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New low tech tank idea, please advise

cozmoz said:
Good to hear, which substrate do you use? I've been reading mixed reviews about TetraPlant Complete Substrate and am considering going for ADA Aqua Soil NEW Amazonia 3L instead.

On the other hand I am wondering if this is due to people not capping it properly, I was going to follow the guidance given from pfk in my original post plus use a 1 inch cap in the hope that this will allow me to remove plants if need be without causing to many issues.

I use Amazonia 2, love it. Have used eco complete before but I definitely prefer this.
 
Do you use anything else with it? Any tips you'd be willing to share?
 
No just on it's own. I'm still new to planted tanks, I had a high tech which eventually went well but it was too much hassle, I much prefer this method. I literally add a bit of liquid carbon every so often and micro/macro ferts maybe twice a week. 50% water change every 6/7 days. Seems to be working.
 
Thanks, I think I'm going to stick with the TetraPlant Complete Substrate as it's closer to Diana Walstad's method for now. :)
 
Hi guy's I was thinking of adding Echinodorus Paniculatus to this tank in the hope of it growing out of the water, would this be okay? if not could you suggest any alternatives? Thanks!
 
Just worried it might be a bit to tall but I'm not experienced in different plant species, also would lillies be a good addition since I plan on keeping a betta, are there any you guy's would recommend for low tech?

Once this has been decided I think I'm all set :D
 
Would Echinodorus Ozelot be a better option then Echinodorus Paniculatus?
 
cozmoz said:
Just worried it might be a bit to tall but I'm not experienced in different plant species, also would lillies be a good addition since I plan on keeping a betta, are there any you guy's would recommend for low tech?

Once this has been decided I think I'm all set :D

A lilly would be good for the betta as they appreciate a bit of cover any of the commonly available nymphaea sp would be ok I think the tiger lotus is probably the most common.
 
Thanks for the species name, tiger lily looks a little big for this tank, I think I'll give Nymphoides aquatica a try, are there any signs I should look out for if my plants are suffering from a light deficiency?
 
I've had Diana Walstad's book arrive today, it's been an interesting read so far, I'm definitely going to use potting soil now. The CO2 in an El Natural tank comes from the potting soil decomposing.
 
I suppose since I've already got the NatureSoil sitting in some water I could just buy some potting soil or peat and add it to so a separate container and then use it as a bottom layer.

I could go down the leonardite route but I have no idea where I can get hold of a solid form of it. Would getting hold of leonardite and adding to the naturesoil in liquid form be an option prior to setting up the aquarium? Also I can only get hold of a small amount of mulm at this point from my girlfriends aquarium filter, I'm not sure if it would be enough.

I've also emailed info@oliver-knott.com for more info regarding which minerals are included in NatureSoil but they've not got back to me yet.

What do you think?
 
Hi all,
Congratulations on buying Diana s' book, best £25 I've ever spent. Personally I would mix a relatively small proportion of soil with sand. I think substrates with a lot of organic matter and nutrients are more difficult to handle initially.

If you would like to make the mix richer you always can by adding dried balls of soil, pushed under the substrate under Echinodorus, Cryptocoryne etc. I've done this with pellets of clay, wrapped around "Growmore" or "Osmocote"where I've felt the plants would benefit.

I also add dead Oak or Beech leaves and Alder Cones to all my tanks now as well, so these will trickle organic matter into the substrate as they are degraded.

cheers Darrel
 
Well that would be closer to the book which I want to use for guidance and should also help with stopping the soil reaching the surface when removing plants. Would you say 1 part soil to 2 parts sand would suffice? Do you need to cap it when you do this?

Also adding further soil mixed in with clay in the manner you described sounds like a great idea when plants start showing nutrient deficiencies.

Thanks!
 
Hi all,
Would you say 1 part soil to 2 parts sand would suffice? Do you need to cap it when you do this?
Yes, I'd put the soil in the lower layer and then cap it with 100% sand. I don't think the sand:soil proportion is critical, I like a lean mix because I'm primarily interested in having plants to add stability to the aquarium, and I'm not bothered about growing more demanding plants, optimal growth, aquascaping etc.

cheers Darrel
 
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