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Or inside :) I’ve just made up a couple of these. One to keep floaters outside in my small tank and another to keep floaters inside (and away from my spray bar) in my big tank.

Not sure on the etiquette of reviving an old thread but I’m having similar results in a low-tech tank with lights only on for 6 hours. The internode distance is a couple of inches and many are producing roots. Is there a trimming regime that will produce a bushier look? Cheers Alan

That’s a cool series of videos, I think I’ll give it a go. One thing I don’t understand is how he makes an acrylic barrier for his Duckweed that floats? I thought acrylic had an sg > 1. Edit. Ah perhaps it is hollow rather than solid?

Hi I recently found a small 20l (ish) tank when cleaning out the shed so have decided to set it up as a simple low-tech. I have put some Tropica Aquasoil in it and planted a few tropica plants from the local shop (Bacopa Compact, Lilaeopsis brasiliensis and Rotala rotundifolia). I've also...

I recently found an old glass aquarium that is 40cm wide by 26cm tall and 26 cm deep (so about 27l I think). I would like to have a go setting this up as a filterless Nano with a few easy plants and was wondering if anyone could recommend a suitable light that wouldn’t break the bank? Thanks Alan

Thanks Majsa. If anyone has any frogbit they want to sell I’d be happy to give that a go.

Thanks Mick. I’m just wanting something to use for the Duckweed Index as a way to tell if my fears are ok. Maybe that would be a better option then.

Thanks guys. This is the tank and lid. You can see the piece I now leave open. When this was closed I had a lot of condensation which would drip onto the frogbit. Now, with the opening, the inside of the lid is perfectly dry. I do have some stems at the back that are starting to reach...

I really like the idea of growing a floater such as frogbit in my tank but so far have managed to kill off Tropica two tubs of it. The first one seemed to be going quite well until I changed my underpowered hob style filter for a canister filter with a spraybar. The increased surface agitation...

Hmm I’ve never used Wix but would hope it had menu in the name somewhere. Is it anything I can get to on the web to look at?

Is it the menu you get when clicking on the 3 dots?

Thanks Darrel. We have quite a bit of limestone around here (though the clouds seem to be invariably scooting past at 100 miles per hour so I’m not sure how local they are :p). Is there a reliable way to assay carbonate hardness without science grade instrumentation or is it not worth the...

Hi I have a new rain butt that I’m considering using as a source for tank water changes. I live in a fairly rural area of Yorkshire so there isn’t too much pollution but there is frequent rainfall. I’ve been reading on the forums about using Daphnia as a way to assay the water quality so that...

Thanks again Darrel. The leaves do seem paler than I remember and quite „droopy“. My water is supposedly quite soft though. Could it be a lack of light instead of iron or would that just stunt growth? I assume I can’t do any harm by buying and adding some iron? Would iron deficiency also...

Thanks both. I’ve removed what I can see with a toothbrush and completed a large water change. I’ll repeat the change tomorrow and clean the filter then as well. The algae definitely had a brown cast so perhaps a diatom. Not sure about the grittiness but it wasn’t just a slimy mass. During the...

Hi Steve, that would be great, thanks for the offer! Will dm you. Alan

Hi all, I‘m looking to add some MTS and Shrimp to my tank. The only place I can find MTS at the moment is eBay so I don’t know what sort of environment they are coming from. Do i need to take any precautions when introducing new critters to avoid introducing diseases etc? Thanks Alan

Well had a great 10 days away in Cornwall and am pleasantly surprised with how the tank looks now I’m back. The water is still really clear and there is no algae on the glass. My baby ramshorn snails have also doubled in size. The only issues I have are 1) my frogbit has completely melted and 2)...

Are these from pond dipping? Cheers

Hi Simon, thanks for the response. The article was an interesting read but gives no indication of what is actually going on in landfill sites. I guess we‘ll have to agree to disagree. I think there’s far more environmentally friendly packaging options and will continue to prefer suppliers that...

The only thing I haven’t liked about them is the amount of packaging they use, especially plastic. I bought a filter which is already packaged pretty well in the manufactures box and it came wrapped in meters of bubble wrap inside another box. A second order was also over-wrapped in plastic. I...

Thanks navvmau, how long would you suggest to have them on for, 4 or 5 hours. I want to limit any algae but not harm the plants. We will probably be away for 10 days or so.

Thanks Darrel

Hi all, I‘ll be away for a around 10 days in a couple of weeks and was wondering if there was anything I can do to help keep my new 60l low tech tank from falling over. The tank is only a month old and I’ve still been doing 50% water changes every other day. Lights are on for 6 hours and I’m...

3 Baby Blues arrived in the post yesterday! They are very cute and haven’t stopped moving. They are only about half the size of my smallest fingernail but have already managed to remove the small patch of visible algae from the glass at the back of the tank :thumbsup:

LOL that’s insane :)

LOL no I didn’t. My daughters goldfish certainly use to get very excited when my wife (who use to feed it) entered the room though.

Thanks @zozo, lots of interesting info there. I’ve ordered some blues so it will be fun to see how their colour varies over time.

Sold! Thanks all that sounds great. I’ll be putting an order in :)

Hi all I really like the look of Blue Ramshorn snails and was wondering if anyone had experience with them. I’m considering getting some for my aquarium but have read that ramshorns can breed prolifically and become a pest. I don’t fancy adding snail killing to my weekly maintenance schedule...

Hi onoma1. I’d just like to say thanks for posting this and the link to your earlier 60l journal. I’m at the early stage with my first planted tank, also a recycled 60l model, and it’s encouraging to see someone else having been through the same issues and making it out the other side. Your new...

Thanks mate. I am treating the water with a conditioner before introducing it to the tank. Yeah the sag looks pretty dead so I’ve been trimming off the leaves but leaving the roots in case it does a Lazarus.

Hi Soggy, Thanks for the input. Are you a Bongo owner by any chance (as in the campervan)? I am running a 60l tank that is now 3 weeks old. It is a lidded tank which initially had a single strip led light in it but I upgraded this to a double strip. I don’t have a PAR reading for it but it...

In that case I better ask the all important why question! When looking at the tank growing algae my instinct was that it was because of too much of something e.g. too much light, too much fert, etc. So why is the suggestion to add more ferts? Is it to try and increase plant growth at the...

Thanks @Jayefc1. I‘ll try upping the dose. I‘ve not grown anything before and feel a bit like I’m drowning in ignorance atm! I’ve done quite a bit of reading but I still don’t have much feel for what to adjust when things don’t look right. I’m sure it will get easier with experience but there...

Thanks again alto. I’ve found someone on eBay selling some. He seems to have quite an operation going and has been mentioned on a few forums so hopefully the shrimp will be in good health. I have a load of melt going on so they probably won’t need feeding for weeks :( . The water company list...

Hi All, Can anyone tell from this poor photo what this stuff is that’s starting to coat my plants and prefilter? Could it be diatoms? I‘ve read that they are common in new tanks and this one is three weeks old? If so then I believe that they usually clear up after the tank matures. I‘ve...

Thanks for the suggestions. Those blue ramshorns look great. I‘ve put a couple of black helmet snails in for now as I was placing an order for a gravel cleaner an the shop had some in stock. They are a bit uninspiring but seem to be busy cleaning which is the main reason for getting them at this...

Thanks @michael, I want some snails because I like the look of them so will start with just a couple and see how they go. I’d really like some native ramshorns but am worried about them taking over the tank as they will breed so nerites might be the safer option.

Thanks @Michael Cosgrove, it amazes me how generous people can be with their time. Some great info and links there. I’m not sure my wife is going to let me keep watching those videos though, I haven’t even finished setting up my tank and already I have tank envy! The maidenhaed site has a lot...

Some great advice there thanks for taking the time alto. I have replaced the original internal filter with an external Eheim that is more powerful. I have a prefilter on the intake that should keep shrimp out. I have a bit of algae starting to establish itself on the rocks and wood which is why...

Thanks guys, more good advice. I like the idea of the Tiger shrimp and pro-shrimp say they like soft water which is ideal for my area (unfortunately they are out of stock). I will give the type of fish I want some thought. I was hoping to have an unheated tank (house sits at around 20c) so that...

Thanks @akwarium sounds like good advice

Thanks both, cool link as a rough guide. At this stage I’m trying to pick a maintenance crew and leave some potential to add a few other fish later. Amano shrimp and Otos seem to get good wraps (perhaps 2 of each) but maybe I’d be better with smaller cherry shrimp?

Hi All Is there a rough guide to stocking levels anywhere? I have a small 64l tank with 10x filter flow and would like to get some idea of how many creatures I can add. Ideally I’d like a mix of shrimp and fish but am concerned that the tank might not be big enough. I don’t want to overcrowd...

Hi Matt, nice tank. Do you have a list if the plants used anywhere? I had a search but couldn't find one... Cheers Alan

Thanks @Oldguy. Is it something I need to treat or just wait it out and hope it goes away as the tank matures?

Good point but I'm running cold atm. I think if I decide I need heating (which I'm hoping to avoid by choosing critters that are happy at around 20C) I will have a look at inline heaters

Hi all, Can anyone identify what this is I have appearing on a Java Fern in a new tank? I’m sorry about the quality of the photo:( I’m not sure how to tell the difference between various types yet (and my slight colour blindness isn’t helping match them up to the pictures on James’ guide)...

Thanks Tim. I am using a Tropica substrate and doing daily light doses with fert so I guess that should be enough. I am going to be away for a couple of weeks in a while though and won't be able to keep up with the daily doses so I was wondering if ultimately a bit of mulm would help buffer...

Hi All I've been reading through the forums and just want to check my understanding on maintenance in a low tech tank. Am I right in concluding that mulm can be allowed to build up more in a low tech tank (thank high tech) and just removed when it builds up a lot? What does this mean in terms...

@alto I went for the Experience 250 in the end and it certainly seems to have a much better flow that the old filter so thanks for the advice.

Subtitle “The Death of Grass” An old book title but I’m actually after a bit of advice or reassurance on the Sagitaria subulata (Tropica 1 2 grow) and Vallisneria spiralis in my new tank. The tank has now been running for 11 days and both have pretty much melted away. This photo shows the Sag...

There’s this one https://www.co2supermarket.co.uk/co2-regulator-dual-gauge-solenoid-magnetic-valve-horizontal-valves-p181.html

Ah nice one, I hadn't seen that. Should fit with 5 cm to spare!

Thanks all. I’m happy to add an inline adapter as I don’t think the reg has one anyway. I also found this adapter as well https://www.co2supermarket.co.uk/disposable-co2-cylinder-adapter-for-co2-regulator-advanced-p173.html so that would solve the issue as my cupboard is too small for a large...

Sorry for the basic question but can a horizontal regulator such as this https://www.co2supermarket.co.uk/co2-regulator-dual-gauge-solenoid-magnetic-valve-horizontal-valves-p181.html be used with a top opening cylinder I.e. is the horizontal nature just an aesthetic thing or does it affect the...

Looks like my cabinet is too small for a fire extinguisher anyway :( I only have about 500 mm to play with and the extinguisher seems to be about that height with no room left for a regulator. Looks like I am back to looking for something to work with the smaller disposable canisters.

Thanks Ian, The idea is just to run it with plants only 24 x 7 for 2 or 3 months just to encourage plant growth. As long as I can adjust the thing to a reasonable rate I wouldn’t need a solenoid or additional needle valve. I guess in this scenario the main question would be how accurately I...

Would this fit on to a standard fire extinguisher? I am wanting a cheap way to get CO2 into a small tank for a few months and don’t really want to spend £100+ on a regulator. Thanks Alan

Thanks Fiske. Feel a bit like a new parent not knowing what’s normal and when to panic :lol: Will keep at it and keep an eye on things

I set up my new tank on Wednesday so it has only had a few days to settle in. How soon should i start to get concerned abou plant health? I am assuming that the plants might be expected to struggle for a while after the shipping process and moving to a new environment? It is a 60l tank with no...

Thanks Fiske

I am currently trying to set up a low tech tank. During the early fishless stages though I’d like to run with some CO2 to help the plants to get established. For this I bought the Tropica System 60 setup which simply consists of a plastic chamber that fixes with suction cups to one corner of the...

If you don’t have any luck then Towler and Stains do pub gas. We got ours from the Keighley branch but I think their main branch is in Bradford.

Thanks Keith I do like that idea and will have a try at rearranging tomorrow. The right-hand rock is actually much smaller than the other two (about 1/4 the size though the orientation makes it look a lot larger in the photo) so i may be able to use it to achieve the look you describe. Cheers Alan

Wow thanks for all of the advice alto, that is great. Done Hmm that’s a shame as I like the position but I do want to avoid algae as much as possible so will try to think where else I can put it. The top of it is currently only 20cm below the water surface. The moss is tied on so I will...

The plants for my first ever aquarium arrived yesterday so I planted them yesterday evening and am now neurotically watching for algae :) The tank is 64 l with an internal filter. I plan to ultimately run without CO2 but I do have one of the small Tropica System 60 CO2 units in at the...

Thanks for the info Tim.

@alto, thanks for the advice, I’ll check out the other models.

Thanks Matt. Yes I do plan to have a slope. I bought a 9 l bag and just dumped the whole lot in so it is about 5cm at the front and 8 at the back. I will have a go removing some.

Thanks Robru, The Eheim site lists the following... EHEIM classic 350 For aquariums of about. 120.00 l For aquariums up to approx. 350.00 l Pump power (50 Hz) per hour of approx. 620.00 l So 620 l would be 10x my volume. Do you think i need to go even bigger? Cheers Alan

Hi All, Would an Eheim 350 Classic with a pre-filter be too powerful for a 60l aquarium? The Eheim site states it is for approximately 120-350l tanks. At this stage I plan to run primarily without co2 but am toying with the idea of adding some home brewed co2 in the first few weeks/months to...

Hi I am setting up a low tech tank using Tropica Powder. Is 5cm a reasonable depth to aim for to allow good growth but limit the risk of it turning anaerobic? Thanks Alan

Brilliant, they always sounded great to me and I also plan for my tank to be as low maintenance as possible :)

ooh I like the sound of that. My water is very soft but I plan to throw some shell grit in so that might work. There is a sad lack of ponds (or lakes) around here (North Yorks) but I'll see if I can turn anything up.

Thanks Darrel, would you consider them an asset or nuisance in a tank I am hoping to be low maintenance or is it simply a matter of personal preference?

Just 1 waiting to be planted ... my wife is already looking askance at the number of orders arriving at the door though ...

Great info, thanks @alto. Now I need to decide if a Trumpet infestation is a good thing or a bad ... there seems to be some controversy around that :)

I am about to order the plants for my first aquarium and would really like to add some inverts after it has had a few weeks of settling in. The tank is 60l with Tropica soil substrate and will be run without CO2 or heating (the room rarely dips below 20C). Ideally I’d like some snails and...

Thanks Darrel, if I go the grit route is it just a case of putting a handful in and replacing as it dissolves?

I am just about to order plants for my new aquarium and was considering some of these and also some shrimp. My water is very soft out of the tap (150 uS), do I need to add something to increase the hardness? If so, Would coral sand or shell grit be enough? Thanks Alan

Thanks Matt, I‘ve bought the double as well (and also left the original single in) so will see how I get on Cheers Alan

Is there anything else I should be adding to the tank from a dosing viewpoint? I’ve just been reading through the forums and it sounds like it might be an idea to add calcium (possibly as shell grit) to my soft tap water to help with buffering...?

I‘ll add some to the list and see how I get on

I have bought some Tropica soil for the tank

Great stuff, thanks all. Nice to have so many options! I guess it’s time to dive in and see how I get on.

Ok so is the Duckweed Index just making sure the Duckweed looks ok and is growing? How useful is the conductivity measure I.e. would it be worth buying a meter like https://www.amazon.co.uk/HM-Digital-EC-3-Conductivity-Testing/dp/B007GP70UU or can I just watch the weed?

Ah missed the conductivity Datum link...just reading through it now!

Brilliant, thanks Darrell. According to Yorkshire Water we have soft water (9.3mg/l calcium) so should be ok on that front. How does the Duckweed Index work? Is it just a matter of comparing colour to the chart that was in the link you included? I’ve not kept any sort of plants before (aquatic...

I‘m trying to set up my first planted aquarium (low light, no co2) and am feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the fertiliser advice I am reading. I occasionally go away for 2 to 3 weeks at a time so would like a system that can cope with this sort of neglect. I can use pumps to dispense ferts while...

Thanks Tim, I’ll give the Tropica site a look. Alan

I am setting up my first planted aquarium which will be a 64l tank with low light and no CO2. As I am just starting out and know very little about plants I was thinking of letting aquarium gardens pick for me with one of their collections e.g...

Awesome tanks a this has been a great read, thanks for posting it. I am just planning my first aquarium and have been unconsciously thinking it was set in stone one set up so it is encouraging to see how much you can change things as you go along.

Wow, really like this. Do you have a list of the plants used for us newbies?

Thanks Matt that all makes sense. I’ve ordered the filter foam and the 2 strip light. I’ve just spent several hours reading through http://www.scapeeasy.co.uk which has a lot of great info and it has given me some good inspiration. I especially like the idea of going for a natural tree trunk...

Awesome, thanks Matt. I have an earlier version of the filter that didn’t have bio balls. The tank has been empty for some time so I plan to let it cycle with just plants for a few weeks before adding plants. I only have a single LED strip but have seen that there are 2 and 3 strip...

Brilliant, thanks Matt. What sort of foam pads do you mean (sorry I’m very new to this)? Also, what lighting do you use with the tank? Cheers Alan

I am hoping to start my first planted aquarium. I have a 64 l tank and want to set it up as temperate and without injected co2. The filter that came with the tank is an Interpet CF 2 https://www.interpet.co.uk/Products/Filtration/Filters/Internal-Cartridge-Filter-CF-2. I believe this is rated at...

Thanks alto, I’ll see what options I can find.