# Low Tech noob!



## JoeH (11 Oct 2014)

Hi, I'm starting a planted tank after Christmas and think I've decided to go low tech because of the low cost. One guide says I should dose seachem equilbrium, Potassium Nitrate and Potassium Phosphate weekly. What kind of plants can I grow? I have a 120l tank.
I was thinking about these plants but I'm not sure if they can live and grow well in a low tech set up:
Blyxa Japonica
Anubius Nana
Java moss 
Dwarf hair grass
Tropical staurogryne repens 
Ludwigia arcuata 

Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks.


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## Tim Harrison (11 Oct 2014)

Hi I think you might struggle a bit with Blyxa, Staurogyne, and Dwarf Hair Grass - but success is not unknown the low-energy way. Anyway, check out the tutorials section there is a wealth of very helpful info there to get you started


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## JoeH (11 Oct 2014)

Thanks, I'll check it out


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## JoeH (11 Oct 2014)

Hmm, mite go for a dwarf sag carpet over dwarf hairgrass. Looks a lot easier and faster to grow..


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## EnderUK (12 Oct 2014)

dwarf sag does very well in a low tech tank and it does spread. In a 120L tank it does get quite large, averaging about 10 high but some of blades on mine are about 20cm. This can get a little messy pushed up against the glass. I got around this by putting plastic dividers into the substrate about 5cm from the glass.

staurogryne repens did okay in mine for a while but it was not a carpet  wanted and I took it out.


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## JoeH (12 Oct 2014)

Thank you very much for the advice! Can you post a pic of your set up? Thanks


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## BigTom (12 Oct 2014)

Yeah sag got pretty large for me too. DHG can be a little hit and miss but is generally OK, and Lilleaopsis brasiliensis has always done well for me. Blyxa was fine as well when I tried it but stayed very compact.

Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk


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## JoeH (12 Oct 2014)

Thanks BigTom!

Anyone have any preferences on 
*Hydrocotyle tripartita?*


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## EnderUK (12 Oct 2014)

JoeH said:


> Thank you very much for the advice! Can you post a pic of your set up? Thanks


Sorry had to wait for it to get dark.....




 

I used a tissue culture but you don't have to since the stuff grows pretty wild and sends runners out quickly. This is now a low tech tank but it was a high tech low energy tank for about 4 months. I don't trim it.



 



 



 

As you can see the smaller grass doesn't grow very well in low energy tanks, this is the fourth failed attempt. I've got some emersed set up in a propagator to plant next spring, highly recommended. See Andys HC propagator step by step



 
This small plant is cryptocoryne pigmea, has been in about a month and not really done anything, at least it hasn't melted, might put some more in a later date but I don't think it will carpet, I could be wrong.




 

It's not that dense a carpet but it does hide a lot.


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## BigTom (12 Oct 2014)

JoeH said:


> Thanks BigTom!
> 
> Anyone have any preferences on
> *Hydrocotyle tripartita?*



Grows like a weed in almost any conditions. Kind of hard work for a carpet because you forever have to bury the new growth, but for nice clumps and trails it works really well.


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## JoeH (12 Oct 2014)

Wow! What a beautiful tank. Can you tell me what ferts you dose, also what lighting do you use? I really appreciate the help, it just proves that a low tech tank can look just as stunning as high tech.
Thanks


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## EnderUK (12 Oct 2014)

JoeH said:


> Wow! What a beautiful tank. Can you tell me what ferts you dose, also what lighting do you use? I really appreciate the help, it just proves that a low tech tank can look just as stunning as high tech.
> Thanks



This isn't you're typical tank and I am hiding a lots of small issues in those photos, it was a low energy high tech dirt tank, ie low light co2 injected for 4 months. It's only been running low tech for about a month. I'm running 2x14w t5HE (not HO), dosage is 1/3 of the EI levels in the tutorial sections here. 

If you want to see a true low tech master piece have a look at Tom's bucket or Alastairs chocolate puddle. In the featured journals.


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## JoeH (12 Oct 2014)

OK, looks great to me! Haha


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## JoeH (12 Oct 2014)

So would the EI method work in my low tech? Also it mentions CSM+B but I can't seem to find it in the UK. Where do you get yours?
Thanks


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## EnderUK (12 Oct 2014)

You can follow the EI method, you can use about a 1/3 of the levels in a low energy tank, if you start seeing deficiencies then up the dosage slightly, your tank will be a lot more forgiving than in a high tech tank but you still need to feed your plants. You can get the salts from our sponsors with a 10% discount. If you get the starter set you get everything you need and it will be a lot cheaper then pre-mixed stuff. CSM+B is just a trace mix sold in America, you can just use TNC trace or similar.


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## JoeH (14 Oct 2014)

Ah ok thanks. One last thing, should I start dosing as soon as its all set up? Wouldn't the new substrate already have enough in to start with? Thanks.


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## EnderUK (14 Oct 2014)

There's absoulty no harm in dosing straight away and is probably better since most of your plants won't of established a decent root structure yet. Most here will dose right away and do 20 to 30 big water changes in the first month of a new tank setup. Expect plants to melt, most commerical plants are sold with emersed leaves which are ill suited their new life underwater with lack of carbon. As long as new leaves start emerging you can trim off the old leaves.


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## JoeH (14 Oct 2014)

Ah right, makes sense. Thank you so much for your help ! Hopefully my tank will look alright now hahahaha.


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