# Planted Tanks > Aquascaping >  First 2 ft Low tech tank

## tminus

Hi all, this is my first newbie fish tank. 





2x1x1ft tank
Eheim Classic 350
No brand lily pipe and water skimmer
Chihiros A601
Sudo Phantom Black sand + Sudo Real Black
Seachem Prime
Seachem flourish
AZOO micro pellet

Neon Tetra x 20
Red Rili Shrimp x7

Amazon sword
Anubias nana
Anubias nana petite
Crypto Wendtii tropica
Monte Carlo
Marimo balls
Java ferns
Pond weeds?

Started planting this tank 10 days ago and added 20 tetra and 10 shrimp last night. Sadly 3 shrimps died this morning. Found one live shrimp inside my canister filter while adding Eheim LAV to it. Think the water skimmer is bad for shrimp. 

Did not cycle the tank as I assume having sufficient plants in there will do the trick. 

Plants seems to be doing well except Monte Carlo. They are..... not dying yet not growing.

Please help me identify these two plants





Also should I buy food for my shrimps? Any recommendation? 

Thanks for viewing


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## SGDiscus

For shrimps, no need additional food. They will get what they need from the plants. Sorry can't help you with the identification of plants, I am pretty bad at it. Do watch out for the monte carlo... I think they are not easy in a low-tech but perhaps the more experienced hobbyists can advice.

For the crypto wendtii tropica, if you had gotten them in a emergent form, they will go through a melting period for about 10 to 14 days. Just be patient, they will then grow new leaves. Will take about 1 month for it to transit to submerged form. Putting root tabs can help.

For the Amazon sword, this plant should adapt easily in low tech. It also need 1 or 2 root tabs. As the sand you use do not have any nutrients. Amazon swords can grow extensive root system.. which is good for the tank as it keeps the sand aerated.

Is this your time time having plants in a tank?

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## Shadow

Fern not suppose to be plant on the soil/gravel, it will melt. Take it out at tie it on the rocks or wood.

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## tminus

I murdered one of my shrimp while adding new plants (golden nana and narrow leaf fern). It was hiding inside the driftwood. I took out the DW to tie the fern and relocated some nanas on it.

6 shrimps remaining and all 20 tetras still surviving. Also Added two horned nerite snails. 

@SGDiscus
So far all plants doing fine. Did not spot any melting on them. Will get root tab for the amazon soon.

As for the monte carlo, I'm not too worried about them dying as this is my first fish tank. Grow and hope, trial and error. 

Hardest part for me now is finding suitable plants for my tank. Most lfs I visited do not name all their plants. 

@Shadow
Thanks for your concern. Ferns all tied to wood. I covered them lightly with a thin layer of sand. Is this ok? Or do I need them fully expose?


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## Shadow

only the rhizome that need to be fully expose

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## tminus

Noted with thanks. Will do so asap this evening


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## Flchamp89

Looks awesome...youll still probably go through a cycle even with plants...id still watch ammonia with the fauna. Melting will add to the ammonia with feedings. 

Looks very nice. 

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## tminus

Right now I'm going to let the tank cycle itself and adding nothing more except plants. 

The micro pellets, I will simply scatter them on water surface with the filter off. 

Tetras will finish most of them off before they even start to sink. Hopefully will not have any problem with ammonia. Probably will start adding more livestock in after 2 to 3 weeks


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## Flchamp89

> Right now I'm going to let the tank cycle itself and adding nothing more except plants. 
> 
> The micro pellets, I will simply scatter them on water surface with the filter off. 
> 
> Tetras will finish most of them off before they even start to sink. Hopefully will not have any problem with ammonia. Probably will start adding more livestock in after 2 to 3 weeks
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Sounds like a plan. I think it looks real good. 

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## SGDiscus

May I know how many times a day are you feeding the tetras?

Also how long do you have you lights on? 

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## tminus

I got a shock when I reached home. Found a few transparent shrimp corpses in my tank!!! Lucky it's just their exoskeletons. My six survivor shrimps still alive lol. 



Feeding my tetras twice a day. Morning and night. 

Lights - 6am to 11am and 6pm to 11pm


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## SGDiscus

Are you dosing Flourish Excel on a daily basis or alternate days?

Water change once a week? 

For my tanks, I will usually get green spot algae if the lights are too strong or/and switched on for too long. I would consider 10 hours a day too long. But since you broke up the photo period into two blocks of 5 hours, you might get away with it assuming your tank is situated where no sunlight hit it.

The water change is important because it removes excess organics not used by the plants. Excess organics will lead to other kind of algae and health issues for fishes.

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## tminus

No excel and only flourish as per instruction on the bottle. About 20% water change once a week for now since my tank is not cycled. 

I am clueless about how much lights to provide for the plants. My chihiros A601 lighting is adjustable with setting 1 lowest to 7 highest. Currently at 5 which I feel the brightness is good enough. 




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## SGDiscus

What you can do is to observe your plants' growth for the next two weeks based on your current setting. If you like what you see, keep to the routine.

You can also consider a photo journal using pin interest or something similar to keep track.

For me, control the amount of lighting based on how fast green spot algae grow on my tank. I am comfortable with light scrubbing once a week. 

If you find your tank being over taken by algae before your next water change, it means something is not balanced. Typically it is the light setting but of course there also other factors.

And remember if you do adjust your routine (ie dosing frequency or lighr settings or light duration ) try to only adjust one component at a time so that you can understand the effects.

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## tminus

SGDiscus, thanks for ur wonderful advices. 

The two new members of the tank - horned nerite aka bumblebee snails are extremely hardworking at the moment. I'm more worried about them not having enough food lol. Secretly hoping to see some algae = x

Stupid me... better be careful what I wishing for


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## sanjaypills55

Just wondering, does you tetra attack the shrimps....I have red cherry shrimps in my 2 ft..wanted to add cardinal tetra, but many advised against it as the cardinal may eat the shrimps.

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## tminus

Did not notice any harassment or aggression from tetras so far. All still alive. 

Tetra will eat shrimplet tho. I have no intention to breed so I don't mind.




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## tminus

Please help. Is my tetras sick? 





Sorry for the poor quality pictures






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## dapr0digy

hows the tank going tminus

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## Poseidon

how's the tank doing? Monte Carlos are very slow to spread, this is for my case especially if you don't use a co2 system.

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## tminus

I dumped two tetras with similar symptoms on their abdomen.

Overall, i think the tank is doing well. Growth is slow but I'm fine with it. At least no algae outbreak or death. I hack n saw the driftwood and redo the tank bout week ago.

Here is the new setup







Replaced monte carlos with Staurogyne repens as carpet plant. Mainly because I will be getting some panda corys later on (insisted by my dotter) and MC will be easily uproot by them. Sudo sands is very light and loose I doubt it will hold MC well.

Will give the tank another week before adding more fishes in. Can't wait !







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## limz_777

the wood look much better upright

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## tminus

Thx limz

More room for plants too. Initial intention was to let Shrimps hide below the dw but failed badly.

Anyway, added 8 Galaxy Rasbora, 2 otos, 2 panda corys and more fire red shrimp on 3rd April. All doing well. I can't be happier especially when all new shrimps survived. Panda corys are fun to watch, always busy and running around. Probably will get a few more panda corys soon.

Time to add more colours to my tank. Need help with red/brown plant suggestion for my tank. I have only a few on my list that may be suitable for low tech tank.

alternanthera reineckii
Ludwigia red
Red tiger lotus

Any other recommendations appreciated, thx





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## Halfbeak

From the red plants I tried with low tech, ludwigia red worked out well for me.


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## Zep

You can try some of the Echinodorus sp with red/orange/brown leaves.

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## tminus

Wonderful Saturday 

Was doing water change this morning and spotted some shrimplets !!!





So far only managed to find three. 

Again, apologies for poor quality pics




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