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

[lauraleellbp]

I just put together a new one (it's cleared up some, still a bit cloudy):


10gal tank
Lighting - 15 watt T8
Filter - AquaClear 70 HOB
Substrate - Flourite black sand
Heater - 50watt Marineland StealthPro

Stocking- none yet
This tank will house a fancy male Betta spendens, 10x Boraras brigittae, and 7x dwarf Cories (hopefully C. hastatus)

[Darth Toro]

Thats a 10g tank? The aquaclear 70 isn't to strong for it?

[lauraleellbp]

Originally Posted by Darth Toro

Thats a 10g tank? The aquaclear 70 isn't to strong for it?

Definitely not too strong for the tank (it's much less flow than the XP1 I did have on there), but IDK yet about for a betta...

[Darth Toro]

I just bought a aquaclear 70, big Als was selling it for 19.99!! I could use it for my 10g that Im working on. I'm not sure what kind of fauna I will have in there...What wouldn't I be able to keep with that filter if I decided to use it? ex. Neons, I have baby lyretail swords that I was thinking of putting in there once they got bigger and the tank was cycled, cories, shrimp maybe?

[greenknight]

My tank is still only a month old, and i'm still in process of collecting
plants, so it doent look great right now as I'm using the tank to
collect right now.

But it is 0.75 wpg 20 G tank. Whisper 20 filter and a hanging heater.

[lauraleellbp]

Originally Posted by Darth Toro

I just bought a aquaclear 70, big Als was selling it for 19.99!! I could use it for my 10g that Im working on. I'm not sure what kind of fauna I will have in there...What wouldn't I be able to keep with that filter if I decided to use it? ex. Neons, I have baby lyretail swords that I was thinking of putting in there once they got bigger and the tank was cycled, cories, shrimp maybe?

Any of the fish you're considering would be just fine with an AC70.

The only reason a Betta is iffy is that I'm considering a long-finned fancy one, and these have such long fins that it impedes their ability to swim, so strong currents can make things difficult as well as the fins tend to get torn. A short-finned Plakat or female betta would be fine, but that's just not what I want LOL

The vast majority of other fish and critters wouldn't have any issues at all. The filter actually is quite small, not much bigger than the old Whisper I used to run on this tank years ago...

[Church]

Here's mine:




It still needs to fill in, but the important thing to note here is this is practically a no-tech tank. I do nothing other than keep top off the water every day, and feed the betta. I rinse the filter pad about once every month or so. That's about it. I could make the marsilea grow faster by bringing the light a little closer, and dosing Excel every day. But then I would have to do stuff, man.

[Darth Toro]

That marsilea will grow to the top of the tank right? Is that when it will have the four leafs? The reason I ask is because that is a nice looking plant and if it did stay small and requires low maintance I wanted to know where I could find it. And exactly what species it is so I may track it down? When I googled it I was lead to believe it is not a fully submerged plant and that there are 65 different species of it. Sorry for all the ques.

[lauraleellbp]

That's Marselia minuta, which looks exactly like it does now it won't get any taller. M. quadrifolia will grow leaves divided like 4 leaf clovers, that might be what you're thinking of?

Church- what are the specs on your tank? (size, light, filter, etc)

[Church]

It's a standard 2.5g, with a 27w Lights of America desk lamp, and a Red Sea nano filter. That is it. And the flow is cranked down as slow as it can go.

Yes, this is M. minuta, and it stays looking like this. It's a lot like glosso.

[Darth Toro]

Thank you! I see read that it would work even in a low light tank. I will be keeping my eye out for this. If anybody knows a seller please pm me with the info. I guess I should post a WTB in the SnS too, even though its probably better just to wait till someone offers it.

[Simmo2302]

absolutely amazing to see soo many tanks, where at first glance you think to yourself "that has to be a high-tech tank" only to find out the clever choice of plants and aquascaping makes all the difference.

it just goes to show that you can have an awe inspiring tank on the low-tech / budget side of things.

[lauraleellbp]

Low tech tanks just take patience to let them grow in. But the flip side of that coin is it's sooooo much less work to keep them looking nice! Here's some updates on 3 of my tanks:

46gal


10gal


90gal

[archer772]

I like your 10 gallon tank lauraleellbp those stones look sweet.

[Darth Toro]

The tanks look great lauraleellbp!! Do you use any ferts??