1. Can this be done without any dosing of fertilisers or liquid/pressurised CO2?
Sure can, your plant selection is seeming like a low tech set up. crypts dont like loads of lighting, they are generally shade plants so this is ideal. As for anubia they also grow very well in low tech. So no need for co2 of any form or fertz IMO. The fertz is of course your choice. If deficiencies start to show then the plants would be lacking in some sort of nutrient. but the choice of plants you mention should be fine.
2. How many hours should I keep the light on?
If its a new set up which from what I read it is, then 6-7 hours wil be plenty, your lighting is a pretty decent choice for a new low tech tank. remember you should always start low and increase not the other way round. your spec seems fine to me. maybe at a later date you could up it to a 11w quite comfortably.
3. What is the ideal setup for such plants?
There is no 1 ideal method to doing this, so my advice is of course my own opinion again, but many members have their own ways, to be honest the low tech, low maintenance set up your going for is fairly simple to go by. If the substrate is nutrient rich in a low tech then its fine, so fine you coud even do with out any ferts. We only really introduce additional fertz and co2 when the demands on our plants rise due to high lighting or certain deficiencies.
4. If I want minimal hustle what plants should I go for?
Sounds like you have it bang on.. slow growers are ultimately the easiest to grow, you have stated two pretty decent low tech plants already. You could look at:
Java ferns
riccia
different mosses: Weeping, java, willow etc.
all anubias
most crypts (check)
amazon sword
dwarf sagitaria
ambulia (Limnophila sessiliflora)
hydrocotyle
vallisneria
The list goes on. Just look at low tech journals on the forum and see what you can find
🙂 Good luck. Hope to see some photos when you get things sorted.
