and turn on the pump in the replacement water container to refill the tank.
As part of my mission to keep maintenance down I would like to keep all slow growing plants, which luckily are my favourite plants anyway! I would want a lot of Crypts, Anubias and Bucephalandra with the odd Echinodorus, Aponogeton, Crinum and Java Fern/Moss.
I guess the first thing I'm not sure of is - would I be able to just have all these slow growing plants, in the system I am planning, without algae problems?.. or would I have to have some fast growing plants as well?
First off I'll explain what I'm wanting to do. I am looking to set up a large tank (at least 4x2x2), low tech, with no CO2, and medium light. I also want to minimize the amount of work needed for maintenance due to my increasing age and back/knee health problems. Budget is not a big issue. I'm not loaded but I'm happy to spend a considerable amount getting the tank how I want it. The tank will be very heavily planted and aquascaped with either Flourite or Tropica Aquarium Soil, Azalea / Redmoor wood and some rockwork.
I'm thinking of utilising a sump system. I have also kept several reef aquariums before and I can see how a sump system could be beneficial for planted tanks, though I have never used one on a planted tank before. I think having the sump system will help with my efforts to minimize the amount of work needed for maintenance as well as a few other benefits.
I plan to use a doser to dose TNC complete. I am also planning to setup a large water container to be used for 50% weekly water changes, which will be made by pumping the water. With the system I am planning all I should need to do for the water change is open a valve to drain the tank, close the valve once it's half empty and turn on the pump in the replacement water container to refill the tank.
As part of my mission to keep maintenance down I would like to keep all slow growing plants, which luckily are my favourite plants anyway! I would want a lot of Crypts, Anubias and Bucephalandra with the odd Echinodorus, Aponogeton, Crinum and Java Fern/Moss.
I guess the first thing I'm not sure of is - would I be able to just have all these slow growing plants, in the system I am planning, without algae problems?.. or would I have to have some fast growing plants as well?