[aldrine.einsteen]

Hi Friends,

I am new to keeping an Planted Tank :icon_ques, I am wondering is it possible to have a self-sustaining nano-tank?

Currently i have a 55 G tank, with DIY CO2, and the plants are thriving. But i am wondering is it possible to setup a nano-tank with CO2 from Fishes and 50 % water change regularly...

Is it possible?

 

[Dollface]

Most people who end up with self sustaining tanks just get lucky. It's difficult to set one up from the start.

 

[ItsDubC]

100% self-sustaining would not be possible AFAIK.

NPT/Walstad-style tanks come close tho. I'm just getting back into the hobby but my previous tank was a 10gal NPT. Plant/fish/shrimp respiration, fish/shrimp waste, decomposing plant matter, and fish food provided CO2 and fertilizer. No water changes at all; just top-offs. No filter even. It was a great tank that required very little maintenance.

That being said, I still fed the fish/shrimp every few days, topped-off the water twice a month, and pruned plants once a month or so.

 

[mluk27]

get an ecosphere LOL

 

[aldrine.einsteen]

100% self-sustaining would not be possible AFAIK.

NPT/Walstad-style tanks come close tho. I'm just getting back into the hobby but my previous tank was a 10gal NPT. Plant/fish/shrimp respiration, fish/shrimp waste, decomposing plant matter, and fish food provided CO2 and fertilizer. No water changes at all; just top-offs. No filter even. It was a great tank that required very little maintenance.

That being said, I still fed the fish/shrimp every few days, topped-off the water twice a month, and pruned plants once a month or so.

Nice!!!

How much Shripms/Fishes you had, how much would be enough to grow one Tiger Lily and dwarf grass to grow?

 

[aldrine.einsteen]

My Tank is a Open 5G Bowl, with a wide moth; so a Tiger Lily can be planted and coaxed to Bloom

I was planning to have Crystal Red Shrimp and River Stream Loach...

 

[Wicket_lfe]

My Tank is a Open 5G Bowl, with a wide moth; so a Tiger Lily can be planted and coaxed to Bloom

I was planning to have Crystal Red Shrimp and River Stream Loach...

omg thats genius, i might steal this idea. lol.

 

[ItsDubC]

Nice!!!

How much Shripms/Fishes you had, how much would be enough to grow one Tiger Lily and dwarf grass to grow?

IIRC, that tank had 1 oto, 5 ember tetras, and a 30+ colony of RCS.

I don't know that it'll work if you just have a tiger lily and DHG. I always recommend a sizable amount of fast-growing plantmass to start off unless you want to grow algae

 

[aldrine.einsteen]

IIRC, that tank had 1 oto, 5 ember tetras, and a 30+ colony of RCS.

I don't know that it'll work if you just have a tiger lily and DHG. I always recommend a sizable amount of fast-growing plantmass to start off unless you want to grow algae

What are the plants do you have in your tank....

A pic with plant list would be helpful...

Lets say about 10 % of CO2 is dissolved from Atmosphere....
So the remaining CO2 is provided by Fish...

 

[ItsDubC]

I never took pics unfortunately because it was just an experimental tank. I set it up to see what I could grow and what I couldn't. Every plant I tried grew or at least didn't die. Here's the list IIRC:

Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala sp. 'Green'
Fissidens fontanus
Java moss
Subwassertang
Anubias nana 'Petite'
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
Crypt lucens
Downoi
Wisteria
Hygrophila polysperma
Marsilea minuta
Hornwort
Duckweed lol

 

[muntwo]

If by "self-sustaining tank", you mean low-maintenance, they can be very easy to set up (as long as you do your research first). The easiest setups utilize rapidly-growing plants with animals that have a low contribution to the total bio-load. If you leave out the DIY CO2, you'll have one less thing to maintain. Upon initial set up, monitor algae and plant growth closely and adjust water/lighting parameters as necessary. For instance, if you see increasing algae growth, consider decreasing your light intensity and doing small, frequent water changes to reduce nutrient levels until conditions improve.

100% self-sustaining would not be possible AFAIK.

NPT/Walstad-style tanks come close tho. I'm just getting back into the hobby but my previous tank was a 10gal NPT. Plant/fish/shrimp respiration, fish/shrimp waste, decomposing plant matter, and fish food provided CO2 and fertilizer. No water changes at all; just top-offs. No filter even. It was a great tank that required very little maintenance.

That being said, I still fed the fish/shrimp every few days, topped-off the water twice a month, and pruned plants once a month or so.

+1 for NPT/Walstad-style tanks

Most people who end up with self sustaining tanks just get lucky. It's difficult to set one up from the start.

-1 for achieving a successful tank by luck; There's little luck involved - it all comes down to understanding the science of freshwater ecosystems.