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Slow 60 (ADA 60p low tech)

aec34

Member
Joined
10 Oct 2020
Messages
551
Location
Gloucestershire
It all started last summer when I finally retrieved the biorb and ill-fated fish kit from my parents. Now there are three dinky tanks, a terrarium, two wabi balls and a bowl of shrimp at work 😬
And this evening I crossed a line when I found myself making a cardboard tank:
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The 60p is in the house but I can’t set it up for several months
(Big DIY soon) so playing with wood and cardboard will have to suffice, and growing plants on in the 10 litre cube.

There will be no CO2, just plants, a few tiny fish and shrimp, and lots of patience.

A slow tank in lots of ways 🙂
 
Had a mini adventure to Sweet Knowle Aquatics last week to see some fish in real life. So many fish...

At the risk of sounding like Cluedo the current plan is:

Small tribe of Celestial pearl danios (probably 8-10, then maybe add a few more if those establish well)
In my tap water (KH 9, GH10 ‘moderately hard’)
With lots of plants*

* being grown on in a 10 litre cube which I plan to take apart for the new tank (and thanks to @Something Fishy for the bonus plants which came with my new swanky light!)

Only thing I’m missing now is a heater: I’m thinking of an Aquael Ultra 75w: claims to do 50-75 litres, and is adjustable. Anyone have any experience with these?

Cardboard tank has now been banished from the living room - but now has additional wood options thanks to Sweet Knowle.
 
Sounds exciting :) Glad you’re getting all set up and ready!

Can you put the plants anywhere in the meantime or are you having to use the small one for them?

Haha it’s sad but I already miss the light, it’s been such a gem but glad it’s gone to a good home and the new one fits my 80cm well.

I have an aquael filter and it’s decent so heater I’m sure would be good. I use the external Hydor heaters on mine, not the cheapest but they are very good.

Loving the cardboard dojo! Haha


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Progress is, well, slow... probably a few months off set up still but I find myself pondering filters. I bought a seachem tidal HOB, but I’m not convinced now that this will be the best option. I have sponge filters of various kinds in my other tanks, and it is probably coincidence but the only time I have struggled to keep plants/shrimp happy as when I had a small hob running.

Can anyone recommend a sponge-type filter for a 60p? I don’t want to go external canister filter, or build a mattern filter. I have aquael pat minis in other, smaller tanks - would something like this do the job? My Dennerle corner filter is brilliant, but I doubt powerful enough. No plans ever for CO2. It has to be quiet and not overly bubbly-sounding - which is why I’m put off just bunging an old-school sponge in.
 
I have aquael pat minis in other, smaller tanks - would something like this do the job?
I'm not familiar with these but upon googling it looks like a sponge filter on the intake of a powerhead. That could certainly be upscaled, just need a bigger powerhead. I sometimes use an old aquaclear powerhead but it's quite noisy. My favourite internal filters (not that I've tried many) are fluvals. They're almost silent and very reliable. I prefer the older plus range just because of the flow indicator and control but the newer U range does have a lot of media space, is easier to take apart and having the impeller at the bottom stops air getting trapped when doing maintenance on the filter.
 
It’s finally set up!!
And I don’t mind saying that I’m really pleased with it, and turns out being taunted by a pile of sticks in a cardboard box for several months has paid off. Here is stage one (not full yet, but will be):
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Tropica soil powder, plus sand patch (ADA Colorado) since I’m hoping for some cories.
Aquael Pat mini has been robbed from my other tank, where it has been replaced by a sponge filter.
I’ve planted with big and robust plants, and the plan is big water changes for a week or so before adding the crypts, epiphytes, and mosses (have been made a bit more cautious by the talk of buces struggling in tanks with new aquasoil).
Pretty much all of the plants already in, and those to come, will be harvested from my other tanks. Hopefully using plenty of stuff from established tanks will mean moving critters in a bit more quickly.

PS yes, I know for non-CO2 this light is overkill, but it looks nice, was second hand and has a dimmer. Working out how said dimmer is programmed is tonight‘s job.
 
Plants so far:
  • lagenandra meeboldii red (this plant is a recent revelation to me)
  • bacopa compact
  • vallisneria torta
  • Amazon sword
  • random nymphoides fragment
  • echinodorus ozelot green
  • odd bits of rotala and sessiliflora
 
It's nice when things start to come together after waiting so long.
Lagenandra meeboldii are lovely with the pinky/green iridescence similar to buce. They even grow pinkish in low light so yours should make them really shine!
I also have an echinodorus ozelot green, it started life as a dinky 4 inch plant a number of months ago & now resembles a cos lettuce so it will definitely fill the "big & robust" category!
 
Woohoo! Finally got there eh! Been waiting on this one for a loooong time.

Great start. Looking forward to seeing how it all comes together.👍😊
 
Done a couple of 80% ish water changes, and added:
  • some Java fern I’d totally forgotten I had. I don’t know how it got this massive
  • random floating plants (Amazon frogbit, salvinia, ceratopteris thaloctroides)
  • a stalk of ludwigia red
After much swearing, light is on for 4 hours at 35%, plus an hour ramp either side.
Bit of fungus starting on the new wood, and plants looking ok so far.
D5ABA35F-DFE1-477F-A471-61BAE3CEBA53.jpeg

Will fill properly tomorrow now I’m more certain the wood won’t float.
now resembles a cos lettuce
This 👆 is brilliant!!
 
One week old. Dosed first TNC today, and filled to the top.
All looking ok - lots of tannins and some growth, though the vallis looks sad.
189B7719-CD04-41EA-9FC1-1917268077A3.jpeg

No deliberate livestock, but at least one small snail and a couple of tiny shrimp have made their way in. Looking forward to when I can give them some company - assuming they make it.
 
Three weeks:
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Added all kinds of crypts last week, and removed Java fern and assorted bits which went in to make up some plant mass.
Moved in a dozen or so shrimp (earlier than I would normally, but they seem ok), and started attaching some buces.
It’s looking a bit grubby, and there’s something about the light which is very different to my other tanks - I don’t know whether it’s the spectrum or the brightness, but the same plants just don’t look as vibrant somehow. Might try turning the Twinstar down a bit, but on for longer.
 
Five weeks:
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I accidentally upped the light by zealously thinning the floating plants in trying to deal with lots of unwanted swimmy worm critters (think they’re some kind of nematode). Looks better!
After several rounds of shrimp hunting I’ve moved about 50 in. Interestingly, this light shows what variety in colours there is in my colony.
A1998DB9-9303-4EB3-89D2-E104D23EB1E9.jpeg

I’m feeling a bit more love for this tank now. The crypts have perked up (growing more upright) and I think have a bit more colour. Lots of new leaves on the crypts, vallis, and big plants at the back.
Will probably bite the bullet soon-ish and transfer the 6 embers from their temporary home.
 
Looked really nice this evening during water change. Crypt spiralis putting out new leaves which are a great colour.
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Still can’t work out why the tank looks milky/cloudy from the side. Maybe it is just grubby? Need to play with the light more too. I’m assuming ADA glass should be very clear?
 
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