First ever tank - nano/ walstad/ low tech

[kal_xyz]

Hey everyone, thought I'd share my first ever set up. It's roughly 6 weeks in at this point. Letting everything grow in, so it's looking a bit wild right now.

30x30x30 tank
Soil/ dirt + gravel cap
budget light

Waiting for the moss to grow and then moving it somewhere else to make it look a bit more natural. I'd say the vallisneria isn't doing amazingly well but it arrived in that state..

Next steps: Adding ramshorn snails and blue velvet shrimp (delayed delivery). Also planning of adding daphnia pulex, crangonyx pseudogracilis, and blackworms after some recommendations I saw on here and figuring out where best to source them.

Any questions, feedback, tips or potential risks you see?

Cheers

 

[hypnogogia]

I'd say the vallisneria isn't doing amazingly well but it arrived in that state..

Vallis can take a while to settle, and when it does and takes off, it’s pretty rampant.

 

[Jorge O'Reilly]

Absolutely. The spiralis variety is smaller, but they get tangled. Is that eleocharis? Never could get those to grow...

 

[kal_xyz]

@hypnogogia then hopefully it will recover in due time!

@Jorge O'Reilly yep, eleocharis acicularis mini. It's actually already trying to spread a little so I'm hopeful!

 

[Cazza]

Looks good! My Vallis melted quite a lot for the first 3-4 weeks, but has now recovered really well and has plenty of runners and new growth.

 

[azawaza]

I love the emergent plants, but how did you stick them up so upright?

 

[Andy Pierce]

I love the emergent plants, but how did you stick them up so upright?

Me too. What are the emergent plants and are they rooted in the substrate? I kind looks like they are floating somehow.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I love the emergent plants, but how did you stick them up so upright?

I think they are in clips (like these or DIY ones <"Poth-O-Carry® Original Aquarium Pothos Holder — The Poth-O-Carry® Store"> and have grown straight up towards the light, but they will eventually sprawl sideways.

What are the emergent plants and are they rooted in the substrate? I kind looks like they are floating somehow.

Pothos (<"Epipremnum aureum">).

cheers Darrel

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Also planning of adding daphnia pulex, crangonyx pseudogracilis, and blackworms after some recommendations I saw on here and figuring out where best to source them.

PM me if you are still struggling.

cheers Darrel