Switching To Low Maintenance

[houndour]

OK I give up. I've been neglecting my tank and I only ever come here to catch up on peoples posts and dont get time to reply much anymore.

Algae is doing my head in. I can't cope! It's never ending.

I'm going to attempt a low maintenance algae free (lol I know - it's a joke but maybe I'll get there one day!!!) tank.

My other reason for going low maintenance is I got engaged on Christmas day and have a wedding to organise for Sep 2006!!!

Anyway...need some help with my planning...
22 US gallon tank.

I have 55 W at the mo and I think I will reduce this to a 36 Watt bulb giving 1.6 WPG with no reflectors.

I'm tempted to change the sand to gravel but don't want to hurt my corys and botias barbels. Any recommendations?

I'm determined to find an impressive piece of bogwood and if it takes months then so be it. I want to simply grow anubias and java moss. and maybe have a fern. But will start with just anubias and java moss.

I know I dont really need CO2 at this level of wattage, but should I continue CO2 anyway? I have it and it's pressurised so it's easy. And it might help keep algae at bay.

Would I need to fertilise at these levels? Also if I'm not having plants in the substrate then do I really need laterite?

Sam

 

[smithrc]

congratulations
Lorna an I got engaged last christmas - and got married in October so know what your about to go through

anyway... if you need any of the plants listed drop me a PM - I've got all of them in the low light trigon 350 and other tanks...

I wouldn't worry too much about CO2 for them either - we dont even add ferts to the 350 (dont want to imagine the cost!)

 

[simonbrown403]

Congratulations

I have a small 60ltr with 15watts, its a doddle, all i do is change 25% of the water once a week and add 5 ml of flourish, everything seams to be growing well.

There's less algua in there than there is in my planted tank with co2.

 

[jimbooo]

hi sam, firstly congratulations.

on the tank front take a look at my 50G journal. that is pretty much the spec you were suggesting but with diy co2 going into the external filter.

it's by far my easiest tank to look after. maintenance consists of pulling out 3/4 sword leaves a week and a 25% gravel vac. i do add a general liquid fert just 10ml at water change and another 10 mid week (plantex CSM +B) but stopped EI on there about 6 weeks ago (guppy fry, nervous of adding nitrate). since then it's going from strength to strength.

i will always add co2 from now on as it's so easy why not. i'm sure it helps even with low light tanks.

with no plants rooted in the substrate you dont really need laterite but personally i would add it anyway. i'm sure with the best will in the world you'll still end up with some swords or vallis or something for the background.

congrats again and happy new year mate

James