# low tech aquascape planns and help



## demonr6 (Mar 14, 2011)

Everything plant wise seems good. I have most if not all except the Cuban broad in my tanks. Dwarf sag grows like weeds in my low tech tanks but the dwarf hair grass is the complete opposite. My concerns are the silica sand.. I was advised against beach type sand because of the silica causing problems in the tank and ended up buying the kind you can purchase at your local pet store or aquarium store that has been treated. Also with so many apple snails I would think twice with them uprooting your plants. I have two in one tank that is using an even heavier Eco Complete rock substrate and the plants are uprooted forcing me to make adjustments almost 2-3x weekly. The dwarf hair grass had to be removed from my apple snail tanks. Oh and they can get really really big in the right tank conditions. One of mine is almost the size of my wife's fist..

Someone will hopefully chime in on the lighting for you.


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## plecostomouse (Jun 9, 2011)

thanks for the reply
the silica sand i have purchased from a pet store so it has been treated.
i have had little problems with uprroting of plants by snails, but you may be right i will keep an eye out for that, i am aware that they grow to a large size and am trying to sell them but unfortunatly the market has run out of demand for them where i live.
yes i hope some one can give me a few tips on the lighting aspect of my tank.

cheers


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## plecostomouse (Jun 9, 2011)

ok i have changed my mind on the layout of the tank (probably not the last time this will happen).
instead i am going for the heavily planted look as my awesome ms paint skilles will show: 








lol
anyway i think i want to make my substarte more fertile, what do you guys recomend?
i was thinking peat and some root tabs, i was also told that finding clay and drying it make great plant food.
i was also told you cant use flourish excel when growing crypts, true or false.
another question, are t5 or t8 bulbs better for plant growth?

any other tips i need some experience so please enlighten me


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## cHiBi_sCeNe (May 22, 2011)

A small bit of wood would look nice and some java moss...lol my ideas are rubbish...-.-


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## laurenrocksth (Apr 2, 2011)

I had no problem growing my crypts with excel. You'll definitely have a problems with your vals, though.


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## plecostomouse (Jun 9, 2011)

hi thanks for the comments,
i have a piece of drift in the plann (see the noodely thing in there lol) and i have christmasmoss growing on it 
thanks lauren, do you know what i can use instead of excel that wont affect the vals?


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## plecostomouse (Jun 9, 2011)

if i cant get around the vals what plant should i replace them with?


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## plecostomouse (Jun 9, 2011)

so i got the silica sand i odered today, i started cleaning it which took a long time but i think i got most of the really fine stuff out.
this weekend i plann to rescape my tank, i want to take out all the fish first and keep them in a bucket while i go about changing the planting and substrate layout.
1:how low should i lower the water level?
2:will the fish be ok if the water is a bit cloudy for a couple of days?

cheers


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## plecostomouse (Jun 9, 2011)

UPDATE!!!
ok i have set up my tank 
plants:
1x enchinodorus red special
1x enchinodorus ozelot
10x enchinodorus qudricostatus
10x sagitarria sabulta
3x vallisneria spiralis
1x tiger lotu
2x enchinodorus amazonicus
and a fair bit of dwarf hair grass
(sorry if scientifical names are misspelt)









FTS


















red special









quadricostatus









vallisneria

hope you like it

im sure it will look far better when the plants fills in


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

demonr6 said:


> I was advised against beach type sand because of the silica causing problems in the tank


Totally untrue. I have used play sand, pool filter sand and river sand. I used these as cap over dirt. The play sand turned orange. The white pool filter sand was a pain to keep white. The river sand is my favorite. 

I put reptile coconut bark under the dirt for it adds Co2 to the tank. Thus only dose 5ml of excel daily in 29g tank.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

The vallisneria spiralis and dwarf hair grass look in need of minerals. I think the Seachem Equilibrium (1 tsp weekly) would provide them.

What is your light? You may not know this but the WPG rule applies to T12 bulbs. 

To keep the sand white many vacumm and then add more sand. I have done this via a sock.


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## plecostomouse (Jun 9, 2011)

Hilde said:


> The vallisneria spiralis and dwarf hair grass look in need of minerals. I think the Seachem Equilibrium (1 tsp weekly) would provide them.
> 
> What is your light? You may not know this but the WPG rule applies to T12 bulbs.
> 
> To keep the sand white many vacumm and then add more sand. I have done this via a sock.


 hi yeah they do look a little down, i will get some once i have the money. i have a 2x15 watt t8 bulbs running 10-12 hours a day. thanks


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## plecostomouse (Jun 9, 2011)

UPDATE









plants are doing well, red special is putting a new leaf out every week,








tiger lotus is also doing well with multiple new leaves.








vallis has sent a runner already.

got some crypt undulata which has taken off.









one of the larger blue mystery snails


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## SeasonedNewbie (Jul 3, 2011)

Everything is looking great! Congrats on a job well done.


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## plecostomouse (Jun 9, 2011)

thanks, i to am please with the progress


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