# Planted Tanks > Aquascaping >  3ft Planted low tech

## vinz

A couple of (lousy) photos of my 3ft planted tank. Just to show beginners that plants can still grow nicely in non-CO2, non-chilled, moderately-lighted tank, although this is hardly an inspirational layout.

Some of caveats:
- While there is a large selection of plants that will grow in such conditions, not all will.
- Some plants that will grow healthily in such tanks, may not achieved the colours often seen in high-light, CO2 tanks. 
- Low-maintenance does NOT equal no-maintenance. All planted tanks need regular fertilising and trimming, but just not so often.

Size:
- 90cmx45cmx45cm
Light:
- 2 x 30W T8 FLs (1.4 WPG) 
- 10am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm (Lighted)
- 3pm to 6pm (Shaded sunlight and direct sunset) (This is not a "seista" but lights are off to compensate for the almost direct sunlight. Relocating this tank is not an option.)
Carbon Source:
- Seachem Excel (3x weekly)
Fertilisers:
- ADA Brighty Lights (3x weekly) (This is ADA Brighty fetiliser, "Lights" variant. NOT a light set.)
- Seachem Equilibrium for Ca, Mg and K (odd weekends)
- K2SO4 for K (even weekends)
Substrate:
- Soil (J Arthur Bower's Aquatic Compost)
- River sand
Substrate Supplements:
- Ocean free Root monster
- ADA Long Bottom
- A water-lily/lotus fertiliser tablet usually available at gardening shops

Current Plants: Java moss, Red tiger lotus, Blyxa japonica, Cryptocoryne, Staurogyne sp., Lobelia cardinalis, Anubias, Aponogeton rigidifolia and Crinum calamistratum

Past Successful Plants: Christmas Moss (came mixed in with Java Moss), Hygrophila polysperma

Current Fauna: Neon Tetra, Botia sidithmunki, Otocinculus affinis, Starlight Bristlenose Pleco (Ancistrus sp. L182), Yamato shrimp, Horned nerite snail

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## Apistoinka

That was nice bro... But won't it be very hard as it seems like almost everyday you need to add certain things in the tank... But your tank is nice and need...

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## vinz

Not difficult. It's less then 5 minutes if you figure out the dosage before hand and use the correct equipment.

For example, the ADA bottles doses 1ml per squirt. I save a used bottle to store my Seachem Excel. So Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, add 5 squirts from each bottle in the morning. On Saturday, also add a half teaspoon of Equilibrium or K2SO4.

If that is hard, then feeding fish is harder... have to feed daily.  :Wink:

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## jeffteo

Very impressive setup. A lot to learn from you Vincent.

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## blue33

why add Seachem Excel since you dont need CO2?  :Grin:  Actually CO2 and Seachem Excel they are almost the same, both provide source of carbon whether is liquid or gases stages. Adding Seachem Excel has a slightly better advantage as it has gluteraldehyde to kill algae but they are lighter in carbon, so it cant use it alone for high lighted tank. IMO

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## vinz

In my experience, even a tank like this does better with a source of Carbon. I use Seachem Excel as it is sufficient for this kind of tank.

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## blue33

For Seachem Excel, you might need to take note is when you have more plant mass at later stage, you need to dose more but too much might affect the fauna if the plant takes in slowly especially slow taker plant like crypt etc. Seachem Excel is more suitable for light dosing but cannot replace CO2 itself. IMO

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## limz_777

Nice set up, how old is it?

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## vinz

Thanks. About 2 years, but has seen some changes in terms of plants.

Around April 2010 it looked like this:

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## Alvin Koh

vinz, your tank looks really pleasing and the plants look very healthy and spotless. Low-tech tanks are much more practical for long term setups and more forgiving I'm sure. Your April 2010 shot is a beaut!

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## reveru

hi vinz, what is that skull-like face thingy at the bottom right corner of your tank (caught in the reflection) in your first picture? looks creepy.

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## vinz

Reveru, you mean in the first photo? Not reflection. It's refraction. Well both actually. The front 2 corners of the tank are rounded, so that's probably a reflection of the grey rocks near there and then the reflection got mirrored by the rounded corners.

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## vinz

> vinz, your tank looks really pleasing and the plants look very healthy and spotless. Low-tech tanks are much more practical for long term setups and more forgiving I'm sure. Your April 2010 shot is a beaut!


Thank you, Alvin. There are still algae in there, you just can't see at this size and blurness. There are tufts of BBA on some parts of the wood and gravel. The Anubias that are not shaded get the usual algae. Fortunately, the glass has remained algae free for a long time.

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## zonkkie

very nice! I do prefer the April 2010 scape though, not sure way, maybe its just that the picture is sharper.  :Grin: 

but really an inspiration for low tech tank. :Well done:

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## vinz

Hehehe... the April 2010 photo was submitted to ADA competition in 2010... got ranked a modest 956.  :Razz:

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## jeffteo

Got rank means you are good. Don't know when then I will be up to the standard to join any competition.

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## Puffer

Hey Vincent, we have the same tank (Nisso round-edged 3-footer)! What did you do with the top hood comprising OHF and lighting? I'm currently having this tank with mainly ferns, anubias and moss. May I know what filter you are using for this tank?

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## vinz

> Got rank means you are good. Don't know when then I will be up to the standard to join any competition.


Everyone who entered was ranked, so no big deal unless rank is 2 digits or less. Can grow plants and run forum only. Can't scape for nuts.  :Laughing:  




> Hey Vincent, we have the same tank (Nisso round-edged 3-footer)! What did you do with the top hood comprising OHF and lighting? I'm currently having this tank with mainly ferns, anubias and moss. May I know what filter you are using for this tank?


This is my GF's dad's tank... did not have a hood when I first saw it. Don't think it ever did. I'm using a Eheim Ecco Pro 2032.

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## jeffteo

Is the Ecco series good other then lower power consumption?

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## vinz

I like the Ecco series. The priming handle is very handy. It also acts as the open/close lever. There are people who complain that the handle gets stuck, but I wonder if it is because they closed both valves and left them attached to the filter before opening the filter. That is the only situation where I personally come across where the handle gets stuck. Then they break it because they try to force it open. Eheim also built in many fail-safes, so it is not easy to break the handle mechanism.

The new Ecco Pro-series also comes with a pre-filter which I find is very convenient.

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## jeffteo

Does the Ecco series comes with media. I still looking for a small filter for my Nano and saw the Classic 2211 selling for $70+ I think it does not comes with media right? I may ended up paying extra for the media. Other brand of canister for Nano like Eden and Shiruba don't know can last or not. Really can't decide what to get.

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## vinz

Yes, Ecco comes with media.

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## yongquan86

> Thanks. About 2 years, but has seen some changes in terms of plants.
> 
> Around April 2010 it looked like this:


 
nice tank there vinz... 

i would like to ask what is the leafy plant that is at the background.
wanna use that for my 1ft cube..  :Very Happy: 

anyway.. wanna ask also if this plant will be suitable for cichlids?

thanks in advance

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## vinz

That's Hygrophila polysperma. Very robust and easy to grow stemmed plant. Some people consider it a weed as it grows quite fast, even in a low-tech tank like this. Usually have to trim every 2 to 3 weeks.

What kind of cichlids?

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## inimicus

wow the april tank shot looks really nice. May i ask what form of filtration are you running?

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## yongquan86

> That's Hygrophila polysperma. Very robust and easy to grow stemmed plant. Some people consider it a weed as it grows quite fast, even in a low-tech tank like this. Usually have to trim every 2 to 3 weeks.
> 
> What kind of cichlids?


i am thinking of badis badis.. but not sure how it will thrive with such plants..

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## bluebubbles

> Thanks. About 2 years, but has seen some changes in terms of plants.
> 
> Around April 2010 it looked like this:


I like this one, spacious and inspiring layout. If it is low tech, there is really a good hope for those with limited budget.

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## vinz

> wow the april tank shot looks really nice. May i ask what form of filtration are you running?


Eheim Ecco Pro 2032 with the standard media that comes with it.




> i am thinking of badis badis.. but not sure how it will thrive with such plants..


I think Badis badis are ok with plants.

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## hondacivic

thanks for sharing low tech, non-chill non co2 tank.. ur detail is full n useful.. =)

-Seachem Equilibrium for Ca, Mg and K (odd weekends)
-Seachem Excel (3x weekly)
other than this 2 liquid fertilizer, any others u using??

have u tried alternatives brand like EIHO??

thanks in advance..

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## vinz

Sorry for late reply.

Equilibrium is not liquid. It is a powder, but needs grinding as it gets compacted into crumbly "stones". I crush them with my fingers then use an Ikea pepper grinder to break it up to powder again.

Using the ADA Brighty Lights liquid fertiliser. This is NOT a light set.

Have not tried EIHO.

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## Fei Miao

Nice tank Vinz, didn't notice the thread untill now.

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## Kekwa

Simple and nice setup. But plants do not look very green from the pictures.

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## vinz

Thanks.

Kekwa, two reasons:
1) I was using a pro-sumer camera without flash, so it was not easy to get a decent shot with proper colouration without shaking. To avoid highlights that were too bright, I actually reduced the exposure as well.
2) A lot of the plants are not the very green ones. Example, the crypts and red lotus.

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## |squee|

Inspiring. I hope to be able to have a 4 footer low tech in my living room one day, with ferns, nanas, crypts and bolbitis with a school of harlequins.

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## redfever

Very nice tank setup.

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