Polar opposite

[leonroy]

After starting an ADA tank (with ADA everything) I thought I'd have a go at something with less of a sticker shock. So at the other extreme I plan on blagging a free tank, using some garden centre compost, play sand and freebie scaling materials to build a planted tank.

I've been quite inspired by Tom's Bucket O' Mud and plan on using no ferts, no CO2 and due to the danger of sulphide buildups in the substrate I plan on having no fish (at least for a good while).

My parts list:

• Tank: 30x15x18" tank
• Lighting: 2x 15W T8 lights
• Filtration: Eheim Aquaball
• Substrate: John Innes No. 3 and play sand capping on top

Again, this is a practise tank for this project.

 

[matador1982]

Look forward to seeing how this turns out, quite an expirmental set up I like the courage show to take this on

 

[ghostsword]

Play sand when it compacts, if something is left under will decompose and stink.

For a really cheap tank, would just use plain gravel with moss, some some lotus.

Add osmocote under the gravel and you will have all the nutrients you need.

Not a lot of light is also helpful.


___________________________

I don't know what is the secret of success, but the secret of failure is trying to please the world!

 

[leonroy]

Cheap tank, (really) badly made:

In goes nearly half a bag of soil. After leak testing the tank last overnight there was about a centimeter of water left even after draining the tank. Made for a (very) messy job smoothing it out with my hands (a darn sight more fun than laying baked granules of aqua soil down though!):

First go at the composition:

Second go:

Chuck some slate I had lying around into the tank:

Sprinkle some sand on top (helps if the sand isn't damp but it's worth rinsing it to get rid of the fine dust):

Now I'm ready to plant, the final plant list:

• Echinodorus Reni
• Microsorum Narrow
• Rotala sp. green
• Echinodorus x barthii
• Rotala wallichii
• Microsorum pteropus Windeløv
• Anubias barteri var. nana
• Pogostemon helferi
• Hemianthus callitrichoides

Quick and dirty pic, all done (big rock stopping the wood from floating off):

I'm seriously tempted to get the ugly Eheim filter outta there, stick some nice lily pipes in and an external canister filter and a CO2 kit. Hmm, maybe a nice overtank light fixture while I'm at it...

 

[leonroy]

Play sand when it compacts, if something is left under will decompose and stink.

Yep, think that's the Hydrogen Sulphide (rotten egg gas). Very toxic to fish and shrimp so I'm going to have to keep this fishless for the initial period. Would certain plants or burrowing snails resolve this?

 

[hinch]

pleco or loaches would resolve it as they do a good job of disturbing the substrate loaches in particular since they like to bury themselves into it

 

[sanj]

MTS are good for substrate turnover.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

MTS are good for substrate turnover.

I'm with Sanj on that one, I think if you have MTS they will stop H2S build up, and as long as the Echinodorus get a start, they will also help aerate the substrate.

I'm looking forward to this one, I'm predicting total success, with the proviso that I would have had more sand and less soil.

I'm willing to donate some Cyperus plants as you are open topped, they are very efficient at drawing oxygen down in the rhizosphere.

cheers Darrel

 

[plantbrain]

Add some floating plants, say 25% coverage for now and prune them to prevent too much coverage.

Lilies, Aponogetons are also good.

The main issue is getting the plants established............once they do, they define the system.
A DSM is a great option for non CO2 tanks for this reason. They are well rooted and adapted before you flood.

Things grow in fast, then after grow nice and slow.

surface aerial plants soak/mop up any issues.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Add some floating plants, say 25% coverage for now and prune them to prevent too much coverage.
Lilies, Aponogetons are also good.

I also like these, and think they are a good idea. I've got plenty of floaters available.

Cheers Darrel

 

[leonroy]

MTS are good for substrate turnover.

It's funny, when I was a kid and experimented with plants and DIY CO2 (in a fizzy drinks bottle) I had trumpet snails everywhere! Went to the LFS and asked for a fish which would eat snails and thus my love for clown loaches was born...

(Little did I know they can grow so big...)

Suffice to say, no more snails. So where can I buy Malaysian trumpet snails from in the UK?

 

[leonroy]

Hi all,

MTS are good for substrate turnover.

I'm with Sanj on that one, I think if you have MTS they will stop H2S build up, and as long as the Echinodorus get a start, they will also help aerate the substrate.

I'm looking forward to this one, I'm predicting total success, with the proviso that I would have had more sand and less soil.

I'm willing to donate some Cyperus plants as you are open topped, they are very efficient at drawing oxygen down in the rhizosphere.

cheers Darrel

Thanks Darrel, will definitely find some MTS. Although is there anything I can do to ensure their population numbers don't go through the roof?

Reading about Cyperus it really sounds great, many thanks for the offer I'll do some research and see which plants I need to add. Who knows, if this tank does well I might be able to donate some plants back to the forum

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Although is there anything I can do to ensure their population numbers don't go through the roof?

I just put a piece of cucumber in a net in the evening and then remove it, and the snails, after lights out.

I usually ignore them until they stop the Otocinclus & shrimps getting to the cucumber. I tried Assassin snails, but they don't last in my tanks, I think the water is too soft for them.

cheers Darrel

 

[leonroy]

Hi all,

Add some floating plants, say 25% coverage for now and prune them to prevent too much coverage.
Lilies, Aponogetons are also good.

I also like these, and think they are a good idea. I've got plenty of floaters available.

Hi Darrel that sounds great, if I could get the Cyperus and some floaters it'd be much appreciated. Let me know how much I'd owe ya via PM or here if you prefer.

The water at present is a touch cloudy (not crystal clear). I normally run external filters fine filter pads, I assume using a single internal filter with a coarse pad might be why?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

The water at present is a touch cloudy, I assume using a single internal filter with a coarse pad might be why?

Yes, it is the very fine clays from the soil, the form a colloidal suspension and will go through anything other than the finest filter. Usually after a while they go away (the natural bacterial processes will clump them together), but if you run a finer pad you will need to keep it clean as they are impermeable to water and will cause it to clog really quickly.

If I could get the Cyperus and some floaters it'd be much appreciated. Let me know how much I'd owe ya via PM or here if you prefer.

PM me your address and I'll post them. I don't want any money, you can make a donation to UKAPS after they have arrived (PayPal donate button is at the bottom of the page(s)).

cheers Darrel

 

[leonroy]

Thanks a ton Darrel, plants arrived over the weekend and I planted the Cyperus immediately.

Can't thank you enough for the tub of snails. Just curious but what's the name of the plant you sent them with? Is it a floater? (I just put it all in the tank)

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Just curious but what's the name of the plant you sent them with? Is it a floater? (I just put it all in the tank)

I can't remember what I put in in the end, the 3 different Cyperus are C. alternatifolius (the tall one), C. papyrus (the one with very fine leaves) and the short one which I don't know the name of.

I think the other plants were a mix with Limnobium, Pistia and Salvinia, and possibly Ceratopteris? Cabomba caroliniana or Ceratophyllum, either C. submersum or C. demersum, ones spiky, one isn't.

If the unknown plant looks like fine green thread? it is Utricularia gibba, which floats in a semi-submerged mass if you have enough of it and I think should make a really good anchor for bubble nesters.

cheers Darrel

 

[leonroy]

It's been a while, but the tank's doing well enough. I've been taking it very slow with the addition of critters and to be honest I find this tank a lot more enjoyable (and relaxing!) than the little ADA Mini-M which has shown to me how difficult hi-tech planted aquaria can be to a newcomer.

There's no CO2, no ferts and due to the low stocking (one betta fish and three amano shrimp) I haven't had to do more than a bi-monthly water change. Just this week I added a further 10 amano shrimp and 5 ottos. They really are on top of the algae situation but with the higher stocking I'll probably have to do fortnightly or monthly water changes.

One thing I've noticed is that while some plants have died by and large most of them have barely grown. Is there anything I can add (ferts, liquid carbon, or light) to help improve the rate of growth?

Here's the before (December 2011):

And after (March 30th 2012):

One thing which is really ticking me off however is the light unit:

I wanted to keep the tank as cheap as chips, but the lid currently has two fluorescent strapped on and having to lift them up to feed the fish or perform any maintenance is becoming a real hassle. I'm afraid too that if I drop the lid down too hard the bulbs might hit the protruding wood and shatter. I want to get a light fixture, preferably LED, which doesn't cost the earth, can anyone recommend one? I was thinking the GroBeam or AquaBeam 1500. I know they're not cheap but I'd rather buy something good now that'll last several years than buy something cheap that I'll regret later.

 

[sanj]

I would do as you are thinking, get somthing like an aquaray or a tile. I originally bought my aquarays in 2009 and have used them over and over in different situations. Currently they provide the light for my breeding tanks, previously they have been over both reef and planted tanks.

 

[leonroy]

Well I guess cheap as possible is now out the window. I don't think fluorescent or MH is a future proof bet and I got tired of seeing the ugly ass light unit above so I came up with the following short list:

-Aquabeam 1500 XG
-AI Sol
-Ecotech Radion XR30w

After a demonstration from Greg at ADC of the Ecotech and the AI Sol and a day or two to think it over I bought an Ecotech Radion XR30w (what can I say, Greg's a stonkingly good salesman!). Yeah, it's expensive, but this unassuming black box is quite simply the most beautiful piece of aquarium equipment I've ever seen (and that includes ADA gear). It offers a hundred options to control attributes like intensity and spectrum changes which can be programmed to vary during the day and unlike most version 1 products it works flawlessly.

I'll stick some pictures up. I've just programmed it and hung it over the tank. It really is a work of art, even the wife is impressed!