Here goes - Tank Two - Low Tech/Walstad style

[NannaLou]

I thought I’d have a go at journaling my new tank.

I’ve been reading and thinking and generally going around in circles for about 6 weeks, but things are starting to drop into place (thanks to the forum too for that)...

There are a couple of members on here that have quite thought provoking quotes/ideas in their tag/signature lines...about keeping fish as close to their natural habitat as possible, not using loads of chemicals etc. And, at this time in our world, we are being urged to use less electricity etc. to try to protect our planet as much as possible. I have to confess I’m not much of a ‘Green Warrior’, I like a warm house and to travel when it suits me in a car and not to a timetable..? BUT, I do love a project...

I saw this during my research:

And I’m going to try and do something similar...I’m prepared to revert to full lights/filters etc. if it all fails miserably...but am going to try really hard to make it happen!

I’ve got a 24 x 12 x 12 tank (54ltrs?), it now has a padded bottom (levelling mat) and the black backing has arrived today and is uncurling...

Its going to go in my bedroom (I’m working from home full time at the moment and probably 3+ days when things get back to ‘normal’) so will be seen from where I sit at my desk...
I have a heater, and plants have been ordered today.

I have a peace lily preparing for a water-fed life (advice on YouTube was to give it some time to adjust before putting it it the tank)

I need to sort the soil and sand out tomorrow ready for planting on Thursday ?...and then will be the very difficult bit.. waiting and watching it all grow...?

 

[Cydeth]

I love a heavily planted, filterless project so I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.

Have you any idea what you may eventually want to keep in there?

 

[NannaLou]

I’ve got hard water and have been recommended Endlers...I’m looking at the different types

 

[Cydeth]

Endlers are a great little fish. My local fish shop had a load of yellow cobra endlers in the last time I was there and they were certainly eye catching.

Unfortunately my water is very very soft so I'm not able to keep them without a bit of hassle.

 

[Madisonkeug]

I thought I’d have a go at journaling my new tank.

I’ve been reading and thinking and generally going around in circles for about 6 weeks, but things are starting to drop into place (thanks to the forum too for that)...

There are a couple of members on here that have quite thought provoking quotes/ideas in their tag/signature lines...about keeping fish as close to their natural habitat as possible, not using loads of chemicals etc. And, at this time in our world, we are being urged to use less electricity etc. to try to protect our planet as much as possible. I have to confess I’m not much of a ‘Green Warrior’, I like a warm house and to travel when it suits me in a car and not to a timetable..? BUT, I do love a project...

I saw this during my research:
View attachment 136414
And I’m going to try and do something similar...I’m prepared to revert to full lights/filters etc. if it all fails miserably...but am going to try really hard to make it happen!

I’ve got a 24 x 12 x 12 tank (54ltrs?), it now has a padded bottom (levelling mat) and the black backing has arrived today and is uncurling...

Its going to go in my bedroom (I’m working from home full time at the moment and probably 3+ days when things get back to ‘normal’) so will be seen from where I sit at my desk...View attachment 136415
I have a heater, and plants have been ordered today.

I have a peace lily preparing for a water-fed life (advice on YouTube was to give it some time to adjust before putting it it the tank) View attachment 136416

I need to sort the soil and sand out tomorrow ready for planting on Thursday ?...and then will be the very difficult bit.. waiting and watching it all grow...?

Wow this is really exciting, I would love to try doing something like this but I’m still very VERY new to keeping fish so I’m starting with the basics... Can’t wait to follow along and possibly start my own ?

 

[NannaLou]

Wow this is really exciting, I would love to try doing something like this but I’m still very VERY new to keeping fish so I’m starting with the basics... Can’t wait to follow along and possibly start my own ?

I’m new too....if it goes wrong that’ll be my excuse ??

 

[NannaLou]

Plants arriving Thursday so I need to get myself into gear and sort the soil and sand...just had another thought though...will Endlers want caves/flower pots to hid in - or just lots of plants..? ??‍?‍

 

[Retired Viking]

Good luck, I had a peace lily in one of my 29 gallon tanks but had to plant it after the tank had a bad leak, It grew to be very large and had long roots that were taking over the tank so I had to trim them every month or two.

 

[NannaLou]

Well! I have to start with, “whose b@&&£# idea was this..?” ?

I‘ve almost been in tears, my kitchen (and bathroom) now resemble something very close to the mud kitchen at the local outdoor children’s nursery but I did have to laugh at a memory from a long time ago when my mum was giving my dad ‘what-for’ for fixing his bike on the dining room carpet and using her teaspoons instead of tyre levers...

I’ve wash/soaked/rinsed the soil using: a plastic box for that purpose, a Pyrex jug, a large slotted serving spoon, my kitchen bin and two pairs of tights ??? they say necessity is the mother of invention...

I now have a layer of soil covered with sand. Looking at the water I haven’t washed the sand enough and some soil seems to have broken through ?‍
I’m not going to touch it anymore tonight and it will need draining and refilling several times...

Here’s the sum of my work so far - it doesn’t look much for the amount of destruction in the kitchen and bathroom...

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Oh my gosh, what a nightmare! You have to wash the soil?? ? Sounds too much like hard work!

You could siphon out as much water as you can then cap it again with some more sand? It probably leaked out when you out the water in, you could use something like a colander to diffuse the water? Or pour the water onto a paper towel?

 

[NannaLou]

Oh my gosh, what a nightmare! You have to wash the soil?? ? Sounds too much like hard work!

You could siphon out as much water as you can then cap it again with some more sand? It probably leaked out when you out the water in, you could use something like a colander to diffuse the water? Or pour the water onto a paper towel?

I knew it needed to be done, just hadn’t considered the practicalities... ? need to add a saucer to the list, that’s what I got when I realised the water was disturbing the sand...draining and repairs can be tomorrows adventure...

 

[NannaLou]

I couldn’t face any more tank dramas yesterday, but today my plants arrived and I’ve had a go at planting them ?

The little pieces that arrived look nothing like the pictures of the full grown plants so who knows what it will look like (assuming they grow ?).

I’m quite pleased with the look of it as a newly planted aquarium...just need to sit and watch for the next couple of weeks...

Here it is “just planted” with nothing looking dead yet ?:

Not that there will be fish for a while, but can I just check that about 76 degrees is right for Endlers..? The suggested ranges on the internet have vast variations...

 

[Essjay]

I usually go by whatever Seriously Fish says

 

[Madisonkeug]

I couldn’t face any more tank dramas yesterday, but today my plants arrived and I’ve had a go at planting them ?

The little pieces that arrived look nothing like the pictures of the full grown plants so who knows what it will look like (assuming they grow ?).

I’m quite pleased with the look of it as a newly planted aquarium...just need to sit and watch for the next couple of weeks...

Here it is “just planted” with nothing looking dead yet ?:
View attachment 136594
Not that there will be fish for a while, but can I just check that about 76 degrees is right for Endlers..? The suggested ranges on the internet have vast variations...

Looks good so far!! Water has cleared up probably settles on the bottom nicely for those plants! They’ll grow out and make your tank look like a jungle in no time! Can’t wait to see the end result and I’ll make sure I get a strainer before I start rinsing my soil lol!!!!

 

[NannaLou]

Looks good so far!! Water has cleared up probably settles on the bottom nicely for those plants! They’ll grow out and make your tank look like a jungle in no time! Can’t wait to see the end result and I’ll make sure I get a strainer before I start rinsing my soil lol!!!!

Thank you ?