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The *BEST* (Tom Barr's) low-tech start-up tank method. Easy to read beginner's guide!

87K views 57 replies 28 participants last post by  beetea 
#1 · (Edited)
For folks that have come & gone thru EI, pressurized CO2, etc, and want something lower maintenance (as if you have a life outside of your tanks lol), this is the best article I've found (this is Tom Barr's low-tech method in a nutshell, the "opposite" of Tom Barr's EI if you will).

The low tech method is applying the same principals but with different variables (lower lighting, low ferts, no co2, & no h2o changes), this article is a great summary; it will make more sense to those who have a background in EI, but even for any beginner, if they follow this article, the challenges to a healthy tank will be minimized).

Sudeep Mandal's *EXCELLENT* summary of Tom Barr's Musings

This is my 46g tank that I started 4 months ago, using the steps outlined in Sudeep's article. As you can see, moderately planted from the beginning (fairly heavy but could be heavier), break in w/ low light hours, etc.



This is my tank now, 4 months later. As you can see, not all the plants have survived (dwarf tear's didn't make it, val's barely making it, sag has thinned, dwarf clover doing ok), but, everything else going well. No h2o changes (just RO top-off's), ferts 2x weekly, 6 hours of 10K & 6.7K daily, daily feeding. A few otto's, and 10 nerite snails help out a ton. My lily's just started melting, so, I'll still have to make some small adjustments, but the low-tech method, with its slower pace, will allow you MUCH more time to identify problems and react before algae takes control.

 
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#2 ·
I gleaned this article some time ago. It's a good article. And a great place for many just starting out. A jump point if you willl.

Kind of like the first bike with training wheels for confidence ... after a while takem' away see how you do.

Thanks for sharing.

Best wishes,
Wes
 
#4 ·
Non CO2 and the Dry start method (DSM) do go VERY well together. More so than amplified CO2 gardening methods.

I'm also curious why folks squabble on and on over wanting to avoid water changes and whine about pruning and maintenance, but then avoid this entire topic or poo poo it like the Plague.

Lack of patience, too much a CO2 scaper snob fan boy.......

You can scape at a very high level with non CO2, just takes longer and you need to learn different gardening techniques, be more patient with plants etc.
It amazes me more do not use this method, ironically, it's often the more advance folks who come back and try it these days. You can still have your gas and do this too, have 1 CO2 gas tank and then a few non CO2, this way you do not get overwhelmed.
 
#7 ·
That is a pretty comprehensive description of low light tanks, but I do have some disagreements with it. For example, the lighting he recommends, in watts per gallon, should be considered to mean little except for standard light fixtures sitting right on top of standard shaped tanks. On extra long, or breeder, or extra high tanks, those numbers will be far from correct. And his statement that CFL bulbs are less effective than T8 bulbs is clearly wrong.

And, it isn't CO2 that is the criteria for low maintenance tanks, it is light intensity. If you use 20 micromols per meter squared per second PAR lighting - close to the minimum you can use for growing plants with no CO2, and only for "low light" plants, you can still get much faster growth, for almost all plants, still with minimal algae problems by adding CO2 to the tank. The ideal tank has low light with moderate CO2 concentration - in my opinion - and DIY CO2 will work for that for all but the really big tanks.

He also misses the boat, in my opinion, in recommending a substrate. The most effective substrates are the fertile ones, like ADA Aquasoil, Fluval Stratum, mineralized topsoil, etc. If you do the simple mineralizing process on ordinary topsoil you have an excellent bottom layer for a substrate. Top that with a high CEC substrate, like Flourite, and you have an almost unbeatable substrate.

I hope the author will update his otherwise very good article to include some of these points, plus a few others I didn't mention.
 
#13 ·
This low tech approach is excellent. I've been using it to do a 125g tank with wild peruvian angel tank. I really love the minimal maintenance required, and the slow growth also works for me. Truth be told, there are many plants that will not just grow but thrive in this kind of setup, but in my experience, it's the wider leafed plants (as opposed to the rotala types) that do well with this. But nowadays there's many to choose from like the many different swords, crypts, hygros, mosses, and grass like plants. I think there's enough variety out there to do a stunning low-tech setup.
 
#14 ·
it looks like sudeep may have gone back and revised his article? I see now mention of CFL vs. T8s, only that spiral CFL are less efficient than T5s, which I can agree with.
 
#16 ·
Having just re-read your excellent article, and after a year of keeping a low light tank, I see something else that would improve the article a lot. It can be difficult to decide on what plants will do well in such a tank. I found that many plants just don't seem to make it, even though I thought they would be good candidates. So, if you were to add a list of plants you have found to work well in that type of tank, that would be very good. One group of plants that would be especially useful to know of is low growing, carpet plants. You did note that HC didn't do well, as I would have guessed, but some of the photos seem to show dwarf hair grasses doing well. Do they really?

There is a big list of "low light" plants in this forum, but, unfortunately the list was mostly made when people considered light only in terms of watts per gallon. A 20L and a 20H tank are both 20 gallon, but the light that would be low light on the 20H will almost certainly be high, or at least, medium on the 20L. Any new list should, in my opinion, include only plants found to do ok with 20-35 micromols per sq. meter per second of PAR.

I'm about ready to re-scape my 65 gallon tank again (I'm bored) and I think I want to do a dry start, possibly with Aquasoil, then follow this method with the tank. So, any information that improves the article will be very helpful to me.
 
#17 ·
Hi Hoppy, Yes, I do agree that a list of plants would be beneficial. Unfortunately, I don't think I would be the best person to make that list as I have only had the one tank and I haven't been very adventurous with the plants that I used. Dwarf Hairgrass works really well in a tank with Excel supplementation, but once I transitioned away from Excel and made it a true low-tech tank, it started to die out. Certainly the anubias and java ferns work very well, though they grow quite slowly. Perhaps I should start a forum thread asking for input from other members in this sub-forum to get an idea for what plants have worked out for them in their low-tech tanks. Also, I read your comment about substrates:
The most effective substrates are the fertile ones, like ADA Aquasoil, Fluval Stratum, mineralized topsoil, etc. If you do the simple mineralizing process on ordinary topsoil you have an excellent bottom layer for a substrate. Top that with a high CEC substrate, like Flourite, and you have an almost unbeatable substrate.
Could you clarify that bit about mineralizing the topsoil? Is that the same as cycling the topsoil. I remember that when I wrote this article, ADA Aquasoil was getting very popular but a big thing with it was to cycle it to get rid of ammonia, etc, before you established your tank. I left it out at the time as it seemed a bit complex and challenging for someone completely new to planted tanks. At the time, it seemed like you really needed to know what you were doing if you were going the route of aquasoil. Unfortunately I haven't followed up on substrate developments in the past few years along with best practices.

If you could give me some more details or point me to some forum threads here or on Tom's site, I'd be happy to read up some more and update the article. I just want to make sure that I don't end up getting someone in over their heads by recommending fertile substrates that need more initial prep work. So I'd appreciate your suggestions on an idiot proof guide to setting up a fertile substrate based tank :)
 
#19 ·
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=152027 is a good article on how to "mineralize" soil. Mineralizing means converting organic nitrogen compounds to inorganic nitrogen - nitrates. The article explains how to let bacteria do it for you, or you can bake the soil in an oven to accomplish the same thing faster, but with a good possibility of stinking up the whole house.

ADA Aquasoil contains ammonia, which leaches out into the water for a couple of months or so. That means you need to do lots of water changes for the first couple of months after setting up the tank. But, if you do a dry start, much, if not all of that process is accomplished before you ever fill the tank with water. (I think I am remembering right on this - perhaps someone will correct me if I'm not.)

The problem with deciding which plants do well with "low light" is that there is no easy way to define what "low light" means, without using a PAR meter to measure the light. Some people's "low light" tanks, where plants X, Y, and Z grow well, may well be "medium" or higher light when a PAR meter is used to measure the light. Maybe, the better list would be plants that do well with no added CO2?
 
#40 ·
Educational thread!

Also thanks for explaining what mineralizing soil means

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=152027 is a good article on how to "mineralize" soil. Mineralizing means converting organic nitrogen compounds to inorganic nitrogen - nitrates. The article explains how to let bacteria do it for you, or you can bake the soil in an oven to accomplish the same thing faster, but with a good possibility of stinking up the whole house.
 
#20 ·
Thanks a lot Hoppy. Will read up on that and add to the article. I agree about the low light comment, but the problem is that most of us don't have PAR meters, and probably 80-90% of PT enthusiasts probably stop at the WPG type rules and CO2 levels when determining what plants to attempt growing.

That's why I'm a bit hesitant to compile a list myself. Perhaps I'll just add some of the no brainer low light plants for now.
 
#24 ·
Hi Sudeep,

My first post in this forum and i would like to extend a big thank you for your excellent article. I've been into low tech tanks for a number of years but hasn't really been able to grasp any of the points mentioned in your article.

Since reading, i had been dilligently following it as a guide and have seen better plant growth etc and able to grow lots of new species. Have also recommend to many friends your read and very confident the benefits from it.

Thank you once again.
 
#27 ·
You are very welcome. I'm glad it's helped you and your friends :)

What plants did you do a dry start with? From the photos of your Edge tank, I don't see which ones would work with a dry start, and low light.
That leads me to another question Hoppy...do you have a list of plants that work well with the DSM? I checked Tom's website forum thread where he had originally started the discussion (and in which I had posted my results a few years back), but I was disappointed to note that there hasn't really been any more updates/discussions on that thread. Has DSM gotten more popular since then and are there any resources/threads with a list of plants, or is it scattered about on a smattering of forum threads?

After having gone the DSM way with my hairgrass foreground on my first tank, I don't think I'd go any other way when starting a planted tank. The only difficult part is having the patience and discipline to wait it out while your plants establish themselves and take root and start multiplying. The additional benefits of having nitrogen fixing bacteria established via this method is also really nice because you don't then have to worry as much about ammonia and nitrites due to (1) the presence of these bacteria via DSM and (2) Due to your already well established plants due to DSM that will be quick to take up any ammonia/nitrites in the water column.
 
#29 ·
In my experience, crypts have worked very well as "dry-startable," non-carpet plants. They love growing emergant, put out extremely impressive root systems (which I believe is key to DSM success, right?), and transition well to a flooded tank. These are non-c02 and low-light compatible. Parva would take a long time to "carpet", but works well as a fore-ground plant.

My 50g linked below was a dry-start done entirely with crypts, anubias, and ferns. No carpet plants. The ferns were kinda meh for the DSM, as they didn't root very well. The anubias rooted like champs, and are growing like any other plant in substrate.
 
#31 ·
Here is the list which Plantfinder gives for plants that can be grown emersed -

Aciotis acuminifolia
Synonyms : Acisanthera sp. (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Acmella repens
Synonyms : Acmella oppositifolia, Spilanthes americana
Summary : Moderate
Alternanthera aquatica
Summary : Easy
Alternanthera reineckii 'lilacina'
Summary : Moderate
Alternanthera reineckii 'rosaefolia'
Summary : Moderate
Ammannia gracilis
Summary : Moderate
Ammannia latifolia
Summary : Difficult
Anubias barteri var. barteri
Summary : Very Easy
Anubias barteri var. nana
Summary : Very Easy
Anubias barteri var. nana 'Marble'
Summary : Very Easy
Anubias barteri var. nana 'Petite'
Summary : Very Easy
Anubias gracilis
Summary : Easy
Bacopa australis
Summary : Very Easy
Bacopa caroliniana
Summary : Easy
Bacopa innominata
Synonyms : Bacopa cyclophylla, Bacopa stragula
Summary : Easy
Bacopa lanigera
Summary : Moderate
Bacopa madagascariensis
Summary : Moderate
Bacopa monnieri
Summary : Easy
Bacopa salzmannii
Synonyms : Bacopa sp. 'Araguaia'
Summary : Moderate
Bacopa sp. 'Colorata'
Summary : Moderate
Bacopa sp. 'Japan'
Summary : Moderate
Bolbitis heudelotii
Summary : Easy
Callitriche terrestris
Synonyms : Elatine americana (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Cardamine lyrata
Summary : Easy
Ceratopteris pteridoides
Summary : Easy
Clinopodium cf. brownei
Synonyms : Lindernia anagallis (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Cryptocoryne beckettii 'petchii'
Summary : Easy
Cryptocoryne cordata var. cordata 'blassii'
Summary : Easy
Cryptocoryne crispatula var. balansae
Summary : Easy
Cryptocoryne parva
Summary : Easy
Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia
Summary : Easy
Cryptocoryne undulata
Summary : Easy
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Green Gecko'
Summary : Very Easy
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Mi Oya'
Summary : Very Easy
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Red'
Summary : Very Easy
Cryptocoryne x willisii 'lucens'
Summary : Easy
Cuphea anagalloidea
Synonyms : Bacopa sp. 'Red' (erroneous), Rotala sp. 'Araguaia' (erroneous)
Summary : Difficult
Cyperus helferi
Summary : Moderate
Didiplis diandra
Summary : Moderate
Diodia virginiana
Summary : Moderate
Diodia cf. kuntzei
Synonyms : Hygrophila sp. 'Pantanal' (erroneous), Rubiaceae sp. 'Pantanal'
Summary : Moderate
Echinodorus berteroi
Summary : Easy
Echinodorus cordifolius
Summary : Easy
Echinodorus major
Synonyms : Echinodorus martii (erroneous)
Summary : Easy
Echinodorus parviflorus 'Tropica'
Summary : Easy
Echinodorus uruguayensis
Summary : Easy
Echinodorus 'Kleiner Bar'
Summary : Easy
Echinodorus 'Ozelot'
Summary : Easy
Echinodorus 'Rubin'
Summary : Easy
Echinodorus x barthii
Summary : Easy
Elatine triandra
Summary : Moderate
Eleocharis acicularis
Summary : Easy
Eriocaulon cinereum
Summary : Moderate
Eriocaulon sp. 'Goias'
Summary : Difficult
Eriocaulon sp. 'Mato Grosso'
Summary : Very Difficult
Glossostigma elatinoides
Summary : Moderate
Gymnocoronis spilanthoides
Summary : Easy
Helanthium bolivianum 'Angustifolius'
Synonyms : Echinodorus angustifolius
Summary : Easy
Helanthium tenellum
Synonyms : Echinodorus tenellus
Summary : Easy
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Summary : Moderate
Hemianthus glomeratus
Synonyms : Hemianthus micranthemoides (erroneous), Micranthemum glomeratum
Summary : Easy
Heteranthera zosterifolia
Summary : Easy
Hottonia palustris
Summary : Moderate
Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Summary : Very Easy
Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides
Summary : Moderate
Hydrocotyle verticillata
Summary : Moderate
Hygrophila balsamica
Summary : Easy
Hygrophila corymbosa 'angustifolia'
Summary : Easy
Hygrophila corymbosa 'Siamensis'
Summary : Easy
Hygrophila corymbosa 'Stricta'
Summary : Easy
Hygrophila difformis
Summary : Easy
Hygrophila lancea
Synonyms : Hygrophila sp. 'Sarawak'
Summary : Moderate
Hygrophila odora
Synonyms : Hygrophila sp. 'Guinea'
Summary : Moderate
Hygrophila polysperma
Summary : Very Easy
Hygrophila polysperma 'Ceylon'
Summary : Very Easy
Hygrophila polysperma 'Sunset'
Summary : Easy
Hygrophila sp. 'Araguaia'
Summary : Moderate
Hygrophila sp. 'Bold'
Summary : Moderate
Hygrophila sp. 'Red'
Summary : Moderate
Hygrophila sp. 'Tiger'
Summary : Very Easy
Hyptis lorentziana
Synonyms : Hemigraphis traian (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Juncus repens
Summary : Easy
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
Summary : Moderate
Limnobium laevigatum
Summary : Easy
Limnophila aromatica
Summary : Moderate
Limnophila repens
Synonyms : Limnophila sp. 'Mini'
Summary : Moderate
Limnophila sessiliflora
Summary : Easy
Limnophila sp. 'Broad'
Summary : Moderate
Limnophila sp. 'Gigantea'
Summary : Moderate
Limnophila sp. 'Guinea Broad-Leaf'
Summary : Moderate
Limnophila sp. 'Sulawesi'
Summary : Moderate
Lindernia dubia
Summary : Moderate
Lindernia grandiflora
Summary : Easy
Lindernia rotundifolia 'Variegated'
Summary : Moderate
Lindernia sp. 'India'
Summary : Moderate
Lobelia cardinalis
Summary : Easy
Lobelia cardinalis 'Small Form'
Summary : Easy
Ludwigia arcuata
Summary : Easy
Ludwigia brevipes
Summary : Easy
Ludwigia glandulosa
Synonyms : "Ludwigia peruensis" (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Ludwigia inclinata
Summary : Difficult
Ludwigia inclinata var verticillata 'Araguaia'
Summary : Moderate
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba'
Summary : Moderate
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Pantanal'
Summary : Difficult
Ludwigia ovalis
Summary : Moderate
Ludwigia palustris
Summary : Easy
Ludwigia repens
Summary : Easy
Ludwigia repens x L. arcuata
Synonyms : Ludwigia palustris (erroneous)
Summary : Easy
Ludwigia sedoides
Summary : Easy
Ludwigia senegalensis
Synonyms : Ludwigia sp. 'Guinea'
Summary : Difficult
Ludwigia sphaerocarpa
Synonyms : Ludwigia pilosa (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Ludwigia sp. 'Rubin'
Summary : Easy
Ludwigia x lacustris
Synonyms : Ludwiga brevipes x palustris
Summary : Easy
Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'
Summary : Easy
Marsilea spp.
Summary : Easy
Mayaca fluviatilis
Summary : Moderate
Micranthemum umbrosum
Summary : Moderate
Microsorum pteropus
Summary : Very Easy
Microsorum pteropus 'Philippine'
Summary : Easy
Microsorum pteropus 'Trident'
Summary : Very Easy
Microsorum pteropus 'Tropica'
Summary : Very Easy
Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov'
Summary : Very Easy
Monosolenium tenerum
Synonyms : Pellia endiviifolia (erroneous)
Summary : Easy
Murdannia keisak
Summary : Moderate
Murdannia sp. 'Red'
Summary : Moderate
Myriophyllum aquaticum
Summary : Moderate
Myriophyllum mattogrossense
Summary : Easy
Myriophyllum propinquum
Summary : Easy
Myriophyllum tuberculatum
Summary : Difficult
Nesaea crassicaulis
Summary : Difficult
Nesaea pedicellata
Summary : Difficult
Nesaea triflora
Summary : Moderate
Nesaea sp. 'Red Leaved'
Summary : Very Difficult
Oldenlandia salzmannii
Synonyms : Bacopa sp. 'Pantanal' (erroneous), Hedyotis salzmannii
Summary : Easy
Penthorum sedoides
Summary : Moderate
Persicaria hydropiperoides
Synonyms : Polygonum hydropiperoides
Summary : Moderate
Persicaria praetermissa
Synonyms : Polygonum sp. 'Ruby', Polygonum praetermissum
Summary : Moderate
Persicaria sp. 'acre'
Synonyms : Polygonum sp. 'Acre'
Summary : Moderate
Persicaria sp. 'Kawagoeanum'
Synonyms : Polygonum sp. 'Kawagoeanum'
Summary : Easy
Persicaria sp. 'Porto Velho'
Synonyms : Polygonum sp. 'Porto Velho'
Summary : Moderate
Persicaria sp. 'Sao Paulo'
Synonyms : Polygonum sp. 'Sao Paulo'
Summary : Moderate
Pogostemon erectus
Synonyms : Rotala verticillaris (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Pogostemon helferi
Summary : Moderate
Pogostemon stellatus
Synonyms : Eusteralis stellata (erroneous)
Summary : Difficult
Pogostemon stellatus 'Broad Leaf'
Synonyms : Eusteralis stellata (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Pogostemon yatabeanus
Synonyms : Eusteralis yatabeana (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Proserpinaca palustris
Summary : Moderate
Ranunculus inundatus
Summary : Moderate
Riccardia chamedryfolia
Summary : Easy
Riccia fluitans
Summary : Easy
Riccia sp. 'Dwarf'
Summary : Easy
Ricciocarpus natans
Summary : Easy
Rotala indica
Synonyms : Ammannia sp. 'Bonsai' (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Rotala macrandra
Summary : Difficult
Rotala macrandra 'Green Narrow Leaf'
Summary : Moderate
Rotala macrandra 'Green'
Summary : Moderate
Rotala macrandra 'Mini Type 2'
Summary : Moderate
Rotala macrandra 'Narrow Leaf'
Summary : Moderate
Rotala macrandra 'Variegated'
Summary : Difficult
Rotala mexicana 'Araguaia'
Synonyms : Rotala pusilla (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Rotala mexicana 'Goias'
Synonyms : Rotala sp. 'Goias'
Summary : Moderate
Rotala ramosior
Summary : Moderate
Rotala rotundifolia
Synonyms : Rotala indica (erroneous)
Summary : Easy
Rotala wallichii
Summary : Moderate
Rotala sp. 'Colorata'
Summary : Easy
Rotala sp. 'Green'
Summary : Easy
Rotala sp. 'Nanjenshan'
Summary : Moderate
Rotala sp. 'Sunset'
Synonyms : Ammannia sp. 'Sulawesi' (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Rotala sp. 'Vietnam'
Summary : Moderate
Sagittaria subulata
Summary : Easy
Saururus cernuus
Summary : Moderate
Saururus chinensis
Summary : Moderate
Sphaerocaryum malaccense
Synonyms : Arthraxon sp. 'Malaysia' (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Staurogyne stolonifera
Synonyms : Hygrophila sp. 'Rio Araguaia' (erroneous), Staurogyne sp. 'Rio Araguaia'
Summary : Moderate
Staurogyne sp. 'Bihar'
Synonyms : Hygrophila sp. 'Bihar' (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Staurogyne sp. 'Low Grow'
Synonyms : Hygrophila sp. 'Low Grow' (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Staurogyne sp. 'Porto Velho'
Synonyms : Hygrophila sp. 'Porto Velho' (erroneous), Hygrophila sp. 'Roraima' (erroneous)
Summary : Moderate
Syngonanthus sp. 'Belem'
Synonyms : Tonina sp. 'Belem' (erroneous)
Summary : Difficult
Syngonanthus sp. 'Manaus'
Synonyms : Tonina sp. 'Manaus' (erroneous)
Summary : Difficult
Taxiphyllum alternans
Summary : Easy
Taxiphyllum barbieri
Synonyms : Vesicularia dubyana (erroneous)
Summary : Very Easy
Tonina fluviatilis
Summary : Difficult
Utricularia gibba
Summary : Very Easy
Utricularia graminifolia
Summary : Moderate
Vesicularia ferriei
Summary : Easy
Vesicularia montagnei
Summary : Easy
Poaceae sp. 'Purple Bamboo'
Summary : Moderate
 
#35 ·
Neat list MXX. Thanks!

I was wondering the same thing. Oh well, I guess I should still be able to make a smaller list of plants that work with DSM...but as Hoppy mentioned, a lot of them don't work without CO2. I should mention that Excel was enough for my Hairgrass foreground and should most likely be enough carbon for glosso, HC, etc.
 
#39 ·
I believe the first pic is with co2 and higher lighting but then converted to low tech...don't quote me on that though, but if you think about it, high tech is obviously more striking than low tech.
 
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