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Nice, and I like the themed Decoupage...

Too much Tolkien...;)

Loookin' goood...

Definitely in the low-energy category...which makes the carpet even more awesome...

Sorry if I've missed the crucial detail but is it a low-energy tank? Superb carpet either way tho'...

Very nice, and are those swordtails also freebees? - wild caught ones from that stream you posted about a while back.

Cryptic Haven (Low-energy soil substrate) 60xH45x35cm

From this... to this...

It's amazing what you can do with 60p these days...

Truly amazing...both scape and inspiration...

Hey plutonow...if you're still out there...any updates on this...?

Nice scape with very healthy plant growth...shame it went wrong... You can get Neuroleptics for that...o_O

Looks great as is...just keep doing whatever it is you're doing:) But if you're looking to change this may help, 1st of 3..http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/aquascaping-basics-part-one.199/ And if you're looking for inspiration try this for starters...

Looking great. Well done Bertie...

Scaping a tank that size and achieving such a great sense of depth and breadth is no mean feat - excellent photography aside...simply inspirational...

Primordial Iwagumi 60x40x25

Primordial Iwagumi...from this... To this 6 weeks later

I've been advocating the use of soil substrate with CO2 injection for some time now and - judging by your pictures - it just goes to show that it can work really well.

A-ma-ZING...did I read/understand correctly that you are using a soil based substrate?

Yes...and I also think it looks like they are both reinforcing flow - off the glass - in the same direction across the front, cycling the tank in a good old fashioned circular motion.

It's been a while but this has just come to my attention so here goes... ...No worries Ian, no offence taken:mad::D , and you're absolutely right to a point. And I'm one of the myriad...I've often gone way beyond 4cm soil depth with no problems whatsoever. However, it's just as well to try and...

ummm, nice video and thanks for sharing an' all, but to be honest I think you're right...not liking this at all...whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a vulnerable species and should be out there in their natural habitat, doing what they do best…mating with other whale shark dudes and producing more...

Very nice Ian...I like the FTS at the end the most, and I like the different textures particularly the use of the diff length stems in the fore/mid ground.

"Walstad" Naturescape 60xH45x35cm The Dark Side or What Lurks Beneath 60xH38x30cm The Dark Side or What Lurks Beneath | UK Aquatic Plant Society

From this - Somehow to this -

Pretty darn cool...you've chosen all the right plants and your lighting is obviously optimized with other parameters. Is the lighting T5?

Re: New to UKAPS Hi, welcome and none too shabby a tank :) , looking forward to your new efforts.

Nice tanks and excellent idea - would it be appropriate for others to post their efforts of the past year, or since joining ukaps on the same thread?

N Nice IKEA print, and your tanks ain't so bad either. I especially like the last one; it demands real aquascaping talent to pull all those disparate elements together in to a coherent theme :lol: Seriously though, well done, I like them immensely.

Hi faizal, thanks, the substrate is 1:1 mix of J Arthur Bowers aquatic compost and moss peat. The high organic matter content of the mix provides CO2 as it decomposes; IMO a significant enough amount to enhance plant growth. Plus it has a high CEC. The tank measures 60 x 35 x H45 cm...

Thanks John - it's a Fluval Roma 90 (litres), with the hood removed.

My sons low-energy soil substrate tank...no ferts...no nothing, except neglect. Arcadia Ellipse 24w T5 light - 4hrs on - 4hrs siesta - 4 hrs on, and an All Ponds Solution canister filter. It was a half hour scape thrown together a couple of months ago; the plants have grown really well mostly...

Thanks guys, believe it or not I haven't actually seen it yet; I'm hoping to get a copy Monday :D

It is/was lovely...by the way George did I mention that I've emegrated to Australia and taken the tank with me? :shifty: :)

Very nice; reminds me of a woodland glade.

Oh yep, it's for real...but I must confess to adding 1/5 recommended TNC Lite dose per week & TNC Complete once a month. I think that the key is lighting especially in the absence of CO2 injection. However, I have found that vallis hates additional ferts dosing and melts completely in a couple...

Thanks, the link is viewtopic.php?f=35&t=19761 but unfortunately I moved the photos.

What about this one?

Amazing...Your nanos - exactly what lighting are you using, what substrate and are they filtered and how?

Some great looking tanks, keep them coming. One I did some time ago, a 60x30x30cm (about 54 litres) low-energy tank, no ferts, no CO2, no organic carbon, just a couple of cms of soil under the same thickness of course sand.

Hi faizal It's ok to just toss in the filter, in a filter media bag of course, and use as is. Although I tend to use the amount that would comfortably replace charcoal, it does, after a while, tend to turn your tank water the colour of tea if there is too much and you don't do regular water...

Hi most likely the Amazonia has undergone mineralisation, but the colonies of beneficial bacteria may well be absent since it has been dried and stored. The fresh peat will have to undergo mineralisation so it will be likely that some ammonia will be given off. Cycling a tank is a different...

It's not a dumb question - I don't see why not; it's always good to experiment and both are safe for use in an aquarium. I have just set up two tanks using 50% aquatic compost and 50% Sphagnum Moss Peat; so far so good. The Amazonia will already have gone through the mineralisation process...

My Amano shrimps are partial to algae wafers, brings them out of hiding every time, they get so preoccupied with gorging themselves they are easier to catch...famous last words. Let me know how you get on.

It all sounds great, I am doing something similar with ferts but without the organic carbon, and with regular and big water changes - 30-50% twice a week. So far results are good. Before that in the other tank, which I have since dismantled, I was just using soil and the big root feeders did...

Hi, in the tanks without a gravel tidy I push the plant roots through the gravel cap and in to the soil below, that is if they have long enough roots of course. However, in a tank with a gravel tidy it is only possible to plant them in to the gravel layer. Nevertheless, they will naturally...

Hi i have capped my soil with 3mm pool sand, but I have also used a gravel tidy/soil retainer in between the two to prevent disturbing the soil during aquascaping. Its all in the tutorial. I haven't tried with CO2 yet but I am experimenting with dosing a new soil setup with ferts according to...

Wow that's looking amazing, health plants and happy fish, I think you've found the magic balance. Those swords are incredible. Could you post a list of the plants that have done well, it will be very useful to all of us with soil aquariums.

Hi Stan Tights might rot depending on what they are made of, it they are 100% nylon, then I guess no worries. Nevertheless, you can pick up specially made filter media bags on eBay for a couple of quid. I usually just use the amount of peat that would comfortably replace charcoal in the filter...

Re: Low-tech aquarium The latest images. Just over 3 months since the tank was first set up the planting has gone through a few changes, several of the plant species have thrived but one or two species have not done so well for various reasons and I've been pretty quick to get rid of them...

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi what soil substrate are you using and what is it capped with?

Re: Low-tech aquarium Well that's something positive at least.

Re: Low-tech aquarium Stan...I don't think your stock levels have much to do with the high nitrate levels in either tank, it sounds like it's to do with your nutrient dosing regime. I would do a significant water change to get the nitrate concentration down to a more acceptable level. I also...

Re: Low-tech aquarium Christor..thanks for your kind words, I am only too pleased to be of service. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any future queries. Troi

Re: Low-tech aquarium Stan…in principle there is absolutely nothing wrong with using garden soil in an aquarium as a medium for plants. However, it does entail certain risks. You are right they may contain substances that could prove toxic to aquatic life. However, soils behave differently...

Re: Low-tech aquarium I'm no expert, though it looks like a hygrophila spp. I am sure they will all grow well once they have got their feet in to the soil.

Re: Low-tech aquarium I have been using very high light intensity and duration for a lower energy soil substrate tank, and until recently I've been getting away with it. However I have noticed, under very close observation, that over the past month or so several species of algae have started...

Re: Low-tech aquarium Two more images, black background removed and plants trimmed a bit. I think it gives a greater perception of depth.

Re: Low-tech aquarium Thanks for that, it hasn't been proof read yet so there's bound to be more of the same.

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi the link works now, just experiencing a few technical hitches. http://ssapa.webs.com/

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi for the full enchilada check out the link below. It takes you to an article I've written about getting started with soil substrates, entitled "Zen and an Introduction to the Art of Underwater Gardening with Soil Substrate". http://ssapa.webs.com/ It's only a blog and...

Re: Low-tech aquarium Good news about the fish, I never doubted for one moment they would be fine. Sounds like you're getting there slowly but surely. Thanks for the link, pretty cool it reminds me of the Amazon biome I set up all those years ago, I pretty much left it to its own devices too...

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi Well spotted on both accounts, yep that is Lilaeopsis and Eleocharis ssp. in the foreground, and it is growing quite nicely despite taking a hammering by being moved frequently. It hasn't really had chance to get established yet and put down roots, but it keeps...

Re: Low-tech aquarium I've read some pretty good reviews about All Pond Solutions and their tec. I've brought a few things from them as well and found their customer service second to none. So I should imagine the filters will work well. Looking forward to the photos.

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi thanks I've syphoned my fish before and they've been none the worse for wear. I hope your tank goes well. Keep us posted.

Re: Low-tech aquarium Just thought I'd post an update of progress so far. This is how it all started, so from this to that in about 8 weeks. The plants are maturing nicely despite frequent moves

Re: Low-tech aquarium Again I don't have any personal experience using this, but I have read on several similar forums that generally it works well. Personally, I would lay off the chicken manure if you are going to put it in an aquarium :D.

Re: Low-tech aquarium Be careful using laterite with peat. I always used peat on its own, so I cannot comment from experience. But peat is acidic and it could potentially solubilise metals in the laterite such as iron to toxic levels. However, the dissolved organic carbon released by the peat...

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi any news to report on how you got on?

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi Darrel Reading my reply back it seems a little rude. I will read the thread you kindly picked out for me sometime this weekend, it sounds intriguing.

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi yes there are fish in my tank, it is up to and probably beyond the capacity of my minimal filtration, so perhaps there lies the answer :wink:. I am currently writing an article for this site by way of an introduction to my methods, so all will be revealed shortly...

Re: Low-tech aquarium The soil holds nutrients that plants can utilise, the grit just adds structure so the substrate is more conducive to root development, water movement, nutrient transference, and gas exchange.

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi, sorry I don't have the time to read through the entire thread. Would you be so good as to sum up the point your trying to make. I might have some answers. Many thanks

Re: Low-tech aquarium Sorry both, school boy error.

Re: Low-tech aquarium And George (not Mark) Great terminology and so appropriate in more ways than one, I will use it from now on.

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi Mark (not George) That is simply sublime, if I can get to within a country mile of your "low energy" set up I'll be doing well indeed.

Re: Low-tech aquarium That certainly is low-tech. Its amazing what some people take for granted without realising its true value. I thoroughly intend to take up the challenge of trying to grow more "difficult" plants the low-tech way. Especially, since it seems that elsewhere in this site my...

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi, thanks for that George. Now I know about Aquatics Live I would love to have gone, it looks like a fantastic event, but unfortunately I can't. Its a shame because I would have liked to meet you too. But I guess its one of several annual events in the aquarists calendar...

Re: Low-tech aquarium It had crossed my mind, but then I am far too altruistic so after much deliberation I decided to share my wisdom so that everyone can benefit from its magnificence :D. Also good to exchange views with another veteran pioneer, I don't see why we should let the...

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi exactly my point. The real strength of the method is that most plants preferentially take up most of their nutrients from the substrate and only uptake from the water column when the substrate is comparably deficient, so using soil based substrates sometimes has greater...

Re: Low-tech aquarium The High-Tech Way or the Highway? Can I be perfectly frank, and I don’t mean to sound rude or to be deliberately contentious, but when I decided to return to the hobby on a whim after more than 25 years absence to say I was aghast at how much had changed is an...

Re: Low-tech aquarium Thanks...I mean really? That's very kind of you to say so. I think that once the plants get their roots in to the soil there is no stopping them, all other parameters being favourable that is, not least of which is lighting.

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi not all peat is created equal. Peat is made up of decomposed vegetation of all types - trees, grasses, fungi, and insects and other animal remains. It forms because the organic matter is prevented from decaying completely by highly acidic and anaerobic conditions found...

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi I use my own formula, which is a blend of 20% sterilised loam, 10% grit and 70% Sphagnum Moss Peat. The aim is to provide a nutrient level just high enough to aid good plant growth but low enough to prevent excessive release of nitrate etc. But equally you could use...

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi, thanks guys. No the soil does not come up when I move the plants around, at the very most a get a slight localised clouding, but that disperses in seconds, it also depends on how deep the cap of sand/gravel is. I wouldn't even get clouding ordinarily, but I didn't use...

Re: Low-tech aquarium From this to this...my low-tech tank, a work in progress. The photography is a bit suspect, I've used an old digital camera which is well past its sell by date and the only light available is the tank light. Being a newbie to this site I wasn't sure where to post this so...

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi thanks for your comments. The set up is about 6 weeks old, but I keep moving stuff around so it hasn't really had chance to settle down yet, but despite the disturbance the plants are doing very well, and need thinning. The set up is pretty basic: Tank: Juwel Rekord...

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi the full enchilada. This definitely is a FTS. Thanks for your kind comments by the way.

Re: Low-tech aquarium The last image is as about as full as it gets, its only 55 litres that is 60cm x 30cm x 30cm.

Re: Low-tech aquarium Hi not sure what fts means, but if it means filters only the internal Juwel Biofilter which is rated at 250 litres/hour, so filtration is minimal as is circulation.

Re: Low-tech aquarium And another

Hi thought I'd post an image of my rapidly maturing low-tech planted tank.