Small planted tank for dummies

There's a lot of misunderstanding about keeping a healthy planted tank. A lot of people face all sorts of issues and typically conclude that they are not doing enough. Unless you fancy very dense vegetation through high tech means, creating a healthy yet low maintenance tank is about "doing less".

The tank below (UNS 5N, 4 gallon) has nothing but sand, a tiny bubbler in the back corner, and 6 plant species:

• Lilaeopsis 'novea-zealandidae' in the left front
• Rotala walichii (stem plant) in the left back
• Monte Carlo, carpet plant in the center front
• Limnophila sessiliflora (stem plant) in the center back
• Alternanthera reineckii 'mini' (stem plant) in the right front
• Rotala rotundifolia 'H'ra' (stem plant) in the right back
• I might add Staurogyne repens in the front in a while.
• I will also add Limnobium laevigatum (floating) to signal if nutrients are missing.

The stem plants have not been trimmed yet; they're all from 1 cutting. In a few weeks I'll do the first cutting. Two new shoot will appear from the cutting. The cut-off tops will be replanted. This procedure will create a bushy appearance over time.




Most tanks are equipped with lights that are simply too bright for low tech planted tanks. This is by far the most important troublemaker. The tank above is located on a bright spot, without artificial light. The so-called "compensation point" of plants is much lower than many people think; meaning, most plants don't require that much light in order to keep photosynthetic rate above respiration rate.

The second most important factor is CO2. There are a few ways to keep CO2 levels optimal: the tank above has no heater, the water line is kept at par with the height of the plants, a bubbler is added in the right corner to keep the water surface clear, and a few dry leaves are added.

Most fertilizing is done through water changes. A biweekly 10% will do. In between water changes, I'll add some NPK fertilizer (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (Kalium)) in between. Just a tiny bit. If you'd have fish, only potassium suffices.

Again, adding Limnobium laevigatum helps to signal if nutrients are missing.

No root feeding or special soil is used. Using this might give you a head start, but eventually it all converges to similar conditions dictated by the height of the substrate, an impermeable (glass) bottom, and plant roots.

Nutrients will find their way into the substrate, and also, plants take in nutrients via the leaves.

The tank contains a few blue ramshorn snails and a dozen "cherry shrimps" (a white, translucent variety).

All filtration is done by plants and microbes. Cycling is not required for planted tanks.

Let's see how this tank progresses. I expect a bushy appearance with shades of red around the end of spring when the summer sun kicks in.

Then it's time to sell the tank or give it away to a dummy . A background could be added to the tank. A small light to enjoy the tank in the evenings, is also an option.

If you'd like to add fish to a tank such as this; a Dario would work.

If the footprint would be double (currently 36x22 cm / 15x9 inch), you could add a group of e.g Celestial Pearl danios.

Top view. I know, it looks just as sad as the one above. But scaping is not the goal. The goal is to show you how you can create a lush planted tank, using popular plants, with almost no technology (no CO2, no root tabs, no filter, and with probably strong fluctuating water parameters) and without any issues along the way. No deaths. No algae.

It takes about 6 months until the tank gets there.

 

I'm intrigued by your use of frogbit to see if nutrients are lacking. I have a tank which I used to fertilize with micro ferts only, and many plants were struggling, but frogbit wasn't among them. Water lettuce was extremely small, but frogbit was big and lush. I figured P was lacking, and I started adding it, most of the plants got better - except Ludwigia and Bolbitis - but frogbit and buces actually got worse. Now the frobgit is small and covered with brown spots, whereas lettuce is big and healthy. So how would you interpret that?

 

I'm intrigued by your use of frogbit to see if nutrients are lacking. I have a tank which I used to fertilize with micro ferts only, and many plants were struggling, but frogbit wasn't among them. Water lettuce was extremely small, but frogbit was big and lush. I figured P was lacking, and I started adding it, most of the plants got better - except Ludwigia and Bolbitis - but frogbit and buces actually got worse. Now the frobgit is small and covered with brown spots, whereas lettuce is big and healthy. So how would you interpret that?

Good question. So you added one specific nutrient and some plants did better and others did worse.

Whatever I do with my tanks, or whatever I not do, I experience exactly the same. Some plants do better, others do worse. There's always 5% of plants or plant species that seem to be doing less than others.

You and I are not alone . Happens to everyone. I would count my blessings with 90+% of healthy looking plants (regardless of growth rate). Some people think it should be 100% and start intervening. Most interventions only lead to other issues. Yours might be a good example.

In general there are two causes:
- nutrient competition; certain plant species will be more capable of taking in certain nutrients than others, given specific circumstances. Change the circumstance, like pH, and intake will be different.
- allelopathy by various ways, but all below the human radar; plants inhibiting growth of plants nearby.

Regarding frogbit: I only keep 1 floater species, so I can't help you from personal experience. Questions I have: prior to brown, was it first yellow or did it became brown instantly. Also, do the roots look rotten to you?

Oftentimes, we attribute an issue to our own intervention. But the cause might well be something else.

 

As far as I remember (not at home and cannot check) it's straight to brown. Green leaf with brown spots. The leaves only get yellow when they fall off. The roots look normal, minus some barb-induced damage, but that was always the case, even when they looked healthy, so it can't be the deciding factor.

 

As far as I remember (not at home and cannot check) it's straight to brown. Green leaf with brown spots. The leaves only get yellow when they fall off. The roots look normal, minus some barb-induced damage, but that was always the case, even when they looked healthy, so it can't be the deciding factor.

Brown spots you say. That's a sign of leaves getting wet I think, but Im not totally sure.

As a side note - The frogbit did well originally, but your submersed plants were struggling, or at least some of them. The idea is to have only a limited amount of floaters, as the floaters take in nutrients as well of course. Just one floater to act as a monitor. Any newborns finds their way in my garden as compost.

 

Will any floating plant work as a monitor, like red root floaters, or does it have to be a specific plant, like frogbit?

 

Red root floaters melted away in my high ph rock hard water.

 

Subscribed! Every plant you’re using just doesn’t grow for me. But for me it’s always a heated tank with filtration.

 

You can use other floaters too. All I know is that frogbit communicates quickly if nutrients are missing and is used by others also for the purpose of signaling. To apply the trick, just make sure to use one or a few.

I think the Rotala walichii in the tank is considered a high demanding plant. Some would argue Monte Carlo also. But I think it boils down to expectations. MC just grows really slow and its leaves remain small, similar to HC/baby tears in CO2 tanks. Don't expect to see carpets in this tank in 6 months time.

A filter is great for water movement. I always use one for larger tanks. For small tanks, it doesn't hurt, but without works fine also. Even with fish.

Water parameters are all a bit overrated for plants in my opinion. The stability factor however might be a reason why certain plants are not doing well. Like many animals, plants too could benefit from -at least- daily fluctuations in temperature. Quick reference in case you have nothing better to do: pampered inside, pestered outside.

Regarding my tank, light is on for about 14 hours, mostly from outside, in the evening some very faint room light, the intensity/lumen on average is low at the moment. Temperature varies from 61F to 68F. In the months to come, lumen and temp go up, but continue to fluctuate daily.

 

I completely forgot to mention that I purchased Rotala walichii and Limnophila sessiliflora for this tank. The other plant species were harvested from my tanks.

You: "As a low tech lover, you didn't have Limnophila sessiliflora in one of your tanks?"

That's correct. I don't like the plant. . Purchased the plant for comparison with the more demanding walichii. I'm pretty sure both were grown emersed.

As expected, the two plants that are struggling / auto-fragmenting are these two. The plants already adapted to aquatic conditions are doing fine.

You: "It's because you planted these in the area that captures sunlight".

Could well be. The whole tank captures light, around mid afternoon, when CO2 levels are already reduced. Perhaps I should mix the plants throughout the tank, but I can't at the moment because the walichii in the right back, is fragmenting.

The same goes for Limnophila sessiliflora, but a few stems have already started to grow. Our hobby is all about probability management...

Rotala rotundifolia 'H'ra' is growing strongly, but as expected. Both reaching the top already. I increased the water line a bit, with yesterday's water change. Will cut later today and replant the cut-off parts, and lower the water line again.

The other plant species, Monte Carlo and AR mini, are slow growers. Lilaeopsis 'novea-zealandidae' (highly, highly recommended if you like to have a grassy-appearance in low tech) doesn't grow much vertically.

I added two small cryptocoryne parva in the front and a pearl weed stem, Hemianthus Micranthemoides, for fun.

I also added a transparent background.




I added a single "canary-plant", Limnobium laevigatum, and protected it with a tube. Otherwise it'll float to the bubbler and become wet.




Shrimps are doing fine. They always do in planted tanks.

Did the cutting (close to the bottom), replanting and lowering the water line (adjusted the ring tube also).


Till next week.

 

Absolutely going to follow this.

 

New update.

The Good

Plants from other tanks are doing just fine. Easy-peasy. Walk in the park.
I added some Lobelia Cardinalis which I found in my "storage tank" where I keep all sorts of plants and Dario tigris males. Also added Staurogyne repens from another tank.

So the current list is:

• Lilaeopsis 'novea-zealandidae' in the left front
• Rotala walichii (stem plant) in the left back
• Monte Carlo, carpet plant in the center front
• Limnophila sessiliflora (stem plant) in the center back
• Alternanthera reineckii 'mini' (stem plant) in the right front
• Rotala rotundifolia 'H'ra' (stem plant) in the right back
• Lobelia Cardinalis (in the center front)
• Pearl weed (a single stem on the left)
• Staurogyne repens (in the center front)
• Cryptocoryne parva (in the center front)
• Limnobium laevigatum (floating)

The Bad

The purchased plants, Rotala walichii, Limnophila sessiliflora, are struggling big time.This project started 2 weeks ago, so nothing to worry about. One of the stems is floating around. I tried to plant it back into the substrate, but it broke in several pieces. The walichii are doing worse, lost almost all leaves, but... I think I'm spotting new growth in the top. Let's hope I can promote walichii next week to The Good.

The Ugly

I lost 1 adult shrimp about 5 days ago. No sign of apathy or stress in the others though. I can attribute the death to this tank. Or I can attribute it to my normal death rate of about 1 shrimp per month or so. I keep shrimp in 9 tanks at the moment. Shrimp die eventually.








Till next week.

 

Notice the sunset on the left. That's the only sun this tank or myself have seen this week. It's been a week of darkness and misery. Needless to say, this affects plants too.

The good
The red-ish Rotala rotundifolia 'H'ra' in the right back is doing great. Time for another trimming next week. Plants that I got from my other tanks are doing fine also.

I added some Hemianthus glomeratus in the left front corner just for fun. Also taken from one of my other tanks, so I think it will be fine.

The bad
My canary-in-a-mine plant Limnobium laevigatum looks worse than most of my plants. But I wonder if nutrients are missing. Hence I added another specimen as a "second opinion".

No news on the new plants Rotala walichii and Limnophila sessiliflora.

The ugly
Nothing ugly. The death of one shrimp over a week ago, hasn't been succeeded by another death. Shrimp behave fine.







The plant list:

• Lilaeopsis 'novea-zealandidae' in the left front
• Rotala walichii (stem plant) in the left back
• Monte Carlo, carpet plant in the center front
• Limnophila sessiliflora (stem plant) in the center back
• Alternanthera reineckii 'mini' (stem plant) in the right front
• Rotala rotundifolia 'H'ra' (stem plant) in the right back
• Lobelia Cardinalis (in the center front)
• Pearl weed (a single stem on the left)
• Staurogyne repens (in the center front)
• Cryptocoryne parva (in the center front)
• Limnobium laevigatum (floating)
• Hemianthus glomeratus (left front corner)

 

Next time, remind me to conduct experiments at the end of winter season.
Ambient light is anything but bright for weeks, temperature is a little cold also.

The good is doing better, the bad is doing worse, but with hope in sight.

Did another trimming of Rotala rotundifolia 'H'ra'.

The end.

 

the bad is doing worse

For me they sometimes took ages to settle in a tank ... but once they settled basically became indestructible.

 

I'm getting so bored with this tank, it's not even funny. But the "experiment" (a bubbler, water changes and some liquid fertilizers only) runs till spring...

In sum: the tank is running slow but fine. Rotala walichii giving signs of life. Just a little disappointed in Limnophila sessiliflora - perhaps I need to offer them some classical music in the background.







Till next week!

 

Limnophila sessiliflora grows well for me, Rotala doesn't!

 

It's all chemical warfare between plants, TClare!

 

It's all chemical warfare between plants, TClare!

Yes, I am sure that is true. I have little bit of Rotala in the big tank, it hasn't died but hardly grows either. It is surrounded by other, healthier plants.

 

Maybe the preferred conditions of these two plants are mutually exclusive? I have a similar hypothesis about staghorn and hair algae. I have one tank that is riddled with staghorn, but no green hair algae - even a marimo ball eventually died; I feed the barbs in it with duckweed taken from a hair algae infested tank, so it could easily get infected, but so far it doesn't. Meanwhile, I put a staghorn infected African fern into the hair algae infested tank, and all the staghorn was gone soon enough. It's like they cannot coexist.

 

That is funny. I’ve always had hair algae turn into stag horn. I find shrimp eat both. I take any I find in my tanks and add the wood/plant or decor to my shrimp tank and they devour it.

 

That is funny. I’ve always had hair algae turn into stag horn. I find shrimp eat both. I take any I find in my tanks and add the wood/plant or decor to my shrimp tank and they devour it.

Your shrimp must be starving - I have cherry in both tanks and Amano shrimp in staghorn tank, and neither of them make any dent in any kind of algae. They just roam around and look cool .

 

Ok now this really is the funny part. Any algae in their tank is more or less left alone. Like the back and side walls are green. But if algae from another tank is added they mass all over it. Usually clean it completely in a day or 2. I feed daily. I’ve even watched them leave food to eat algae.

 

Maybe the preferred conditions of these two plants are mutually exclusive? I have a similar hypothesis about staghorn and hair algae. I have one tank that is riddled with staghorn, but no green hair algae - even a marimo ball eventually died; I feed the barbs in it with duckweed taken from a hair algae infested tank, so it could easily get infected, but so far it doesn't. Meanwhile, I put a staghorn infected African fern into the hair algae infested tank, and all the staghorn was gone soon enough. It's like they cannot coexist.

Really interesting.

Recently I came across a hypothesis regarding competition between diatoms and algae. Not just related to aquaria but to nature. When spring begins, diatoms apparently are the first to reproduce again. Over time, algae take over and diatoms disappear because of this (well, except for their shells). This is not at all different when starting a new tank.

Unless you start off with a lot of plants (or plant species), as my "experiment" shows.

Ok now this really is the funny part. Any algae in their tank is more or less left alone. Like the back and side walls are green. But if algae from another tank is added they mass all over it. Usually clean it completely in a day or 2. I feed daily. I’ve even watched them leave food to eat algae.

My observation is, anything from another tank, even if this tank includes the same shrimp species, is being grazed almost instantly by shrimp.

Perhaps even the slightest difference in conditions between tanks results in different microbe species. This is not odd at all.

Buy why algae. Perhaps this also holds for algae. Green algae is not one species. Or perhaps, the microbes are consumed and the symbiotic relation between microbes and algae disappears causing the demise of algae.

 

Started this in dec 6. So well over a month. I did another round of trimming of Rotala h'ra and.... Limnophila sessiliflora, the newcomer.

Rotala h'ra is starting to become a little bushy. Limnophila sessiliflora and Rotala walichii zones look sad, but hopeful - new growth everywhere.

Limnobium laevigatum, our "canary"-plant, looks so-so. I probably need to increase dosing somewhat.

 

If this tank if starting to really come alive in spring, I'm thinking of taking a couple of plants out, and let Lilaeopsis take over, along with adding a pile of stones and a large bog plant with a root structure covering the stones.

Lilaeopsis already started to take over with lots of runners; I took all of them out. Such a great plant that never complains.

Newcomer Limnophila sessiliflora seems to be doing great. Finally.
Newcomer Rotala walichii, I don't know... it ain't over till spring.

Finally, I've got shrimplets and another berried female.

 

Last week the sun returned from holiday. Limnophila sessiliflora really revived big time.

So what's up with Rotala walichii. Perhaps I should have added some minerals directly in the substrate to make the transition to submersed life easier. Hemianthus glomeratus / pearlweed, hidden behind Lilaeopsis 'novea-zealandidae', is slowly taking ground from walichii.

Plants are cruel.

 

Tralalala....

 

Spring is knocking on the door. The past week have seen some sunny days. Green algae has arrived on the glass. Don't panic. It's fine. The plant leaves is what I care about and they look fine. Hopefully the algae triggers my ramshorn to breed. Like my shrimp; 2 are berried.

The plants:

• Lilaeopsis 'novea-zealandidae' - bulletproof
• Rotala walichii - sigh...
• Monte Carlo - looks healthy but no growth. But according to expectations with inert sand. It really takes a while before it start to take off in sand.
• Limnophila sessiliflora - safe to say, the plant has made it.
• Alternanthera reineckii 'mini' - the red ones in the tank; starting to grow.
• Rotala rotundifolia 'H'ra' - bulletproof
• Lobelia Cardinalis - old leaves doing not so good, but lots of tiny new leaves appearing.
• Pearl weed - doing fine (not so visible in the front image, but better in the topview image (on the left).
• Staurogyne repens - I only added one tiny stem and it looks like the day I set up the tank, last December.
• Cryptocoryne parva - well, it's a crypt!
• Limnobium laevigatum - telling me I'm not dosing enough.

Because of the algae, because spring is coming, because the tank still feels fragile, it is tempting not to make a drastic change, by replacing the walichii with, for instance, a lot of Hygrophila. To crank up the plant biomass instantly and block some sunlight.

This is what I would normally do given the circumstances. But it would interrupt this little experiment. We'll see how it goes.

 

Amazing how plants can adapt and how different they look in each setup.

 

Amazing how plants can adapt and how different they look in each setup.

Yup that's right.

____________________

"Limnobium laevigatum - telling me I'm not dosing enough."

Come to think of, I've not changed the dosing since week 1
Time to crank up the NPK-MgS ferts.

 

Skipped a week due to holidays.

Pearl weed, on the left, doing really well.
Staurogyne repens being swallowed by Limnophila sessiliflora. Going to replant the little victim towards the front.

 

Is this indoors or outdoors? Does it get direct sunlight or through a window?

Seems to be showing signs of greatness already

 

Indoors, on a windowsill, window facing the sun. But winter... not too much sun, but enough to trigger green algae.

To be honest, I'm completely bored with the tank. I like to scape the tank with some stones and wood, turn it into some myanmar-ish biotope, and place it in one of my racks. And have a small riparium sit on the windowsill, instead.

I'll continue with the progress though. Just with a bubbler and this time with artificial light, as my racks are in the basement.

 

Indoors, on a windowsill, window facing the sun. But winter... not too much sun, but enough to trigger green algae.

To be honest, I'm completely bored with the tank. I like to scape the tank with some stones and wood, turn it into some myanmar-ish biotope, and place it in one of my racks. And have a small riparium sit on the windowsill, instead.

I'll continue with the progress though. Just with a bubbler and this time with artificial light, as my racks are in the basement.

Looks fine to me though, eventually you should be able to fill the entire tank with rotalas and it's only going to get better from here....

Low-tech tanks are pretty boring by definition...things grow slower and not much "toys" are needed . Id give it 6 months - 1 year in my experience that's when things really take off.

 

Oh no, plants are fine. It's just this particular tank on this particular spot in our living room. That's all.

 

The goal was spring - which starts today . Let me commit to another 4 weeks. I feel obliged.

 

ruud You’re the bomb. I wonder if I can copy this exact list for my tank. As I’ve told you hundreds of times when I ask so many questions, the tank is 4’ long and 2’ deep, 80 degrees, and has a strong Chihiros light, a filter and a powerhead. So a lot diff. I have fish that don’t eat plants.
I do think what I am asking many others will also be curious about—would this exact plant list also work in the type of tank I described, and what would you change/keep for a high temp, filtered and lit tank?

 

Skip the walichii

Also the Lobelia cardinalis and Monte carlo. I mean, perhaps, but for now, in your situation...waste of money.

I would add lots of hygrophila polysperma or siamensis, even if you don't like the plant!

Purchase a few motherplants to get a headstart.

Dim the lights the first few weeks to months.

Don't worry about fertilizers. Some potassium is probably all you need the first months.

When plants start to grow, you can increase light and add potassium and nitrogen. Some KNO3 dry powder is all you need. And water changes.

That's it.

 

Skip the walichii

Also the Lobelia cardinalis and Monte carlo. I mean, perhaps, but for now, in your situation...waste of money.

I would add lots of hygrophila polysperma or siamensis, even if you don't like the plant!

Purchase a few motherplants to get a headstart.

Dim the lights the first few weeks to months.

Don't worry about fertilizers. Some potassium is probably all you need the first months.

When plants start to grow, you can increase light and add potassium and nitrogen. Some KNO3 dry powder is all you need. And water changes.

That's it.

And there ya have it folks! Thank you so much ruud