# Low tech vibrant nano cube



## Raten Furlong (24 May 2020)

Really simple nano cube layout:

Trying to construct so the plants are the focal point (especially the rotala h'ra background)

Been running about 3 months now - no Co2 injection or ferts. Just a simple LED light from eBay.

Decided to keep it temperate to keep ugly equipment in the tank to a minimum to keep the focus on the simple scape.






Pretty happy with how it turned out


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## Nick72 (24 May 2020)

Another nice scape.

What soil are you using?


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## Raten Furlong (24 May 2020)

Thanks man 😊. Using tropica aquarium soil powder for this one!


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## Ray (14 Jun 2020)

It's lovely and for no CO2 that's amazing!  Please could you post our plant list, well - identify the stems - I'm guessing the carpet is MC and _Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis_?
Are you dosing liquid carbon?  Also how big is the tank, watts of light and flow please?


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## Raten Furlong (15 Jun 2020)

Ray said:


> It's lovely and for no CO2 that's amazing!  Please could you post our plant list, well - identify the stems - I'm guessing the carpet is MC and _Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis_?
> Are you dosing liquid carbon?  Also how big is the tank, watts of light and flow please?


Sure 🙂

Plants: Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis, Monte Carlo, Pogostemon erectus, Rotala H’ra. Also small amounts of Anubias petite & Hygrophila Pinnatifida in between the rocks.

Light: ‘NO. 17’ 11w RGB. (Very cheap yet impressive colour rendition and growth as a result.

For flow I only use a small internal filter. (Eheim pickup 45)

The tank is a 30cm cube (25 litres).

I’m not dosing any ferts/liquid carbon currently. 

Really cheap set up - shows you don’t always need expensive equipment to achieve good plant growth!


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## rebel (15 Jun 2020)

Raten Furlong said:


> Light: ‘NO. 17’ 11w RGB. (Very cheap yet impressive colour rendition and growth as a result.


Is the light this one?
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71xnLo07tAL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
https://www.amazon.com/NO-17-Submersible-Underwater-Aquarium-Control/dp/B07YV2G63K

Thanks.


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## Raten Furlong (15 Jun 2020)

Ray said:


> It's lovely and for no CO2 that's amazing!  Please could you post our plant list, well - identify the stems - I'm guessing the carpet is MC and _Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis_?
> Are you dosing liquid carbon?  Also how big is the tank, watts of light and flow please?


Sure 🙂

Plants:

Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis, Monte Carlo, Pogostemon erectus, Rotala H’ra. Also small amounts of Anubias petite & Hygrophila Pinnatifida in between the rocks.

Light: ‘NO. 17’ 11w RGB. (Very cheap yet impressive colour rendition and growth as a result.

For flow I only use a small internal filter. (Eheim pickup 45)






rebel said:


> Is the light this one?
> https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71xnLo07tAL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
> https://www.amazon.com/NO-17-Submersible-Underwater-Aquarium-Control/dp/B07YV2G63K
> 
> Thanks.


Not that one- It’s this one: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/r.html?...Y4L5M6TCNWA&ref_=pe_3187911_185740111_TE_item


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## rebel (15 Jun 2020)

Thanks @Raten Furlong. That looks like a Satellite clone and is feature packed for that price!! Great for 30cm depth or less.

Your tank looks schmick btw.


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## Raten Furlong (15 Jun 2020)

rebel said:


> Thanks @Raten Furlong. That looks like a Satellite clone and is feature packed for that price!! Great for 30cm depth or less.
> 
> Your tank looks schmick btw.


Yeah it definitely does the trick 😊

Thanks! 🙌🏼


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## Alexv95 (11 Sep 2020)

Hello,

Really Amazing tank, congrat, I couldn't imagine to reach such deep red without CO2!
I have a similar nano tank : no fert, no CO2, ADA aquasoil but no filter. My light is an ONF flat nano. Plants are fine but my rotala H'ra (from tropica) doesn't reach that red.
What's your lighting duration ? Do you do water changes? Or do you have another tip to get it red?
Thx


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## Raten Furlong (15 Sep 2020)

Alexv95 said:


> Hello,
> 
> Really Amazing tank, congrat, I couldn't imagine to reach such deep red without CO2!
> I have a similar nano tank : no fert, no CO2, ADA aquasoil but no filter. My light is an ONF flat nano. Plants are fine but my rotala H'ra (from tropica) doesn't reach that red.
> ...


Hi mate - Thanks !

Speaking from personal experience with this tank, having the light barely an inch above the surface I think is the reason why the Rotala has gone so red  - the light being so close to the Rotala for sure helps.

I have my lights on for 9 hours each day & do a water change roughly every 10-14 days. 

Do you know if the water you get from your tap is soft or hard? I have very soft water where I live and this is known to help massively with plant growth (because of more background levels of Co2 being available without Co2 injection).


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## Michal550 (16 Sep 2020)

Raten Furlong said:


> Hi mate - Thanks !
> 
> Speaking from personal experience with this tank, having the light barely an inch above the surface I think is the reason why the Rotala has gone so red  - the light being so close to the Rotala for sure helps.
> 
> ...


Do you know the gh and kh of your water?


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## adavin (27 Sep 2020)

Really nice contrast in colours.    Autumn in a tank


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## Alexv95 (8 Oct 2020)

Thanks ! My tap water is not very soft but I mix it with RO water (to reach GH = 5-6). 
I'll try to set the light closer to the plants. 
Also maybe I should split the stems because it's currently really bushy.


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## noodlesuk (8 Oct 2020)

Very nice, beautiful colours, like how you have managed to hide the filter. I have the same one in my 20L and sticks out a bit.


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