four low tech nanos

[azawaza]

Restarting my four living room tanks just in time for the new year.

Moved this 30x18x12 cm tank to the study.

Wanted to do those mini pond/waterfall setup seen on Youtube but me I got potatoes for hands so very limited DIY-wise. Simply sandwiched the submersible filter between a few rocks haha. As long there's enough flow for the plants, Saul Goodman!

CU shot of THE STUDY TANK. Plopped two unknown kinds of plants out of the water (not sure if they can grow emersed nor what plants they are; the back one resembles Bacopa sp. while the front looks like a reed; please help ID plant experts, please!)

The rest are your typical gang: moss, anubias and floaters (finally found the red one, I think P. fluitans?)

I'm waiting for the H. tripartita to grow out of the water and (hopefully) spread like weeds. Will it?

Rocks and sand recycled from breakdown of previous setups.

So thus three tanks left in the living room, two on the three-tier rack and one upon the white TV cabinet (both from IKEA). Decided to scape this 45x22x20cm palu-able tank last (let's call this: THE BOTTOM TANK). Hence, for now, it shall remain a temporary plant grower/storage tank. Slowly starting a collection so that plant selection will be easier later on. Not gonna rush to scape nor plant anytime soon so I can wait (going to try out the dark start method; if you can drop any advice please provide aid).

I'll work on this 40x23x27cm tank first (yes, I'm not good at naming: THE UP TANK). Hardscape, then substrate, then flood and run a dark start for three weeks minimum. Maybe I'll find a way to cover the tank entirely too. Any simple creative ideas/hacks?

Lastly, the fourth tank, 60x30x24cm (THE MAIN TANK), I'll work on thereafter, upon the completion of the above aforementioned tank. The former needs more tender care; been struck with the most algae compared to the rest three, so I did a bit of a diluted bleach treatment. Will require a few water changes and gentle scrubbing before I'm confident enough to restart it. The plan is to run a dark start too but will need to cover it entirely somehow because its two adjacent neighbours will, by then, be up, bright and running.

So, I'll try my best to update my progress: with what's, warts and all. Meantime, it's plant collection week while I think about how to scape the UP Tank with what substrate to use with what hardscape, you know, those yada-yada...

 

[azawaza]

Slow new year's eve day... But did manage to work on the UP Tank.

Three large grey pebble rock stone whatever (are there scientific names for these too?) and a layer of crushed lava rocks to increase the back height so as to save on the aquasoil (poor man's scape, sobs). Not sure if this is a good idea, so if it isn't and you've got a Samaritan's heart, please stop me before I, whilst nursing tomorrow's hangover, pour aquasoil over to seal the deal, so to speak.

Also, found a pack of old gravel/small pebble pack from the storeroom. Didn't like the whiter, brighter ones so had to segregate them. Hopefully the darker ones will work with my cosmetic sand (foreground). I'm trying out transitions within the hardscape, especially the shift in texture between large rocks to smaller ones, like sand grains etc.

Preferred soil. 3L pack. Unsure again if it'll be enough to fill the back portion of the tank. I know one can calculate these figures using high school mensuration techniques of space (length x breadth x height) but I'm too lazy to, so haha we'll cut corners here and there to problem-solve later, if it gets to that. Creativity within constraints. Best thing about our hobby, no?

BOTTOM Tank update: more plants. Mostly stems. I should get more stolon and rosette plants soon. But there's no rush. Nearly a month's wait while OPERATION DARK START I proceeds. I'm unsure if I should try carpet plants because I like sand foreground and my previous attempts at growing the former didn't go well.

So, in anticipation of the wait, I did what old people do when they have things to do but can't yet (bucket list). Crazy names though. Tongue twisters some.

Scoured the Internet and wrote down forty-five plant species which, in theory, could survive in a low tech planted tank. But it's azawaza's tank and azawaza has a poor reputation of keeping flora and fauna alive, so we'll see. I'm thinking long game cos this checklist could be valuable to inform me what plants work for my parameters, to keep as a guideline for future tanks.

 

[azawaza]

So this is the new year; I don't feel any different...

Except the excitement of dumping soil onto rocks and pebbles into a glassed fish-prison. Used about half a 3L bag of Tropica soil (non-powder). Poor man's savings!

Next the sand, recycled from previous scape.

Capped the spaces between with some mini stones and filled the tank up (with water, of course).

Been using buckets to perform water changes previously all of 2022. Had to visit a chiro for lower back pains consequently, so this year I bought me some pipes and hose. Oh how rude of me, I forgot to: everybody, meet Casper! He's a bedsheet or tablecloth or whatever. Hangs out on that red ladder (because as a boy I loved fire trucks) and will later (Casper, I mean here) do me a big favour, you'll see.

All filled up. Those pebbles took on a bit each a different shade of grey under water (nope haven't read the book nor watched the film; why to when there's erhm, n-r-o-p). Not sure if I should've used wood here (pardon the pun hehe). But we're beyond that, crossed the Rubicon. So onward now, Casper's awaiting lads.

Casper whispers (gently) into my old man ear, "Mister, why not have me up some pegs?"

I looked at him, shrugged me shoulders and said, "Whatever yours liking, son."

Pegged.

So I sent him off to bed (like Oliver Twist) without soup and bread. See ya tankie, in three week's time. For now, let Casper keep ye comfy!

 

[hypnogogia]

Why are you keeping the tank full of water in the dark for 3 weeks?

 

[azawaza]

Why are you keeping the tank full of water in the dark for 3 weeks?

Secret aquascaping brew me great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandma handed down centuries ago.
The dark arts of dark starts I was told as a wee child.

 

[azawaza]

Thank you Casper. Cycling done. Ammonia and nitrites zero ppm. Took less than three weeks (ten days) cos I used sand from the previous scape.

For anyone who's still wondering why I enlisted Casper's help: Dark Start Method

The idea is to prevent ammonia-related plant melts (and subsequent opportunistic algae growth) during cycling in new tank setups when aquasoil is used.

I did not encounter any algae nor diatoms, and will continue to update my findings since I'm trying out this method for the first time.

Selected some plants from the Bottom Tank and planted them into the Up Tank.

Leftover plants will go towards scaping the Main Tank. I had one plant melt from its pot earlier: S.repens. I've never got to grow these lovely plants. They keep melting in all my setups, sigh.

Back to the Up Tank. So will continue to monitor growth. It'll be slow with low tech but the plan is to check for melts and trim/replant accordingly when the tank becomes overgrown. As for lifestock, I'm planning for one nerite snail and one Amano shrimp. I may rescue a Betta fish but the main focus is keeping the plants healthy at this moment. I may add some easy carpeting plants like H.Tripartita between the sand and pebbles too, from trimmings of said plant in the Study Tank.

 

[azawaza]

Maybe I have ADHD. Because I'm bored (there's nothing to do but wait for plants to grow in the Up Tank) and at the same time I'm excited about how the Main Tank will turn out (I'm planning the plants and layout and future possible inhabitants etc.) but I'm also lazy to take the next step of preparation (clean glass pipes, purchase some hardware, get more aquasoil etc.)

So I thought I'd try playing around with the hardscape and get some feedback (if any) from seasoned veterans here. I have fairly limited resources and I try to use all the rocks and wood I have left. I'm also not good at the aesthetics of hardscaping, like I randomly place the rocks and wood without any long-game plan for how the future scape may turn out. I guess these kind of skills take time to develop and mature within the aquascaper.

Let me know what you think? Meantime, I'll try to remove the hardscape today because the tank needs rinsing (I used bleach to clean previously and something in me whispers: one more rinse, please) . Urgh. The bane of water change. Perhaps I'll get more things done thereafter. Maybe. Most probably not, haha.

 

[noodlesuk]

Nice collection of tanks, having multiple small tanks allows you to experiment more, great idea.

 

[azawaza]

Nice collection of tanks, having multiple small tanks allows you to experiment more, great idea.

Thanks @noodlesuk; that's the idea: a few nano tanks to help accelerate learning since time is the limiting factor for low tech planted setups. Not a gripe but sometimes I wanna scream at those green shoots: c'mon, guys, grow faster!

Main Tank Update

Took me a while to play around with the rocks and wood, to get the right combination of form and function for the hardscape. I also tried to make the wood look like it came as a single piece, although there are about six pieces stuck together. I officially hate cyanoacrylic glue.

I have half a bucket of cosmetic sand from the previous setup so I think I'll zone a sand bar area somewhat near the front of the tank. Aquasoil elsewhere. Means Casper will have to help with the dark start. I also want to try out crypts and echinodorus plants for this tank, along with the usual fast-growing stem plants (gonna play with Anacharis, Rotalas, Ammanias, and Hygrophilas too) . Vals shall hug the background while Anubias and moss (unsure which type yet) will cover the unsightly in-betweens amongst the hardscape's crevices. The plan is to house a small group of corydoras, either pgymy or hastatus or hasbrosus - a species-only tank.

Hopefully everything turns out fine. I'll get the substrate and soil sorted soon. No hurries; learnt this from all the not-as-successful-as-I-might-want-to-admit scapes previously. So now I embrace the snail's pace. No more screaming at low tech leaf shoots. Patience is key.

 

[azawaza]

Main Tank Update

Aquasoil, sand and some gravel added.

Root tabs underneath the graveled zone, for the crypts.

So, so tempted to just flood the tank and began planting (those stems are awaiting in the adjacent tank)...

But I made a blood-pact with the Dark Start Method and...

Sigh.

 

[azawaza]

Main Tank Update

Moved all the plants from the Bottom Tank to the Main Tank. It's very heavily planted at the back there with stem plants. I plan to use Crypt Parva or Dwarf Sag in front of the driftwood area but that can wait. I want the stem plants to keep having new growths first before adding a foreground plant.

Meantime, I'm preparing the Bottom Tank for a riparium-build using driftwood. Will soon start collecting terrestrial plants. Not sure about what submerged plants to use for this setup though. I'll decide once the wood have been selected, to see how much planting area will be left available. Also, I'm wondering if I should try a blackwater biotope. Very inexperienced in this field but much learning could be garnered when you try something new. Though fish may die... Decisions, decisions.

 

[azawaza]

Bottom Tank Update

Grabbed four different house plants (Syngonium, Alocasia, Scindapsus and a palm plant which I don't exactly know what) and affixed them atop woods that mimic roots.

Tried my best to get only their roots in water. I ran out of aquasoil and sand while scaping, and had to use small pebbles as substrate. Urgh. Don't really like the look but it could be improved with some anubias and low-light foreground plant (hairgrass?) Should've planned better but oh well, lessons learnt.

I wonder if the roots will rot as new submerged ones grow. Water's very cloudy so will keep up with water changes these few days. Ugliest scape thus far haha.

I'm imagining feeding either a betta or sparkling gourami here. Will need more floaters before that happens though.

Near about done. Four low tech nanos. My goals for this year: consistent husbandry + keep plants healthy + stock really, really low. Hope everything turns out well. That's all for now. Thanks for reading thus far. I'll update monthly from today onwards. Cheers!

 

[azawaza]

Study Tank update
7.3 litre/1.8 gallon
30x27x9cm
Aegagropila linnaei
Anubias barteri 'Petite'
Bacopa monnieri 'Compact'
Phyllanthus fluitans
Salvinia auriculata
Taxiphyllum barbieri
Hydrocotyle verticillata
Hydrocotyle tripartita
01 x horned nerite snail

Not sure what other fauna can be kept in such a small tank. Thai micro crabs perhaps? Kinda hard to find though.

 

[azawaza]

Up Tank update
24.8 litre/ ~5 gallon
40x23x27 cm
Bacopa caroliniana
Helanthium bolivianum 'Quadricostatus'
Hygrophila polysperma
Limophila sessiliflora
Ludwigia palustris 'Super Red'
Ludwigia repens 'Rubin'
Phyllanthus fluitans
Salvinia auriculata
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
Cabomba aquatica
02x nerite snail
02x Amano shrimp
04x Endler's

 

[azawaza]

Bottom Tank update
20.7 litre/ ~5 gallon
45x23x20cm
Phyllanthius fluitans
Salvinia auriculata
Microsorum pteropus
Anubias barteri nana
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
Xmas moss
Emergents: Alocasia, Scindapsus, Parlor Palm, Syngonium
02x nerite snail
02x Amano shrimp
01x Betta

Pearl her name is.

Rushed this tank, not gonna lie. Spider wood has lotsa white fuzz on them. Hopefully that clears up in a few week's time. New growths on all emergent plants. I'm expecting some older leaves to turn yellow soon. Will try to add more plants to fill the gaps between.

 

[azawaza]

Main tank update
43.2 litre/ ~10 gallon
60x30x24cm
Anubias barteri nana
Bacopa monnieri 'Compact'
Egeria densa
Helanthium bolivianum 'Quadricostatus'
Hygrophila corymbosa 'Compact'
Microsorum pteropus 'Narrow'
Microsorum pteropus 'Windeløv'
Phyllanthus fluitans
Rotala rotundifolia
Salvinia auriculata
Vallisnera americana 'Natans'
Elodia najas
Egeria najas
Ammannia sp.
Hydrocotyle tripartita
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
02x nerite snail
04x Amano shrimp
06x Habrosus corydoras
06x Boraras sp.

Yes, my centrepiece fish are these little cuties

 

[Alpaca]

I love this tank! It has real charm.