# first time Low Tech



## Martin in Holland (25 May 2014)

This is my first low tech tank (45x12x25cm) and actually I have no clue how to go from here....for instance:
1. fertilize, how much, how often (not going to use excel)
2. water changes, how much, how often
3. fish/ shrimp, when would be OK to add some

I try to read up about low tech, but this one is saying this while that one is saying that. So I hope the low tech gurus here can help me.


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## Edvet (25 May 2014)

My low tech white cube(125 liter with crypts and some moss) has a 125 W HQI light, but it's 80 cm over the substrate and only on for 6 hours, so low light. My black water tank (125 lit with Java fern and moss) only has a small led stripe(http://www.jmbwebshop.nl/a-35916401-2527522/jmb-aquarium-led-verlichting/jmb-aqua-led-amazon/) 9 watt, it's on for 9 hours. So they both are low light.Your tank looks to light to my eye. Low tech has small amounts of CO2 so need little light. You are using low light plants (java fern and moss i see) so you need just litle light and you will get slow growth.
I fert my white cube once a week. I use 20 ml of the liter i make for my large tank (10 tbs NO2, 2 tbs K, 2 tbs SO4 in a lit, the rest of the lit goes in my large tank). I change water 10% per week
Black cube doesnt get any ferts. I regurlarly add osmosis water only so all the ferts have to come from fish waste and decomposing foods. I do have some BGA in that, i siphon that of. I don't want to clean that tank too rigurously.(may be total change is 10% per week)
So little light and slow growth, little ferts, change 10% per week. I have lots of flow in the white cube and little flow in the black one. Your tank looks to bright for me. Maybe some floaters could help is you can't raise the lights


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## nickmcmechan (25 May 2014)

You could add floating plants and then the 'duckweed index' could indicate your fertilisation needs?


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## Martin in Holland (25 May 2014)

Thx Edvet...yes it is to bright to my eye too and I will get floaters which also add interest to the tank


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## sciencefiction (25 May 2014)

I'd recommend soil substrate Martin. My nano 7g below is a walstad type one.



One thing I disagree with some "low tech" keepers is the amount of light. In very low light as in 0.5WG of T5 I can't grow anything, just anubias and java fern, crypts are ok too but they grow so slowly that it rather seem they are staying alive instead of growing. Stems won't grow and eventually die.  Only floating plants near the surface(including if I float the stems) will grow.  I've always had better success with medium light in low techs and no major algae issues at all if any. Lower the light, plants stop growing and then start looking like blanched spinach eventually if they don't tolerate low light. Even my moss won't take off in low light. You can see in Edvert's black cube the consequences of low light on moss, it grows "leggy" and brownish instead of dense and bright green (no offence Edvert the tank looks great otherwise).

Mine is on 11W light 6hrs a day plus direct window light(though it isn't blazing sunshine here but it does every so often and I have to block it for the purpose of taking a pic or video because of the reflection) No ferts bar once potassium so far, it's been setup nearly a year. Dirty glass as it hasn't been cleaned at all for a year too. All I've done is trim the plants. It has a 450l/h internal filter and gets no water changes. Healthy cherry shrimp, berried females, snails and 2 ottos that were added just over 3 weeks ago, daily feedings of fish food for the shrimp and snails and occasional veggies.
I am not saying mine is a better low tech as I've 0 scaping skills but as far as plants go they grow very well.


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## Martin in Holland (25 May 2014)

Thx to you too SF (nice to hear some else is watching Star Trek)..... I do think my LED light (which came with this tank attached to it) is a bit strong and plants don't really have to grow much in this tank for me (but some growth is always nicer)...I think I need to fert it at least a little some times as I don't have any soil/substrate in it..

I don't want to over crowd it with fish (I am thinking of a few hockey sticks and some shrimp), they should be able to give some natural ferts later on


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## sciencefiction (25 May 2014)

If you leave it with inert substrate then add some ferts at water change each week. See from there how it goes. For me it's always potassium(holes in older leaves, melting older leaves) and iron(pale new growth and no growth) that manifest themselves in low techs but I start with no dosing at all and only dose what I think is missing.
I'd still add some floaters and some faster growers to balance it out.


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## Edvet (25 May 2014)

sciencefiction said:


> no offence Edvert


 Non taken.
The black cube could have some more light, but it's set up to be a breeder for bettas (that is if i ever get my male). The moss get's leggy indeed, ferns have no problems. I don't want to fert this one ( keep TDS low) so i am ok with het low light


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