'ello all! I am currently setting up a 10 gallon that will be a low tech, no CO2 planted tank. I have a few questions on how to make that setup a success;
1 - How much circulation should I use? A little, or vigorous circulation?
2 - Should I bother fertilizing?
3 - Would a photoperiod of 8 hours be good?
4 - Anything else I should know?
My low tech 33g came with 2x24w T5 HO lights. For more than two years I battled with BBA and other hair algae; switched to a 24w BeamsWork led about a month ago - algae is now almost completely gone, plants still doing well.
The 10 gallon will have a 10 watt LED light strip with 10 10,000k bulbs, 8 blue bulbs, and one each green and red, for a total light output of 1,200 lumens (no PAR reading sadly, but 10,000k usually works well for plants).
6500K is preferred over 10000K but most cheap LED manufacturers really don't have a true 10000K output anyway. 10000K is quite blue in actuality. Anyway, distance to substrate matters a lot on this setup. You'll likely have the light too close and need to raise it. Tough call without much information on it though. I prefer to start small and step it up when I see things going wrong, IE deficiencies.
In my research, in a lowtech/lowlight tank, the more water circulation the better. Upwards of 20x.
No matter the "tech" of your tank, plant as heavily as your tank and your scaping plans allow with respect to the plants individual needs (if a stem needs 1.5" in-between other stems, don't cram 5 in the same space as one, and so on).
I've never used soil as a substrate but soil in a lowtech/light tank helps produce natural co2 gas through the breakdown of the substrate and other natural disolved organics in the tank (dieing algae, detritus, etc.). Proper gas exchange is crucial ,IMO, for this type of setup. Coupled with naturally produced co2, good gas exchange, appropriate feet dosing (if necessary), low lighting can become very effective at producing very healthy plants. The only thing different from a high-tech/light tank is plant growth rate. The health should remain similar.
I agree with the above recommendation regarding water flow, I got much better growth in my Walstad tanks upgrading from a 4x turnover to a 10x. Interestingly, I also got better growth when I removed the filter baffle meant to add oxygen that comes with the Aqueon filters, I think it was giving too much surface agitation leading to possible CO2 offgassing. Regardless, I have found that high flow with a personally adjusted amount of surface agitation worked for me.
Just a question, but...how do I use such a circulation pump? Do I just plug it in and let 'er rip, or is it more involved? I have no desire for a HOB filter because many of the fish I am considering are terrible jumpers and would invariably bail out the opening for the filter.
Also...would I need some kind of aeration in addition to the pump? And how would two photoperiods - one 6 to 10am, the other 6 to 10 pm - work?
Yes just place we'll below water surface and plug in. With circulation/movement pump you can angle it towards the surface and thus get more agitation/aeration.
It may be a little bit better as the CO2 gets some time to rebuild during the dark period. Personally, I find the break period a little bit too separated.
Hob shouldn't increase or decrease potential for jumpers imo. A split period is acceptable. I run a split. Much controversy over the pros and cons. While I wouldn't pick 10k it should work ok.
I'm talking about things like wild bettas and killies that will bail if the tank cover is simply left a crack open...absolutely NOT a good idea to use anything with 'HOB' in the name with. The split photoperiod is partially so that the tank lights are on when I am home in the morning and evening.
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