Advice needed (and criticisms)

[Daniel Price]

Hi all

I am (VERY) new to the planted side of this hobby but have kept fish for quite a long time. I have never really attempted to make a tank a proper aquascape before either.

I recently converted an established 40g to a planted tank, sitll using the old filter so it cycled really fast just changed from gravel to filter sand.

Important stats
Tank: 40g
Lighting: 64W (T8) 6500K
Substrate: Pool filter sand (will be dirted at some point but I am moving house in 6 months and did not want the hassle)
Decor: Driftwood (New hence the tannins)
Fertiliser: Just some root tabs under the crypts and vallis
Macro test results: pH 7.4, Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrites 0ppm, Nitrates 0ppm (going to start column dosing macros because of the low nitrate)
Flora: Crypt wendtii and beckettii, Anubias nana, Vallisneria, Microsorum pteropus, Microsorum pteropus "windelov"
Fauna: 7 Danios, 1 of the hardiest Hillstream loaches you will ever meet (will be expanded after Xmas break as the tank needs to be left alone for 2 weeks)

FTS


Questions -
1) I am trying to go for a very low maintenance setup as I often am not able to do anything with it for a fortnight or so. Am i right in thinking crypts and anubias are good choices for this with low light and low ferts?

2) I would like the areas of crypt planting to appear really dense rather than tall and stemmy like they are at the moment. Is the best way to achieve this just to leave them to get established and start producing plantlets or to plant a shorter crypt speceis in amongst them, if so which species would you recommend?

3) Could you please critique the aquascape element a bit? It is the first time I have tried something like this, I aim for a jungle feel if that helps.

Thanks in advance for your help, please feel free to rip me to pieces as it will all help me learn.

Also here is my little hillstream loach, I have had him for years. He is the result of a very badly informed purchasing decision of four of them in an old coldwater tank, he was the only survivor. Unfortunately this is the only tank running at the moment and therefore is his home but he seems happy enough. He has his own cave in the right piece of driftwood and is very bold.



Also my danios have never been happier, they lay eggs most days now and then promptly eat them

3) I would like a low growing foreground around the left pieces of driftwood

 

[Michael W]

Hi welcome to the forum.

Nice choice for a low tech aquarium but you need to tone down the light or else you will run into problems such as CO2 deficiency and algae out break.

The only short crypt I know is C. Parva which can also be used as your foreground plant. If your interested once you reach 25 posts have a look for a thread on the sale/trade section for Alistair's thread. He is selling a really good foreground plant. Once you reach 25 post the section will become open to you as you can't see it right now.

I actually really enjoy your setup so far! It would be nice if you start the carpet as you sated infront of the left driftwood and next to the right rocks. I think leaving the middle empty is pretty nice in my opinion.

P.S I think if would look even better if you fill the centre back with something big like an echinodrus to create a nice crescent with the empty space in the middle.

 

[Daniel Price]

Thanks for the advice Michael, would shortening the time the lights are on from 7 hours (current) to 4-5 have the same effect as using less powerful bulbs?

Will have a look at C. parva, I think my original research showed it was necessary to have higher light and CO2 for it though?!

 

[Michael W]

Lower the photoperiod could help until you choose to buy new lights should you wish. C. Parva does not need higher light or CO2, but will appreciate the CO2 as with any other plants. As long as you lower the light through the method of your choice and provide a nice even flow to the plant then your good to go.

Having high lights will drive the plants to need more CO2 and nutrients and the lack of those will result in poor plant growth and lead to algae, thats why high tech tanks need to keep their maintenance up. In a low tech we aim to create healthy plant growth using lower lightning to avoid those problems but as a result you get slow growth.

 

[Claire]

Using floating plants is also a good method of cutting down lighting intensity without having to shorten your time the lights are on (photoperiod) or having to change your light unit.

 

[darren636]

Crypt parva grows well in low tech set Ups. Mine throw out runners happily

 

[kirk]

Hello to be honest with you I think you are doing very well for your first atempt. Maybe a bit of height rear left corner and maybe a bit of carpeting going on front right to start with but hey it your baby and those were my ideas. Keep up the good work.

 

[Claire]

Other low tech plants that should grow well are swords (echinodorus bleheri or echinodorus tenellus - there are many other kinds of sword with the first name echinodorus but not all will grow as well in a low tech setup) but these will grow pretty big, good for a jungle effect though! Cambomba caroliniana, egeria densa, hygrophila difformis, all species of cryptocorynes really, aponogetons grow well for me in low tech, I had aponogeton ulvaceus and it grew like a weed and produced flowers, and then you already have some ferns and vallis. Vallis is one of those weird plants that for some people it grows like wildfire and is brilliant and for others (like me) it just dies. Hopefully it'll do well for you! Also mosses will grow in any setup, but like the ferns and anubias, need to be attached to wood or rock to look good.

Floating plants like frogbit, salvinia, duckweed, red-root etc are all good for cutting down light.

 

[darren636]

Bolbitis does very well low tech

 

[Daniel Price]

Cheers for all the advice guys. Going to take things very slow with this and try to learn as much as I can. Everything seems to be going pretty well at the moment. Lets hope that continues!

I will definitely be adding some plants from your suggestions shortly and will update with pics as to how well they do for me!

Cheers
Dan