# Any tips for low maintenance low tech setup?



## GlassWalker (4 Nov 2014)

After moving around some tanks last weekend, I'm currently running a Juwel Rio 125 with 20+ garra rufa and another unknown fish that came with them. They're supposed to like higher temperatures, so I'm aiming for 25C+ in tank.

Their old smaller tank was bare so this time round I've put in a thin layer of fine sand as well as random plant trimmings from my other tanks. These are mostly stem plants and are getting blown everywhere by the water flow. I can thicken the sand easily enough as currently it is too thin to hold any plants down. I don't have specific plans on decor but could add random pebbles and bogwood too.

With hindsight stem plants probably aren't best for low maintenance, so am instead thinking along the lines of java fern, crypts... that sort of thing. Are they ok in lower light? Any other ideas?

Having learnt the lesson of not having excessive light, I still wonder how much light to go for. The tank's original lights failed before I even got it. Right now I have a single 5W LED tube and it looks very dim in there. I've got a 2nd one on order and intend to add it when it arrives. These are the cheap ones in a glass tube you see on ebay so I doubt they're very efficient even for LEDs. Think that'll be ok, not too little, not too much? The location in the room means they wont get any significant light from the sun as the tank back faces the window and is painted.

I would also add, my current plan for water changes is to aim for 30-40% each week, consisting of remineralised RO. The remineralisation salts are already high in potassium and magnesium, and the fish are rather messy so that would contribute nitrate and phosphate too. I also have EI kit I'm guessing I can low dose the macro, standard dose micro.


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## Michael W (5 Nov 2014)

Sounds alright, the crypts and java fern will be fine in low tech. Here is a type up that Troi had done regarding soil substrate and other elements such as light, flow and nutrients etc. It is well worth a read for low tech setups. 

http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/the-soil-substrate-planted-tank-a-how-to-guide.18943/


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## GlassWalker (5 Nov 2014)

Thanks. I don't have the option of retro-fitting a soil substrate but will see what other parts of that I can take on.


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## Michael W (5 Nov 2014)

Yeah, it is hard changing substrates once you have everything in place. But the rest of the article is very useful, I find that I learn some new things that I have over looked when I re-read it.


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