# Please help me with low tech system.



## fresh (Jul 28, 2010)

Hi all,

Please help me decide on a low-tech and hopefully low-maintenance planted tank. 

Setup is:
- 45 gal community 
- 4 x 40W T12 = total 160W for 8 hours currently
- AC300 filter
- 1 small hagen power head.
- I also have a DIY Hagen CO2 that I can add.
- I feed fish once or twice a day. Current stock is mainly baby angels quarter size.

I am not ineterested to trim and cut plants a lot to keep a nice looking tank. I just want an easy to maintain good looking tank with a few plants.

The plants that I currently have are:
- Wisteria
- Vallisneria Nana 
- Bacopa Monnieri 
- Red Cabomba
- I don't think I will be adding more.

Should I add the Hagen CO2 setup and add fertilizer every so often? If so which fertilizer do you recommend and how much should I add? Keep in mind that I am not interested to add pressurized CO2.

Or should I just leave it as is without CO2 and no fertilizer to keep the plants from growing out of control?

Please share your thoughts as I am not a plant expert by any means. I just want to keep a nice looking and healthy tank.

Thanks in advance.


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## taureandragon76 (Apr 21, 2010)

With the amount of light you have you will more than likely need some sorta carbon source otherwise you will end up with algae issues.


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

How fast are the plants growing now or are they growing at all?
Do you want the tank more densely planted than the current state? 
Are you running into algae problems?

If you are not adding more plants, how do you want to convert this to low maintenance? another way to word this is, what do you want to change to make this low tech system? You are already pretty low tech without ferts and CO2.


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## fresh (Jul 28, 2010)

I just added the plants to a relatively new tank (2 months old).
I think density will be gained by growth, and I don't mind slow growth.
No algae problems yet.

I don't want to "convert" to low maintenance, I just don't want it to be more maintenance than its current state.

Also lights are 4 hours on, 3 off, 4 on.


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

If the plants are growing the way you like, leave the tank alone.

If the plants are growing too fast, take 1 - 40 watt bulb out
If the stem plants are still growing out of control after reducing the bulb, use slower growing plants such as java fern, anubias, cryptocorynes, swords or hygrophila corymbosa or polysperma varieties. 

If the plants are not growing too well, use less stem plants and more heavy root feeders swords and crypts. Stem plants need more water column fertilizer where as swords and crypts uses more substrate fertilizer. Alternatively, you can add water column fertilizer.

If your tank is getting an algae outbreak, reduce 1 bulb, reduce the fish/bio load, or inject CO2 to increase plant metabolism to convert and use up the fish waste nutrients. algae outbreak is a sign of excess organic nutrients (heavy feeding/uneaten food and or heavy bioload)

A good product to use to raise gH in planted tank is seachem equilibrium. A very good balance of Ca and Mg Ratio and a good dose of Potassium for plants to use up the organic waste.


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## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

Edge had some good points, to add to that add abit of iron after every water change. You could add about 15-20 drops for the 45g.
As for diy co2 I would say you can probably do without it, Metricide at very small doses every other day wouldn't hurt either and you could do it after you feed.


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