| Low-Maintenance, Low-Tech tank |
In every aquatic ecosystem there are many types of invertebrates. There are plants, dead rotting
organics such as sticks, leaves, roots etc. These all contain the missing links to a beautiful,
stable, low-maintenance aquarium. I am going to give you a basic setup for an easy tank that will
be beautiful and almost self-sustaining.
Original set-up
First you need the tank, light and filter. The tank size is up to you. How much space you have is
your main concern here. You do not need a huge tank. I have set up many small 5- and 10-gallon
tanks that were super rewarding with minimal cost. If you have the bank and room for a huge
tank, then by all means go for it!
Substrate
Because we are going to have some real plants you should have a layer of nutrient-rich gravel on
the bottom. There are many commercially available gravels for this. You can top that off with a
gravel of your choice. The plants’ roots will find the nutrients.
Filter
There are many options here, but for this article we are focusing on the low-tech low-
maintenance aquarium. I always use sponge filters in my tanks—I know all you plant buffs just
cringed or are shaking your heads. I know it is not the best for plants, but certain varieties will
survive; if you are more into the plants than the animals then this is the wrong article for you. I
always use the largest sponge possible. It is a little bit of an eyesore but can be covered by plants
and wood.
Lighting
This is a lengthy one so I will try to keep it short. Plants need light. Too much light without C02
will cause algal and diatom blooms. Too little light and plants will yellow out and die. The way
that I approach plants is to get an assortment. Plant them out and see what plants do well in your
tank. Stick with those ones. The plants must be doing well in the aquarium for the rest to do
well. Some time it can take months of trying different plants before you get a few that work for
you.
Setup Procedure
organics such as sticks, leaves, roots etc. These all contain the missing links to a beautiful,
stable, low-maintenance aquarium. I am going to give you a basic setup for an easy tank that will
be beautiful and almost self-sustaining.
Original set-up
First you need the tank, light and filter. The tank size is up to you. How much space you have is
your main concern here. You do not need a huge tank. I have set up many small 5- and 10-gallon
tanks that were super rewarding with minimal cost. If you have the bank and room for a huge
tank, then by all means go for it!
Substrate
Because we are going to have some real plants you should have a layer of nutrient-rich gravel on
the bottom. There are many commercially available gravels for this. You can top that off with a
gravel of your choice. The plants’ roots will find the nutrients.
Filter
There are many options here, but for this article we are focusing on the low-tech low-
maintenance aquarium. I always use sponge filters in my tanks—I know all you plant buffs just
cringed or are shaking your heads. I know it is not the best for plants, but certain varieties will
survive; if you are more into the plants than the animals then this is the wrong article for you. I
always use the largest sponge possible. It is a little bit of an eyesore but can be covered by plants
and wood.
Lighting
This is a lengthy one so I will try to keep it short. Plants need light. Too much light without C02
will cause algal and diatom blooms. Too little light and plants will yellow out and die. The way
that I approach plants is to get an assortment. Plant them out and see what plants do well in your
tank. Stick with those ones. The plants must be doing well in the aquarium for the rest to do
well. Some time it can take months of trying different plants before you get a few that work for
you.
Setup Procedure
- I always put my gravel, plants, wood, rocks and filter in first. Then I take dead
dried oak leaves and cut them to shreds with a scissor. Oak leaves are not your only
option. I have tried most of the deciduous leaves from here in central New Jersey with
success. How many leaves? I use approx. 5 full leaves in a 10-gallon tank. Let this run
for a week. The leaves and bog wood will tea stain the water a little. That is OK; with
regular water changes it will pass. It also has the benefit of adding more decaying
organics to the substrate where it settles. Let this run for a week. I know….Please be
patient!!
- Next you can add some snails. Ugh! Plants and snails? What is this guy talking
about? There are many beneficial snails and their feeding process is super-important for
the very base of your food chain. I recommend some or all of the following: ramshorns,
Malaysian trumpets, spixis, and briggs. These all fill a particular niche. Some of these
break down dead plant and animal matter. Others eat algae. And the Malaysian trumpet
snail burrows through your gravel, aerating it and eating up detritus and other nasties.
They also pass microscopic organisms in there waste in the process. These organisms are
the first food for many larvae including fish, shrimps and crayfish.
- Our next addition to the aquarium will be the shrimp. Start off with some hardy
Neocardina species such as cherry reds, natty browns or the blue varieties. These shrimp
are much hardier than the Cardina group. To start a colony of any of the above you
should try to stock 2 per gallon. I know that sounds high, but this method has proved
itself time and time again. Another crustacean that is stocked is Gammerus shrimp, or
scuds. These are smaller than the others mentioned. Any clams or mussels can also be
added now. The idea here is to use the next month or two to allow the shrimp and snails
to reproduce in numbers. These also are part of the food chain for the new additions that
will be higher up on the food chain.
- After 2 to 3 months go by, you can start considering some crayfish and fish.
Choose both of these wisely. The smaller fish that have smaller mouths are good, such as
tetras, guppies, Endlers live bearers, and the dwarf rainbow fish group also known as the
blue eye rainbows. Hillstream loaches are an excellent choice also. There are many others
also. The main concern is mouth size. If the shrimp fits in the fish’s mouth...that is where
it will eventually end up. The dwarf crays like the orange dwarf crays or the cajun dwarf
crays stay small enough to get by. The filter feeding shrimp are an option also at this
point. There feeding behavior is fascinating.
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buyers of live animals should be aware of what federal, state and local laws apply to their area of residence before making a purchase.
Buyer assumes all responsibility for obtaining necessary permits and following applicable laws relating to their area of residence,
Aquaboy Aquatics is not responsible for any violation of such rules and regulations on the part of the purchaser.
buyers of live animals should be aware of what federal, state and local laws apply to their area of residence before making a purchase.
Buyer assumes all responsibility for obtaining necessary permits and following applicable laws relating to their area of residence,
Aquaboy Aquatics is not responsible for any violation of such rules and regulations on the part of the purchaser.
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