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Low-tech aquarium

Tim Harrison

Administrator
UKAPS Team
Joined
5 Nov 2011
Messages
10,358
Location
Leicestershire
From this to this...my low-tech tank, a work in progress. The photography is a bit suspect, I've used an old digital camera which is well past its sell by date and the only light available is the tank light. The tank is a Juwel Rekord 60, 60cm x 30cm x30cm, 55 l, with internal Biofilter 250, carbon replaced by peat moss.

Once the soil based substrate is added and capped the aquarium is filled with water and planted, there really is no need to wait and wait for months and months, and to flush and re-flush. There is a tendency to get paranoid about ammonia release and all the other gubbins supposedly associated with soil based substrates, but I've never had a problem. Plants are great at balancing aquarium biochemistry in next to no time. I have always set up my tanks this way; admittedly though the last one I did was over 25 years ago.

The soil based substrate goes in about 1cm at the front sloping to about 2cm at the back.

Low-tech1.jpg


Capped by 3mm sand/gravel, I've since added at least twice as much.

Low-tech2.jpg


And then the bog wood, large pieces for immediate effect, however, things didn't stay that way for long.

Low-tech3.jpg


Planted with the addition of another piece of bog wood. I planted without any real thought to aesthetics, since I wasn't really sure what plants I'd be able to grow in the local tap water. So I just brought a range of plants and left them to fight it out amongst themselves, however they have all done very well...so far.

The fish were added a few days later, at first half a dozen small Cardinals, the rest - 3 Ottos, 4 more Cardinals, 10 glowlights, and 6 Colombian Tetras - were added gradually over the next 3 weeks; way too many I know, but so far so good.

Low-tech4.jpg


About 3 weeks later the plants have well and truly taken hold and their growth rate rockets, without the benefit of fertilisers or CO2. I also added some Java fern and Java moss. The original canopy and monolux 15 watt T8 lighting unit were replaced fairly early on with two 24 watt T5 lights.

Low-tech5.jpg


Things start to get a bit crowded so the wood and plants where removed (I was amazed at the root development over a relatively short period of time especially the Echinodorus spp. the roots seemed to go on for ever) and the whole tank was re-aquascaped. More gravel was added along with just two pieces of bog wood this time before replanting with the addition of twisted Vallisneria spp. Unfortunately, some of the plants took a bit of a hammering especially the brittle Hydrocotyle spp. which had also been moved from pillar to post several times before, but it still keeps putting out new leaves despite my best efforts to destroy it.

Low-tech9.jpg


A couple of weeks later the plants are starting to settle and put down new roots and the growth takes off again. I added a few more Lilaeopsis and a Pogostemon this weekend, and have ordered some Glossostigma, for the immediate foreground, I'll let them fight it out. The poor Hydrocotyle suffers yet another move.

Low-tech10.jpg


The same scape closer up, for what it's worth.

55LRekordaquascape.jpg


Closer still.

55LRekord.jpg


I've decided to strip this tank down in a few weeks and plan to transfer some of the contents to a Fluval Roma 90, the best I could do with the available space. I will run it with an external canister filter attached to a lily pipe set up, the Juwel internal Biofilter did an ok job (250 l/hr) but there is definitely room for improvement. I hope to come up with a more inspired and sophisticated aquascape; but we will see.
Troi
Borrowed cutting


Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 5:11 pm
 
Thanks for the encouragement. I kinda know what you mean about the rescape but the new one still has some growing to do and is a work in progress; besides my fish have some space for swimming instead of lingering. Nice tank yourself spill50.
 
Just thought I'd post an update of progress so far.

Low-tech4.jpg


This is how it all started, so from this to that in about 8 weeks.

EcoAqua6.jpg


EcoAqua10s.jpg


EcoAqua11s.jpg


EcoAqua1s.jpg


The plants are maturing nicely despite frequent moves
 
Looks good so far, i liked it without the plants aswell with just the driftwood look awesome.
 
Inspirational stuff Troi, your tank looks great and moreover your rant got me thinking and I thought I'd setup this as an experiment.

('rant' in a good way :) )
 
Inspirational stuff Troi, your tank looks great and moreover your rant got me thinking and I thought I'd setup this as an experiment.

('rant' in a good way )

Hi thanks it's always very heartening to hear complements, but none more so than from all those so obviously as in to the hobby as I am. I have been following your progress anyway, and would be really interested to see what you come up with so keep us all posted.
 
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