Low Tech Tank Show-and-Tell (low tech can be lush, too! =)

[Madfish]

Here is mine that I just started not to long ago.

[lauraleellbp]

Originally Posted by waterfaller1

Oh wow, when did you do this? It's awesome No CO2? Please give some details.

Thanks, Carole!

This tank is set up at my hubby's office, and has been set up almost a year now.

29gal, Coralife T5NO light fixture, Eheim Ecco 2236 filter, Hydor ETH 200 watt heater, Flourite black substrate. No CO2, no ferts at all (not even root tabs to date). Water changes about 20-30% once a month and nitrates still run < 5ppm despite a relatively high bioload.

[RAWR]

I started my first planted tank 10 days ago after reading up on here and learning some info. Its aproximately 150 gallon, substrate is mineralised top soil and akadama on top. The pump is an Eheim 2260 bucket and the lights are T5 80w x2 (one white and one blue). It's early days in terms of seeing how the tank progresses, but i'm hoping even though the growth will be slow, that the plants will stay healthy and root well.

[Liquid_Pyro]

Madfish, thats a great looking tank! I want to do something similar in the future, lots of neons with a nice pair of rams...

[agoins]

MTS capped with eco complete.
light EI dosing once a week
128watts of t8 shop light (ordered 2x 80w t5HO today!! )
I started injecting CO2 two days ago.

[lauraleellbp]

Nice tank, but it's not low tech any more!

[agoins]

Originally Posted by lauraleellbp

Nice tank, but it's not low tech any more!

yeah true, but it was in that picture haha.

[goot776]

Originally Posted by agoins

yeah true, but it was in that picture haha.

Do you have any overheating issues with that wooden canopy over your light fixture? I don't like a "naked" aquarium top -- I think it looks unfinished -- but comments I've read provoke concerns about ventilation problems.

[JoeDizzleMPLS]

Here's some of my low-tech setups, the last 3 were newly set up when the pics were taken, so lots of growing in to do. First picture is a 75 gallon mixed pygo tank with 4x 32 watt T8 Home Depot shop light fixture and pea gravel substrate. Second picture is a 30 long community tank with 1x 30 watt T8 fixture with Schultz Aquatic Plant Soil substrate. Third picture is a 40 breeder solo S. compressus tank with 2x 96 watt power compact fixture with only one bulb running, top is filled with Salvinia minima to keep pretty low light with a play sand substrate. The fourth picture is a 75 gallon solo S. rhombeus tank with DIY 4x 32 watt T8 fixture and play sand substrate.

[agoins]

Originally Posted by goot776

Do you have any overheating issues with that wooden canopy over your light fixture? I don't like a "naked" aquarium top -- I think it looks unfinished -- but comments I've read provoke concerns about ventilation problems.

yeah with those lights I do, I have to leave the top of it cracked or else it gets to like 82 degrees. I also have a custom sea life pump which are known to raise the water temp a couple of degrees. Once I get my new lights (the shop lights put out a lot of heat) I should have no problem. Plus my tank is pretty well insulated. 3/4" acrylic and with a black 3/4" foam background taped to it.

[Hilde]

Originally Posted by agoins

yeah with those lights I do, I have to leave the top of it cracked or else it gets to like 82 degrees. Once I get my new lights (the shop lights put out a lot of heat) I should have no problem.

Seems you have room for fans. Fans can be bought cheaply on Ebay.

[Britney Spears]

no one mentioned the water temperature . . . !!!

[barbarossa4122]

This is my wife's two weeks old 10g.
5 neons, 6 harlequins and 20 rcs.
20lbs Eco Black
AC30 and Whisper EX45 (Rena xp2 as of tomorrow)
Catalina 1 24w 6500k t5ho bulb 8" above tank
Koralia Nano 240gph.

This tank will have pressurized co2 in about one week and it will look different in about one month.

[waterfaller1]

Originally Posted by JoeDizzleMPLS

Here's some of my low-tech setups,.

I love the third one. Would like to see it with some tall plants across the back, like vals or something..

[waterfaller1]

Originally Posted by lauraleellbp

Thanks, Carole!

This tank is set up at my hubby's office, and has been set up almost a year now.

29gal, Coralife T5NO light fixture, Eheim Ecco 2236 filter, Hydor ETH 200 watt heater, Flourite black substrate. No CO2, no ferts at all (not even root tabs to date). Water changes about 20-30% once a month and nitrates still run < 5ppm despite a relatively high bioload.

That is awesome...no ferts, go figure. All this hullabaloo trying to get all these ferts and yours looks great without. I rarely use any either like I used to. I still think it's what ruined several of my tanks...