# Advice on plants for non CO2 invert tank



## Animal Mother (16 Oct 2009)

I have a little 32l tank fitted with a trickle filter and I want to turn it into a planted tank for shrimps (I may even use it as a quarantine tank).

I'd like a little advice on substrate and plants as it's going to be a pretty basic setup.

The Green Machine is my closest supplier so what they supply is what I'll use.

This is what I'm after:

1. Low maintenance "Grass/Lawn" type low level plant covering the bottom of the tank.
2. No substrate shown.
3. One piece of slate or one piece of wood in the centre of the tank with a moss/wort growing on it.
4. No CO2

I'd like advice on:
1. plant species, moss/wort species
2. Slate or wood (my current preference is slate)
3. Substrate

Thanks chaps.


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## Superman (16 Oct 2009)

Do you mean, no pressurised co2 or nothing co2 related at all?

Plant wise, it'd be best to picking plants that will cope with low co2. Although, I'd suggest dosing Easy Carbo to help.

That way, you could have ferns, crypts and mosses. I'm not sure what you could get for a carpetting plant with low co2 as HC won't go well/at all.

Maybe you could go with a moss carpet with the moss attached to small pebbles that won't be shown after a while.

If you go down the ferns, crypt and moss route, there could be an argument that you don't need any special planted substrate, as long as you dosed some plant fertilisers. Having an encriched substrate such as the ADA Aquasoil range could give you more of a margin of error, you could do with the Malaya as that would release the nutrients slower.


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## Brenmuk (16 Oct 2009)

You could try an almost 'no tech' shrimp tank in the same way as Diana Walstead has set up. I quite fancy this style myself
see link in APC forum below:-
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/el-natural/62825-new-npt-shrimp-tanks.html


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## Animal Mother (16 Oct 2009)

No CO2 injection at all, but will use easy carbo.   

I'd be happy using Aqua Soil Malaya and it , as you should, give a bigger margin for error.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a carpet plant?

What moss/wort will do well on slate?


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## Animal Mother (16 Oct 2009)

Brenmuk said:
			
		

> You could try an almost 'no tech' shrimp tank in the same way as Diana Walstead has set up. I quite fancy this style myself
> see link in APC forum below:-
> http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/el-natural/62825-new-npt-shrimp-tanks.html



Thanks but don't like this idea at all.   

No filtration at all?    Shrimp are sensitive to ammonia too.


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## Superman (16 Oct 2009)

Animal Mother said:
			
		

> What moss/wort will do well on slate?



Most moses will, you could looke at ricca although some find it gets a bit of a weed after a while.


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## Animal Mother (16 Oct 2009)

How about some Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba' for the carpet plant.

TGM have it on offer.


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## JamesM (16 Oct 2009)

You'll struggle with HC in a non co2 injected tank ime. And Shrimp wont welcome an overdose of liquid carbon. You're better off going totally low tech and keeping it simple.


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## Animal Mother (16 Oct 2009)

JamesM said:
			
		

> You'll struggle with HC in a non co2 injected tank ime. And Shrimp wont welcome an overdose of liquid carbon. You're better off going totally low tech and keeping it simple.



Currently use Easycarb in a tank with shrimp and they do well.

What do you mean by going totally low tech?


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## Superman (16 Oct 2009)

There is a method of not adding a source of co2, low light, low ferts with a long time between water changes.


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## JamesM (16 Oct 2009)

Animal Mother said:
			
		

> JamesM said:
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But if you want to grow HC, you will need to overdose silly levels of Excel, and the shrimp will suffer.

Low tech = low light, no co2, no water changes and minimal ferts.


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## Animal Mother (16 Oct 2009)

JamesM said:
			
		

> But if you want to grow HC, you will need to overdose silly levels of Excel, and the shrimp will suffer.
> 
> Low tech = low light, no co2, no water changes and minimal ferts.



Ok, so no to HC.

It will be low tech (compared to my biotopes). Trickle filter, low light, no CO2 and some Aqua Soil. WIth 1 type of plant and one type of mass/wort and 1 rock. Very infrequent water changes.

So, does anyone have a suggestion for a carpet plant then?


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## JamesM (16 Oct 2009)

Marsilea hirsuta does well in low tech tanks.

Emersed it looks like a 4 leaf clover, but submersed it looks like glosso.

Check LondonDragon's shrimp tank log too - he had problems with AquaSoil as it breaks down to dust, making the water permanently cloudy. Not sure if its a shrimp thing as I've had the same problems with AS Malaya too. 

NatureSoil is a better alternative imo, as its made with shrimp (and plants) in mind.


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## Superman (16 Oct 2009)

JamesM said:
			
		

> Check LondonDragon's shrimp tank log too - he had problems with *AquaSoil as it breaks down to dust*, making the water permanently cloudy. Not sure if its a shrimp thing as I've had the same problems with AS Malaya too.
> 
> NatureSoil is a better alternative imo, as its made with shrimp (and plants) in mind.



I think that LD's problems was down to Aquasoil Amazonia II but Amazion (I) is fine.

NatureSoil is a good bet and doesn't leech ammonia, so that's a better bet.


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## Animal Mother (16 Oct 2009)

I've seen the shrimp nano tank at TGM and it is filled with AS (not sure what type) and it's clear as crystal.


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## JamesM (16 Oct 2009)

Superman said:
			
		

> JamesM said:
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^^^ I had exactly the same problems with Malaya


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## JamesM (16 Oct 2009)

Animal Mother said:
			
		

> I've seen the shrimp nano tank at TGM and it is filled with AS (not sure what type) and it's clear as crystal.


Well good luck with it bud, keep us informed


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## Animal Mother (17 Oct 2009)

I've gone with Dwarf Hair grass and Christmas Tree Moss.   

Thanks for the advice guys.


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## Animal Mother (18 Oct 2009)

See this for the update.
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=8298


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