# Help confused



## f1mark (21 Jan 2018)

Hi I am in need of some help the more I read the more I get confused about substrate I am wanting to scape an existing 360L tank without the use of co2 but I am not sure on the substrate to use. thanks in advance
Mark


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## Kezzab (22 Jan 2018)

What's your aim for the tank?

You could be over thinking it.
k


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## Edvet (22 Jan 2018)

Not using CO2 means low light.
You can use every soil/substrate you want, just make sure the plants get food, either from feeding through the soil, or through feeding the water column
Our member Tim wrote a article about walstad method( https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/the-soil-substrate-or-dirted-planted-tank-a-how-to-guide.18943/) but using just riversand and feeding the column works for me


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## zozo (22 Jan 2018)

To make a long story short..  Don't think to much about the type of substrate in terms of best and just try things en make your own experiences with that particular tank. It doesn't mater that much you'll probably never have the same excact experience with another tank anyway. Pick a substrate and plant it with common sense. Low energy tank requires low energy plants that are deemed easy to grow. See how it goes and go with what you get, if a certain plant species doesn't like it and others do, don't go running around in panic changing to many things and bending in all kinds of directions to make that 1 impossible plant work. If a plant doesn't like it, pick something else and swap it till you find something that does like it.  Nobody can tell you up front what will grow well in this or that and what wont. 

I can pick 5 plant spieces out of my head that are deemed easy but just do not want to grow in my fuji sand tank. I don't know why, they are my soure grapes, my mystery i can't solve. Mean while the fuji sand grows plants well that are deemed more difficult than the those that wont grow. 

Sometimes if it all doesn't go as planned or promissed, your hands are tied and than you just need to go with the flow.. 

It indeed can be confusing.. Many reply their experiences and or write articles as if it all is something universal.. It rarely is, each tank has it's own individual properties and issues, there are no 2 setups the same.. One thing universal is we never realy can't look under the skin..


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## f1mark (22 Jan 2018)

thanks for your replies would 3x80w t5's be too much for a lo energy tank


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## Kezzab (22 Jan 2018)

Your best bet is to get started and see what happens. As zozo says, while there are rules of thumb, each tank is different.

If you start getting algae, then you probably have too much light and you can take out 1 or 2 of the tubes. Or even start out with 2 and add or subtract.

Everything in low tech takes longer, so don't panic, give stuff time. It can take weeks to see changes. 

It's a big investment of time and energy to.set up a 350l tank, but the best way to.learn is to do. You can fry your brain reading too much online without the experience to process what it means, or what is rubbish. Unlike this post, which is solid gold obviously.


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## Dolly Sprint 16v (22 Jan 2018)

f1mark said:


> thanks for your replies would 3x80w t5's be too much for a lo energy tank



Yes - T5 tubes are classified as high lighting - if you want a low energy tank go for T8's

Paul


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## Kezzab (22 Jan 2018)

Or fewer t5s...


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## ceg4048 (22 Jan 2018)

f1mark said:


> thanks for your replies would 3x80w t5's be too much for a lo energy tank


YES. Way over the top.
Listen carefully to Dolly Sprint 16v.

Cheers,


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## f1mark (23 Jan 2018)

I already have the T5's but I can run them on 1 2 or 3 bulbs


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## ceg4048 (23 Jan 2018)

+1 for 1 bulb. 

Cheers,


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## Kezzab (23 Jan 2018)

I'm assuming this is your first planted tank, apologies if not.

My advice would be keep it simple and minimize the number of variables.

So...

Use sand as a substrate.

Use 1 t5 tube to start with.

Pick undemanding plants, Anubis, java ferns, crypts, amazon swords etc.

Don't overdo the hardscape, keep it simple and easy to remove (so you can clean it or move it add plants).

Buy a complete fertiliser and dose per the instructions, tnc complete for example.

Have the light on for about 6 hours.

Do weekly water changes. 50% won't be necessary for low tech, aim for 15%ish, or whatever is manageable in the time you have free.

Crack on. 

This tank of mine was basically like the above, apart from the substrate: https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/lazy-moody-asian-autumn-ish.40599/


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## f1mark (23 Jan 2018)

thanks Kezzab


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