[guillaume-u]

Hello,

As I have already an "High tech" tank (140l), I would like to try something new.
Someone told me (several months ago) about a well-planted (with delicate plants) on a non-CO2 injected tank.

This tank is the @sudiorca's tank, describe here : sudiorca's non-CO2 supplemented softwater tank

Therefore, after getting a lot of information (essentially from @sudiorca's journal and the2hr's blog, I've just started a similar tank ^^ :

• Optiwhite Tank : 45x28x30cm
• LED Light : Chichiros WRGB 2 Slim (I'll try to have a PAR of about 120 on the ground)
• On top filter : Oase Biostyle 75
• Ada Amazonia light 9l (which was really hard to find !)
• RO water : KH to 0, plants can absorb CO2 more efficiently at lower KH (details here : What is a good level of KH in a planted aquarium ?)
• Stable temperature (which is the key) : around 20°C all the time (this tank is based in my basement)

I've hesitated between :
* OnTop filter and Skimmer ; as @sudiorca is using OnTop filter, I'm using it too. But I think that Skimmer can help to get CO2 from the air and permits to "inject" it in the bottom of the tank.

* Using on old aquasoil (with low nutriments) or a new aquasoil ; after contacting @sudiorca , he replied me to use a new aquasoil. That's why I'm using an Amazonia Light (which is lower in nutriment than Amazonia, but better than a 3 years old aquasoil).

* Drystart or Darkstart : The DryStart method permit to get a lot of root. But it's really risky to get cyano too... Due to that, I've choose the Darkstart method (which permits to avoid to do a lot of water changing at the beginning).

For the long term fertilization, It will be done via osmocote or rootstick. I want a lean dosing (I mean, in the water column, not in the substrate).

Plants that I can take from my 140l :

• Nesaea Golden
• Rotala Blood Red SG Variant
• Ludwigia inclinata meta
• Luwigia Senegalensis
• MonteCarlo
• and some Eriocaulons (I really like them ^^)

I hope this tank will be a success ; in any case it will be a good experience for me.


Here is a photo of the tank, before filling it with RO water and place the OnTop filter (so hardscape only ) :

 

[moke]

a par of 120 at the substrate level is too much for a non-co2 injected tank with the risk of turning your tank into an algae farm. i don't think that your HOB filter will allow your tank to get more co2 into the water than 4ppm. "There is no way to substantially increase CO2 input from the air. Air containing only 0.04% CO2, is just a poor source of CO2, no matter what the temperature, pH, etc." (Walstad, 2019).

just be aware too that taking plants from your high tech tank will be subjected to transitional stress when planted in your low tech tank.

a dark start is a good way to cycle your tank and providing a more stable environment for plants and fish.

have fun and good luck.

 

[guillaume-u]

Thanks @moke for your reply,

This is precisely the purpose of this experiment. @sudiorca 's tank is out of the standards ; and I like that

@sudiorca's tank PAR is at 140 on the ground.

Here is his comment (taken from his journal) about an high PAR in his tank :

There is also growing scientific evidence of photo-oxidation (sunlight - primarily UV but visible light also contributes) being one of the major causes of breakdown of dissolved organics in freshwater into simpler molecules (thus helping bacteria to decompose further to CO2) along with complete breakdown to CO2. Is this relevant to my tanks? maybe... I don't have any scientific evidence but I am pushing more than 150 PAR at the substrate level in majority of my tanks (3 out of 4, the 4th one is at 120+ PAR, as shown below) with minimal algae and I am not injecting pressurized CO2.

About algae, I guess it's due to low temperature and low pH (which I should achieve with ADA Amazonia Light).

About the CO2, here is his comment (taken from his journal):

I don't think that bicarbonate is present in any significant amount which would provide CO2 by acidification, instead I agree with you that most of the CO2 is coming from the substrate (root respiration, bacterial metabolism etc.,). However, I have no idea about the exact amount. I can only tell whether the plants are growing or not.

just be aware too that taking plants from your high tech tank will be subjected to transitional stress when planted in your low tech tank.

You're right, that's why I will take what I'll cut from my 140l (and not buying plants for this tank).