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450L Low Tech Aquarium

V

Voo

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Joined
24 Feb 2008
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185
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Lincs
Hi Guys,

Been a while since i've done anything to the tank so it's slightly overgrown! Not sure what i want to do with the tank now, so looking for some ideas.

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Tank is a Rena 450, 5'x1.5'x2'
Lighting - 4x40w T8
Filtration - Fluval 405 and Fluval Fx5
CO2 - none.
Ferts - none
Fish - Angel fish, yellow congo tetra, pearl gourami, glowlight danios
Plants - Anubias nana, various crypts, needle leaf java fern, Echinodorus uruguayensis, tiger lotus
There's also some manzanita wood and dragon stone hidden

I'd like to get some shrimp back into the tank, but can't do that with the angel fish still there. Ideally i'll either build up the group of congo tetras or get some boesemani rainbows, depending on what the lfs stock.

I used to dose ferts and CO2 but stopped when i stopped having as much time for the tank. It's not done too badly since, although the needle leaf java has suffered.
 
+1 on the above. Looks incredible!

A large shoal of mixed sex Congo tetra in the middle to upper waters would look incredible, but then I am biased I have 21 of them!

If you do go for Congo's keep a 2-1 female to male ratio this will even out the breeding aggression and give the males vivid colours.

:thumbup:

Andy
 
Tank has been going for just over a year now. 6 months with co2, rest without. Family complain there's too many plants so you can't see the fish, but perhaps that's because it's very lightly stocked. Danios are always hiding.
Do you think Congo tetras would eat cherry shrimp?
Perhaps i'll just replace the needle fern as that's looking bad.
 
Thats really lush and dense considering that you don't inject CO2 or dose any ferts. May I know how long you turn your lights on for and do you do a weekly waterchange? My own low-tech is looking quite pathethic in comparison.
 
I did use co2 for the first 6 months which helped the plants to get established. Lights are 2 tubes for 10 hours, 2 for 7 hours. Water changes are roughly 40% every 2-3 week's.
 
Hi all,
I love your tank, keep it going!
Click to expand...
Same thoughts here, it is a truly magnificent tank. What is the substrate? You would think that you must have/have had an input of nutrients to support that plant biomass, although it could just be from the water? If it is tap water with high nutrient levels?
Do you think Congo tetras would eat cherry shrimp?
Click to expand...
I think they probably will.

cheers Darrel
 
Thanks for the comments guys!
Substrate is ADA amazonia although it'll be around 2 years since it went in. Not hoovering it out probably helps a bit, but as I live in the fens it wouldn't surprise me if the water is laden with nutrients too.
I did have a shoal of glowlight danios that I thought would be active but they hide amongst the plants. They just appear at feeding times.
The huge anubias started as one plant about 5 years ago. It's flowering regularly and as it's raised on some wood, the hanging roots provide an eerie affect 🙂
 
This tank is really amazing and unique! Love all the red plants, didn't know you could make a low tech tank look like that - very inspiring!
 
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