# No filter, no CO2, no fert aquascape. taking low tech to the limit



## MultiTankGuy (Jan 8, 2018)

*Your Tank*



jaeseo1991 said:


> 1month update. No waterchange, No filter, No CO2, No fert Nano planted tank - YouTube
> 
> This is my low tech nano planted aquarium. It has a dirt substrate, DIY LED lights.
> I have no filter, no Co2, and no fertilizers added.
> ...


ja...

The nutrients in the soil will eventually run out, because everything in the water is constantly dissolving. Then, you'll need to find another means of feeding your plants. No filter is fine, but you'll need to replace the water often to keep the minerals at the right levels and the dissolved waste from building to toxic levels. Some important trace minerals are lost because the plants use them and others are changed due to exposure to the oxygen in the surrounding air. There's no such thing as a balanced water chemistry in a system where old water is never removed and replaced by new water, like a tank without large, regular water changes.

Good luck.

M


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## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

I'd probably just want to point a computer fan at the surface for ripple and extra evaporation and then hopefully top off water is sufficient


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## madcrafted (Dec 23, 2017)

wouldn't this be considered 'no tech'? Or is the artificial lighting cheating? haha

I would definitely do regular water changes if not only to refresh KH that is being depleted. KH is the key to raising CO2 concentrations in a low tech tank. That and surface agitation for gas exchange. This is especially true in more densely planted tanks like yours. 

Then you have the pollution factor from waste and decomposition. Water changes are good. Not sure why everyone thinks it's a bad idea to change water at least bi- weekly in a low tech tank. Diluting waste and replenishing minerals is never a bad thing... unless your water source is bad. That's why many cut it with r/o water and then re-mineralize.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

The top layer looks like aqua-soil and pieces of power sand that came through. Either way there's plenty of nutrients for those plants in there for probably over 6 months, plus your feeding once a week.


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## jaeseo1991 (Jan 26, 2018)

2month update.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

Looking really good.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

That looks nice for that type of setup, but I don’t understand why in your video you keep saying “everyone says this can’t be done, etc, etc.”. It’s done all the time. 

You have what looks like a soil, AS, PS base. So there is co2 and plenty of nutrients in the substrate. You are growing fairly easy plants that don’t need a ton of light which makes it manageable, plus you have pretty much zero livestock. You also stated you changed the water initially which removed a lot of the leeching form the soil. 

So with those type of parameters (limitations) yes it can and will work.


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## ksimdjembe (Dec 19, 2013)

This looks great. Nice and simple


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