• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Everything DIY build

These are my options on hardscape. I’m thinking of tying moss to the branches, have some Christmas moss around the base and a big bushy lump of trident java fern in the middle with ada la plata sand on the base.

Option one from the front.
B5E413CD-C3F6-4D06-A23C-B4B4AB77B211.jpeg

And looking down
1D79F2F8-1EBA-4B04-8254-BB368AC1EE1E.jpeg


Option two (which I think I prefer) as it creates some front to back depth

E6A60292-4E62-4ACE-81A2-6B154D1FCB16.jpeg


632B6308-5C94-48D9-9A58-D82565F65D7D.jpeg


Option three with a bit more height, thinking this might be too much though and looking cluttered.

2C84BAF2-75EE-4952-8199-1EBAD2CDF5F0.jpeg

81C10EBC-DBCE-40A4-969D-0F01D9988B07.jpeg



Any feedback on these ideas would be gratefully received. I’m undecided here, quite open on this bit. If I would be making a big mistake I’m doing this I would be pleased to hear about it!
 
Personally I would go with the last one, I don't think it looks too cluttered, and when everything is covered in moss you won't be able to see the different bits much. Also it gives you a bigger area to attach emergents to.

I think your plan for 100% sand and epiphytes + moss is a really good one, I do this in one of my tanks, and that + crypts in another, and it works really well for me. It's much simpler maintenance, because you can easily move or remove the hardscape to do a complete clean if you need to. Another big benefit is when you remove the wood you can trim or retie or add to it super easily, and no need for awkward reaching. I think it's a really nice tank too, it's simple but the animals enjoy and use it the same as the high, in fact they can hide better in it than any other tank once those plants grow in. You could maybe add some dried leaves and seedpods in the bottom to add a bit more complexity to the sand and more varied habitat for the fish (literally all my fish and inverts LOVE leaves). It's easy to remove them to clean.

If you have the time, it is worth doing a dry start on the wood with the moss, I've found that looks the most natural and even in lowtech the growth is fantastic. If you don't have the time, then wrapping with thread tightly also works very well, glueing moss just isn't the same.

I know you want to use co2, but tbh with your plant choices I wouldn't bother. I know there is that narrative that co2 make everything more perfect and beautiful and luscious, but I don't think high-tech is the best technique for every plant. I have beautiful, luscious algae-free pheonix moss and java ferns, with no co2 at all. I have high-tech versions too, and I think the petite growth of Java fern is nicer (especially trident), and the pheonix moss has much more texture and form, with excellent dense growth in my lowtech tanks; in the high-tech the pheonix moss is larger and fluffier, and java fern is bigger and spindlier, a bit denser growth, it doesn't actually look better tbh. The growth rate of lowtech is p good too, the initial start is slower but I have good rates of growth and have to trim back regularly (not too often tho).

Plus it's frankly less work, significantly. I love having my high-tech tank but I wouldn't have more than one. Whereas I have 2 lowtechs and I'm planning a third. If you really want to do it for your one tank there then isn't any harm in that, but you just might not need to and could get just as good or better effect.
 
Last edited:
Personally I would go with the last one, I don't think it looks too cluttered, and when everything is covered in moss you won't be able to see the different bits much. Also it gives you a bigger area to attach emergents to.

I think your plan for 100% sand and epiphytes + moss is a really good one, I do this in one of my tanks, and that + crypts in another, and it works really well for me. It's much simpler maintenance, because you can easily move or remove the hardscape to do a complete clean if you need to. Another big benefit is when you remove the wood you can trim or retie or add to it super easily, and no need for awkward reaching. I think it's a really nice tank too, it's simple but the animals enjoy and use it the same as the high, in fact they can hide better in it than any other tank once those plants grow in. You could maybe add some dried leaves and seedpods in the bottom to add a bit more complexity to the sand and more varied habitat for the fish (literally all my fish and inverts LOVE leaves). It's easy to remove them to clean.

If you have the time, it is worth doing a dry start on the wood with the moss, I've found that looks the most natural and even in lowtech the growth is fantastic. If you don't have the time, then wrapping with thread tightly also works very well, glueing moss just isn't the same.

I know you want to use co2, but tbh with your plant choices I wouldn't bother. I know there is that narrative that co2 make everything more perfect and beautiful and luscious, but I don't think high-tech is the best technique for every plant. I have beautiful, luscious algae-free pheonix moss and java ferns, with no co2 at all. I have high-tech versions too, and I think the petite growth of Java fern is nicer (especially trident), and the pheonix moss has much more texture and form, with excellent dense growth in my lowtech tanks; in the high-tech the pheonix moss is larger and fluffier, and java fern is bigger and spindlier, a bit denser growth, it doesn't actually look better tbh. The growth rate of lowtech is p good too, the initial start is slower but I have good rates of growth and have to trim back regularly (not too often tho).

Plus it's frankly less work, significantly. I love having my high-tech tank but I wouldn't have more than one. Whereas I have 2 lowtechs and I'm planning a third. If you really want to do it for your one tank there then isn't any harm in that, but you just might not need to and could get just as good or better effect.

thanks thats some good advice. I would like to use a little bit of CO2, just as I bought all the stuff and designed it with CO2 in mind. surely using a bit of CO2 will help...?

I am also thinking that in the future, if I just do sand and a choice selection of moss and java fern to start with, I can always add more in the future.

I would rather have good quality healthy growth and easy maintenance for the next couple of years then build on that when I'm more confident. I'm sure there will be a lot to learn through experience.

more I think about it, this is probably the right way to go. low tech but with some CO2 to help things along and not over complicate it.

if I can get a healthy big bushy java trident in the middle of that wood along with moss I would be happy with that. (and no algae!)
 
You can definitely still use CO2!! It's just that in this case your main plants don't need it to grow well like so many others do. Using CO2 does make the plants grow faster, especially at the start, and with trident java fern I've found it ironically actually requires no CO2 in lowtech, but LOADS in hightech to grow well, so it is a good plant to grow and test with to get your CO2 right for future plants. Either way with these plants lower light will work great and keep you with no/less algae so it's much easier.

You can definitely add in the future and I think you should! Just a few mixed epiphytes in small amounts dotted about like buce, anubias, different unusual mosses (I'm currently obsessed with cameroon moss in a hightech, it is much more special with co2), bolbitis, etc will add a beautiful richness to the scape, and be easy to attach with a bit of thread, it gives it a really nice terrarium look and all of them grow quite slowly and only need the occasional trim.
 
You can definitely still use CO2!! It's just that in this case your main plants don't need it to grow well like so many others do. Using CO2 does make the plants grow faster, especially at the start, and with trident java fern I've found it ironically actually requires no CO2 in lowtech, but LOADS in hightech to grow well, so it is a good plant to grow and test with to get your CO2 right for future plants. Either way with these plants lower light will work great and keep you iu with no/less algae so it's much easier.

You can definitely add in the future and I think you should! Just a few mixed epiphytes in small amounts dotted about like buce, anubias, different unusual mosses (I'm currently obsessed with cameroon moss in a hightech, it is much more special with co2), bolbitis, etc will add a beautiful richness to the scape, and be easy to attach with a bit of thread, it gives it a really nice terrarium look and all of them grow quite slowly and only need the occasional trim.

cool that sounds good. ill likely go with something like that. I was going to use rotala as a background plant but didn't have much else planned beyond this. it was going to be a discovery and trying all different sorts of things. that will come later down the line now.

I just need to think about the fish now, originally it was going to be shrimp and dwarf corydoras but having seen a thread on here recently about them going in to hiding I have been thinking about Norman lampeyes instead. they're one of my favourites and used to keep the lampeyes years ago
 
cool that sounds good. ill likely go with something like that. I was going to use rotala as a background plant but didn't have much else planned beyond this. it was going to be a discovery and trying all different sorts of things. that will come later down the line now.

I just need to think about the fish now, originally it was going to be shrimp and dwarf corydoras but having seen a thread on here recently about them going in to hiding I have been thinking about Norman lampeyes instead. they're one of my favourites and used to keep the lampeyes years ago
Journey of discovery is exactly what a tank should be :)

How big is your tank? I have pygmy corydoras and they are a delight, but I have 25 in a 180L. I think the larger number makes a big difference, they are very active. I also have lots of other fish, if I was more minimalist I would've kept like 40 in a tank my size. When I kept 10 in a 45L they were much quieter, and a few died so I have 7 and they were very still and didn't eat in front of me at all. If have the tank space to keep 20+ in your tank you'll have no problems, they are 100% one of my favourites along with the apistos. But lampeyes are stunning too, when I first bought fish it was a really close match between them and another fish, they're so hauntingly beautiful.
 
I agree with shangman. The third one would be my preference. I also like emergent growth and mainly focus on mosses, liverworts, buces and ferns. I've not really kept anything else for the last 12 years. I've given up trying to make harder to keep things work and just go with what works for me and trying to improve my husbandry of those species. Far more rewarding to see steady growth, than nursing something to survive rather than thrive, just to see it suffer when I forget to dose or have the audacity to leave the tank for a few days.
 
thanks guys, I am not seeking to have rare species that are hard to keep so I'm happy with ferns and mosses, I just want a really healthy lush looking tank with one species of fish and RCS.

so moss and fern are great as I love the look of these plants.

my tank is 50cmx50cmx31cm. I think thats approx 70ltr? good for a bunch of dwarf Cory? I would like a good group of them but I'm not in to cramming loads of fish in to a small space
 
Did a little bit of arranging last night and got the vertical bits of wood in a bit of a curve and the horizontal piece reaching out to the front just sort of hovers over the bottom of the tank. Happy with this so will be tying it up and siliconing it to make it one tangle of wood. Should make for easy tank cleaning as well as it will all come out as one piece.

9E1214C5-6FCA-4AF6-9A63-DF8C43BE39CD.jpeg


C5B7B99F-3CD5-457F-801F-B83C769FFCA9.jpeg
 
thanks guys, I am not seeking to have rare species that are hard to keep so I'm happy with ferns and mosses, I just want a really healthy lush looking tank with one species of fish and RCS.

so moss and fern are great as I love the look of these plants.

my tank is 50cmx50cmx31cm. I think thats approx 70ltr? good for a bunch of dwarf Cory? I would like a good group of them but I'm not in to cramming loads of fish in to a small space
The footprint of 50x50 is really good, that depth makes a big difference. I think you could get a group of 20 with that size tank easily especially with only shrimps as tankmates, maybe more (I'd start with 20 and see how it goes and if you think more would be enough, or maybe they will breed for you).
 
167835F6-7632-4BA9-AA6A-14D3C091EF76.jpeg
709D9FD4-D08F-4C01-8D86-99D228CADC94.jpeg
Got a few hours to myself today. So I’ve more or less completed the tank setup, the light fitting is the last thing to do.

I guess I’m nearly at the normal starting point.

I started to loose patience a little bit with the wiring and plumbing, I was going to make it all tidy and hidden but I just want it to work now. So the last bits are a bit sloppy. But it should work. Nearly at every turn I had to overcome something not fitting right and try find ways around it. Such as the tubing not fitting to the heater, which lead to going out in the rain at 11pm chopping a bit of the garden hose off and boiling it to make it fit. Stuff like that.

I can now consider getting this filled up with plants and water etc.

Last thing to do is buy some WiFi plugs for timing lights and co2, a solar panel to charge the car battery that powers some of the 12v bits and weld up the light fitting.


I am going to go moss and java trident fern to start with and build upon that. Hopefully soon it will look more interesting!
1337E996-EF71-469C-98F8-DACBBF91DEAD.jpeg
 
Found that with this set up being very top heavy (total approx 80kg without water and the marble weighing a lot) it had a slight side to side wobble. This is partly due to the small footprint and height but even so it would get worse when filled up. Just in case anyone else goes down the route of making a tall plinth stand, I am posting this bit as it could be of use to someone. Found that putting a cross brace along the back sorted this problem right out. It’s very rigid now and hopefully will be fine when filled.


2A4C625B-EB62-4FB7-A463-22BD8F0EC966.jpeg
 
Back
Top