# Low-Energy Dirt Tank



## Tim Harrison (16 Nov 2014)

The writing has been of the wall for Cryptic Haven http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/cryptic-haven-low-energy-update-pics.28695/ for some time now. A change in tank location meant it needed to be viewable from 3 sides so a convex layout was the best option, but very challenging especially since I've never done one before.

I've not had time to strip it down and start again until recently. I was going to rescape and carry on with the same journal since I've reused the hardscape and most of the plants with one or two additions - not least the manzi.

However, the end result was so different I decided a new journal was perhaps more appropriate. Curiously, it only took an hour or so to scape before I was happy with it (maybe that shows). Anyway, I've got round to uploading a few pics of the hardscape so I thought I'd share...


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## NC10 (16 Nov 2014)

Loving the rock work. Is it just slate or a posh ADA type thing?

Edit: Never mind, I can see white veins in the last pic, that ain't slate  (unless it's just the light reflecting?)


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## Tim Harrison (16 Nov 2014)

Hi thanks NC10, it's just good old Lake District slate 99p a rock from my local Frosts garden center...I chose the rocks with the most quartzite veins cause I thought they looked good.


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## razvaa (17 Nov 2014)

Woow man ! Very nice rocks and wood, love it.


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## Tim Harrison (19 Nov 2014)

Thanks razvaa, I'll try and upload some snapshots of it planted over the weekend.


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## tim (19 Nov 2014)

Very nice troi, look forward to the planted pics.


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## wick (19 Nov 2014)

Looks ace, Troi,and you've barely started!
I don't know how you had the courage to tear down Cryptic Haven, it was absolutely gorgeous and would've broken my heart to do so.
What are you going with as regarding planting?
PS, quick question reguarding Cryptic Haven, did you ever fertilise the tank, or did you rely soley on the dirt?


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## Tim Harrison (19 Nov 2014)

Thanks Tim, and also wick...I didn't mind so much, the upside is that you get to create something else. As for plants I've transferred some and added L. brasiliensis and a bit of H. Japan to the foreground, and tied Christmas and java moss to the wood. 
Yep I use TNC Complete, about 2mls once or twice a week, along with a weekly water change of about 40-50%.


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## Rob P (20 Nov 2014)

Nice hardscape mate  I'm about to redo the Mini M and i'm very tempted to go scour my local garden centre for slate on the back of your pics, it looks mint!


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## Tim Harrison (21 Nov 2014)

Cheers Rob, it's amazing what you can find cut price if you take the bother to look in the landscaping department every now and then...as soon as it becomes earmarked for aquascaping the prices seem to go through the roof.


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## Michael W (16 Jan 2015)

Troi do you have an update on this? Would love to see the tank's progress.


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## Alexander Belchenko (16 Jan 2015)

I wonder what is the size of the tank? It must be big enough because you had angels in there previously.


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## Tim Harrison (16 Jan 2015)

Hi Michael, thanks, I'll try to post some pics over the weekend...Life's a bit hectic at the mo'. 
Hi Alexander, the tank is a modified Fluval Roma 90, the angel fish where no bigger than 20p pieces when they went in, when they got too big I gave them to someone who really appreciated them.


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## nayr88 (17 Jan 2015)

Well done on the hard scape, very we'll executed!
If it where mine I'd moss the wood up with weeping, cover the rest of the substrate with glosso carpet, big ol' needle at the back 

*EDIT* actually I'd be pretty stuck on the back haha. I know for sure I couldn't not moss all that wood and have a glosso carpet all round though!


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## parotet (17 Jan 2015)

Looks very nice Troi... Subscribed!
What about the wood and the substrate, with this thread title my guess is that they are also cheap options, aren't they?

Jordi


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## Tim Harrison (17 Jan 2015)

Thanks nayr88. If it was high-energy I'd probably be doing that way. However, the tank isn't fuel injected and is low-light with min fertz, so glosso wouldn't do very well. But the wood has some moss
Thanks Jordi...the substrate is Unipac Limpopo Black Sand and the wood is manzi...not so cheap options


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## Patrick Buff. (17 Jan 2015)

Very nice, I like the colours of the stones very much, nice dark grey. Subscribed

Patrick


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## faizal (13 Mar 2015)

Hey ..i am just going to repeat what everyone else has already said in here...I love your hardscape . Amazing Troi...you are getting better and better. So how is this coming along now?


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## Tim Harrison (13 Mar 2015)

Hi Faizal, thanks....it's getting there...although I have a lot of GSA on the anubias I will endeavour to upload a shot this weekend


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## faizal (14 Mar 2015)

Waiting for it....


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## Tim Harrison (15 Mar 2015)

Well here it is...such as it is...iPhone pic not very good I'm afraid but I hope to post some better pics soon...


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## Andy D (15 Mar 2015)

Superb!


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## Ryan Thang To (16 Mar 2015)

another amazing scape troi.


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## Alexander Belchenko (16 Mar 2015)

Like it very much.


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## Greenfinger2 (16 Mar 2015)

Hi Troi, WOW


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## parotet (16 Mar 2015)

Excellent Troi!


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## Another Phil (16 Mar 2015)

That's great Troi, looks like it's been evolving for years.
I esp like the pile of clitter rather than the more usual rounded pebbles.
cheers phil


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## Tim Harrison (16 Mar 2015)

Wow thanks guys...your kind comments are much appreciated. 
I stopped dosing fertz completely a few weeks since and the GSA on the anubias has started to disappear. 
Also, I tied a load of _T. barbieri_ to the wood which did well then died back. There were a few strands of _Fissidens fontanas_ amongst it and unbelievably they have now taken over, growing slowly but healthily. Maybe an example of the much maligned alleopathy theory.
I'm on the look out for some floaters next, I think they'd be a valuable addition aesthetically and practically, also I can use Darrel's Duck Weed Index to judge best when to dose fertz. I'll visit my LFS see what they've got.


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## Greenfinger2 (16 Mar 2015)

Hi Troi, These floating plants look good  But they grow very Fast  

http://www.flowgrow.de/db/aquaticplants/azolla-pinnata


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## dw1305 (17 Mar 2015)

Hi all, 
Nice tank. 





Troi said:


> ..I'm on the look out for some floaters next, I think they'd be a valuable addition aesthetically and practically, also I can use Darrel's Duck Weed Index to judge best when to dose fertz. I'll visit my LFS see what they've got.


 I've got plenty of spare Amazon Frogbit, _Pistia_ and _Salvinia _"auriculata" group you can have. I like _Limnobium_ for the <"Duckweed Index">. 

cheers Darrel


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## Tim Harrison (17 Mar 2015)

Hi thanks Darrel, that'd be great. I'll pm you...


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## Tim Harrison (17 Mar 2015)

Greenfinger2 said:


> Hi Troi, These floating plants look good  But they grow very Fast
> 
> http://www.flowgrow.de/db/aquaticplants/azolla-pinnata


That's a sexy plant...


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## Pinkmummy79 (18 Mar 2015)

Looking great Troi, another one i'll be keeping tabs on


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## Tim Harrison (18 Mar 2015)

Thanks Clive, it suits my lifestyle at the mo'...it's very low maintenance.


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## Pinkmummy79 (19 Mar 2015)

Im same mate understand totally


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## Jaap (5 Sep 2015)

Troi said:


> Thanks Clive, it suits my lifestyle at the mo'...it's very low maintenance.



Hi Troi,

can you please give more info? CO2? Substrate? Lights? Filter? Fertilization?

Thanks


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## genomecop (5 Sep 2015)

My kind of tank. Beautiful.


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## Paulmk (5 Sep 2015)

Looks stunning,didnt know low maintenance can look so good.You have gave me some great ideas.


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## Tim Harrison (6 Sep 2015)

Thanks guys and, hi Jaap...no CO2, soil substrate a la the tutorial http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/the-soil-substrate-or-dirted-planted-tank-a-how-to-guide.18943/ and no fertz, but plenty of fish. Filter APS 1000 l/h, lighting 2x15w T8s. Pretty much a Walstad tank


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## Jaap (6 Sep 2015)

Troi said:


> Thanks guys and, hi Jaap...no CO2, soil substrate a la the tutorial http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/the-soil-substrate-or-dirted-planted-tank-a-how-to-guide.18943/ and no fertz, but plenty of fish. Filter APS 1000 l/h, lighting 2x15w T8s. Pretty much a Walstad tank


Are all the plants that I see planted in the substrate or are they tied to the wood as well? 

Also is the dirt covered by innert substrate or is there only dirt in the tank? 

Thanks


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## Tim Harrison (6 Sep 2015)

The cryps and foreground plants are in substrate, the anubias and other epiphytes are attached to manzi.
The soil is covered by inert sand - unipac limpopo black


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## Jaap (6 Sep 2015)

Troi said:


> The cryps and foreground plants are in substrate, the anubias and other epiphytes are attached to manzi.
> The soil is covered by inert sand - unipac limpopo black


Water changes?


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## Tim Harrison (6 Sep 2015)

Similar to high-tech, about 40-50% weekly...but that's just personal preference...take a look at my tutorial under the appropriate headings it's all in there


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## alto (6 Sep 2015)

All this chatter & no calls for an updated photo


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## Tim Harrison (6 Sep 2015)

There's not really too much difference TBH...especially since it was fairly heavily planted from the outset, and I gave it a good trim a month or so ago, but I'll post another pic soon.


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## Tim Harrison (4 Oct 2015)

A quick iPhone shot by way of an update...Still being run the Walstad way, no fertz or added carbon.


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## Alexander Belchenko (4 Oct 2015)

Lovely tank!


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## MightyPumpkin (4 Oct 2015)

Lovely tank matey 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk


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## Tim Harrison (4 Oct 2015)

Thanks guys, that's nice of you to say so...really it looks after itself, I don't have to do very much at all, except feed fish and change water once a week.

Edit: obviously the fish get fed every day not just once a week


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## Lindy (5 Oct 2015)

Looks brilliant.


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## Tim Harrison (5 Oct 2015)

Thanks Lindy...


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