Low tech planted tanks (PIC HEAVY)

[Copper09]

Decided to setup some tanks again. I had some Topfin retreat 5g that I had on had.

I removed the filter compartment for more space and replaced it with a sponge filter. Here’s the tank day 1. I was able to get some cycled media from a friend. Also added some tetra safestart as a precaution.

Here’s some shots after two days when the tank cleared up a bit.

I stocked it with some gold white clouds and would add some more fish after.

Plants are microcarpaea minima Merrill, Rotala hra and hydrocotyle tripartita.

Added some s repens, ember tetra and honey gouramis after a week.

Added some hygrophila pinnatifida on driftwood and some Taiwan moss on another piece of driftwood. This was the tank after another week

Impulse bought a pair of sunset thicklip gouramis. Couldn’t put them in the 5g so I temporarily put them in my 2.5g jar with the white clouds. Also bought some Rotala wallichii and alternanthera rosanervig for the jar.

Also replaced the white clouds with some clown killis

Felt like the jar was too small so I setup another Topfin 5g for the jar inhabitants

I made the jar into a “dry” setup

After a week. The dark leaves are the s repens from the first tank. They just got transferred when this was taken. They weren’t doing so well in the tank.

Wasn’t happy with the cfl bulb that I was using to light the tank. RRF wasn’t doing too well so I bought two ONF flat nano+ leds. The selling point for me was the app control.

Here are the tanks taken on August 21

Left tank:
Rotala Vietnam
Rotala nanjenshan
Rotala hra
Scarlet temple
Hygrophila pinnatifida on driftwood
Hygrophila compact
AR mini
Pygmy chain sword
Microcarpaea minima Merrill
RRF

Right tank:
Blyxa Novoguineensis
Alternanthera rosanervig
Rotala nanjenshan
Myrio green
Rotala wallichii
Rotala macrandra mini
Taiwan moss on driftwood
Fissidens on driftwood
Riccia on driftwood
Salvinia minima

Taken September 8. I decided to move the driftwood on the left tank to the other side. Stand also came today.

Lights are on 12 hours a day. No co2 and fertilized with trace and flourish after every water change.

I change the water every 4 days. Haven’t really had algae issues from day 1. Substrate is used aquasoil from my previous setups and supplemented with some root tabs. Also switched the filtration to azoo 150 HOB so I can have the maximum amount of space.

I’ll be upgrading these tanks to 20g Longs soon so I’ll be updating this regularly.


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[PheonixKingZ]

WOW!! That is all very sunning!!!

That last picture is very nice! I love the lights also, they look so modern!

 

[Back in the fold]

That's the coolest step by step set of pictures and story to go with it I've seen here. Very cool. Gives me some ideas too. Thank you for the effort you put into this and for sharing.

 

[Copper09]

WOW!! That is all very sunning!!!

That last picture is very nice! I love the lights also, they look so modern!

Thank you! That’s also one of the reasons why I bought this light. I love the sleek and minimalist look of it. I did read that the bigger leds aren’t good because the of a lack of heat sink.


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[Copper09]

That's the coolest step by step set of pictures and story to go with it I've seen here. Very cool. Gives me some ideas too. Thank you for the effort you put into this and for sharing.

I really appreciate the kind words! More pics to come when I upgrade


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[PheonixKingZ]

What brand of light are they? And is OK to keep White clod minnows, in a 5g tank?

 

[Copper09]

What brand of light are they? And is OK to keep White clod minnows, in a 5g tank?

Yep but I felt like they’re more suited in a 10g since they’re such active swimmers. So now they’re in my 10g black water tank with some croaking gouramis.

I’m using the ONF flat nano+ for my 5g tanks.


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[PheonixKingZ]

WOW! Even the black water tank is stunning! I like how you have no green down below, but you have a lot of green up above, is that water lettuce?

 

[Copper09]

WOW! Even the black water tank is stunning! I like how you have no green down below, but you have a lot of green up above, is that water lettuce?

It’s just some frogbit that I got when I bought some RRF. It was one little piece of frogbit and now it’s covering the whole 10g tank surface. I’ve thrown away atleast 3 ziploc bags.


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[FishGuest5123]

Love the tanks. Golden white clouds are one of my favorite fish. They are everywhere in my 20 long.

 

[Copper09]

Love the tanks. Golden white clouds are one of my favorite fish. They are everywhere in my 20 long.

Thanks! I love them too! They’re so underrated.


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[Copper09]

Surprise! I got some croaking gourami fry in the black water tank

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[Colin_T]

And is OK to keep White clod minnows, in a 5g tank?

no, they need space to swim.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Surprise! I got some croaking gourami fry in the black water tank

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Cool!!

 

[Copper09]

My “dry” jar showing some amazing growth. I’m gonna be using plants in this jar for my upcoming projects. Might also get a bigger container so I can have more room for plants. I find it easier and faster to grow plants this way.


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