Low Tech 320L - How Do I Go About It?

[StandbySetting]

You don't have to have a nutrient rich substrate, water column dosing will suffice and even then you may not have to dose much. I've run high tech set ups with inert substrates with no problems at all, you just have to ensure that there are sufficient nutrients in the water column. I don't vow for the heavy nutrient feeders needing nutrient rich substrates either, I've kept Cryptocorynes, Echinodorus etc in inert substrates, again with just water column dosing and they've all done well, after all the water column does extend into the substrate to some degree so nutrients are getting to the roots anyway, and the bacteria on the roots themselves can fixate nutrients.

In my opinion, the best planted substrate is clay, it's porous and has a high CEC, so as long as you dose the water column the clay will absorb nutrients, I've had great success with clay cat litter capped with sand.

 

[ZoddyZod]

Lots of the 'posh' planting substrates have a high cation exchange capacity (CEC), which basically means they are good at holding nutrients. Excess nutrients from dosing, fish waste etc in the water column can then be reabsorbed into the substrate, effectively 'refreshing' them.

The CEC of a normal compost may not be as high (it will depend on the amount of clay and humus in the compost).

But that isn't to say you'll need to rip it up after a year if you use compost - even with slower plant growth in a low tech system, your tank should manage to get very lush before the soil is exhausted. Growth will eventually slow as nutrients run out, but low level/trace dosing and/or fish waste should be enough sustain the plants long term.

Got it - so the high nutrient value is required for initial good growth, but does not need to be maintained continuatlly to sustain the plants.

 

[BigTom]

Yup.

 

[ZoddyZod]

In my opinion, the best planted substrate is clay, it's porous and has a high CEC, so as long as you dose the water column the clay will absorb nutrients, I've had great success with clay cat litter capped with sand.

interesting and appealing. This would allow me to set up the tank and move the fish immediately without the threat of ammonia spikes.

If I were to go this route would adding my current black gravel (and associated mulm) to the capped cat litter aid the plants 'settling in'. I'm not sure how much nutrient is contained in there, but it will be more than the zero in the cat litter I presume (with dosing TPN daily, I assume that some has been trapped by the gravel and mulm?)

 

[ZoddyZod]

Ok, so current plan would be a cat litter base capped with play sand.

Question 1

If I were to move my established vallis (20"+) from my current tank and plant then in the inert substrate of the new one - what are their chances of survival?

Could I do this successfully without dosing ferts or carbon?

Question 2

What sort of cat litter do I need to buy? Is there a certain type that's required or will literally any of them be fine? - How much will I need to cover a 48"x17" footprint?

Question 3

There is no question 3.

 

[StandbySetting]

1. Depends on the tank, sorry if I've missed it, but what's the volume and what kind of light is over it? (number of watts, type of bulb)

2. You want plain, clay unscented cat litter.

 

[ZoddyZod]

1. Depends on the tank, sorry if I've missed it, but what's the volume and what kind of light is over it? (number of watts, type of bulb)

2. You want plain, clay unscented cat litter.

tank is 320L - 4 long, 2 high.

2 x 54w T5's

 

[StandbySetting]

If it were me I'd be adding fertiliser, they can take their carbon from carbonate fixation, but other nutrients would need to be dosed.

 

[ZoddyZod]

If it were me I'd be adding fertiliser, they can take their carbon from carbonate fixation, but other nutrients would need to be dosed.

fair enough - happy to keep using my current supply of TPN+ for now but think I will look into mixing my own for the future to save on cost.

cheers for the help.

 

[ZoddyZod]

35kg of play sand and 16L of 'fullers earth' cat litter clay just purchased.

 

[Bigpig]

Sweet just noticed you got the same tank as me about to set it up again after two house moves buying a second car Interesting reading about this cat litter lark!!

What filtration will you being using? I found I had a lot of algae problems with the 320l Osaka in the end found it was all down to not enough flow. The 405 filter that came with the tank was good enough to keep the the water stats great (heavy stock)

Might be a good idea puting in a powerhead

 

[ZoddyZod]

What filtration will you being using? I found I had a lot of algae problems with the 320l Osaka in the end found it was all down to not enough flow. The 405 filter that came with the tank was good enough to keep the the water stats great (heavy stock)

Might be a good idea puting in a powerhead

You have fine taste!

initially it will have a Fluval 305 and an internal until I can replace the internal with a second external.

Was also thinking about a powerhead

 

[ZoddyZod]

Tank up and running now. I'm typing this from a hospital waiting room due to the lights destroying my retinas.

QUESTION
I have moved the plants from my 125L across and adding nothing else. For the 125L I was dosing 4ml TPN+ daily. My question is, is it plant mass that dictates the dosing or is it the tank volume?

so should I be dosing 4ml still, or now 10ml?

In the tank is approx:

15 x 2' vallis
A java fern and a few plantlets
5 crypts
couple of unknown swords

 

[ZoddyZod]

QUESTION
I have moved the plants from my 125L across and adding nothing else. For the 125L I was dosing 4ml TPN+ daily. My question is, is it plant mass that dictates the dosing or is it the tank volume?

so should I be dosing 4ml still, or now 10ml?

In the tank is approx:

15 x 2' vallis
A java fern and a few plantlets
5 crypts
couple of unknown swords

Anyone???

 

[ian]

sorry ZZ, for the late reply. Just remember you can't OD the ferts, however, you don't want to waste the ferts either, cos they're not cheap!. You do need to dose the size of the tank. With that plant mass you could take it up to 8ml and see how you get on. I would just observe the plants on 8ml, because the mass is'nt that high.