# 12g long - Low tech/low maintance



## HeathBar (Aug 28, 2007)

This is a tank that I've been wanting to do for a long time. I really love the dimentions of the 12 gallon longs. I would have loved to do a high tech set up, but I decided to go low tech instead. I've tried high tech before but ended up slacking on dosing ferts and monitoring CO2, the result was a tank filled with algae. 

*Tank:* Green Leaf Rimless Aquarium 91-B, 12 gallon
*Lighting:* ZooMed 36" T5HO, 54W one bulb
*Filtration*: Ehiem 2213 w/lilly pipes
*Substrate*: Black Flourite
*Ferts*: pfertz K, P, N and traces once a month and root tabs.
*CO2:* None
*Water Changes:* Top off's only

*Plants:*
M. Minuta 
Dwarf Sag.
Rotala Indica
Anubias Nana
Dwarf Hair Grass
Limnophila aromatica

I've been able to grow all these plants before with a low tech setup with the exception of the Limnophila aromatica. I don't expect it to last long but it was so pretty at the store that I had to try it. The DHG has been hit or miss for me in the past so I won't be surprised if it doesn't last long either.

*Tank fresh outta the box!*


















*Hardscape:*









After planting and some trimming:



























The stem plants are mostly to help keep algae to a minimum while the m. minuta and dwarf sag fill in a bit. I haven't decided if I'll be keeping the stems or not, I guess I'll wait to see what it looks like in a month or two.

Enjoy! :biggrin:


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## Bree (Dec 17, 2010)

Awesome hardscape choice, look amazing, and the plants looks awesome, i will be following this!


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## [email protected] (Apr 27, 2011)

Wow, that looks great!! It's going to be really awesome once all that carpet grows in. Great job!


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## indigo (Aug 1, 2011)

wow i love the dimensions of this tank. and the way you have set it up looks really good


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## londonloco (Aug 25, 2005)

Very nice, subscribed, keep up the updates!


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## Danno79 (Mar 14, 2011)

Wow really nice! What's the name of the plant in the fifth picture that has the purple growth? 

Sent from my BlackBerry 9800 using Tapatalk


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## HeathBar (Aug 28, 2007)

Update:

The Limnophila aromatica is surprisingly doing great and still looks just as healthy as the day I got it. Some of it is growing out of the top of the tank which is causing the leaves to get a lil crispy.










The M. minuta is doing okay. I'm seeing some new growth but the new leaves are in the emersed four leaf clover form  Hopefully it'll change it's mind and start growing in the submersed form soon.










Almost all the leaves on my Rotala melted but there is some new growth at the top so hopefully it'll bounce back.










My DHG is looking pretty ugly right now but there is a little bit of new growth too. I'm tempted to take it out but I'm gonna give it some more time in case it makes a come back.


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

You'll be disappointed with your DHG growth without CO2...I've been trying to grow some with low light and no c02 for a while and it's still looking pretty sparse..


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## HeathBar (Aug 28, 2007)

Update with some pix! Sorry the quality isn't the best, I'm still trying to figure out the best way to take pictures of my tank without weird reflections and stuff.


Current FTS









M. minuta is starting to fill in slowly. It still hasn't decided it it wants to have 1 leaf or 3! Some of the leaves are turning a little yellow though 









some of my 3 leaf MM runners.









Some of my DHG is hanging in there... barely.









Rotala from another forum member, so far it's doing great but it's getting some algae on it.









My Limnophila aromatica is still going strong, I had to trim some of the stems and replant. The new growth doesn't have the nice purple color unfortunately. TBH I'm just happy it's still alive :hihi:


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## HeathBar (Aug 28, 2007)

I also added some more fish as well.

Current residents are:
8 Glowlight Danio
5 Pygmy Gourami
3 Otto's
2 red eye tetra (left overs from my previous tank, I've had them for a few years. The rest of them died from jumping a long time ago)
Nerite snails

I really wanted to put some shimp in here so I tried a few Malawa's from my invert tank (I have TONS of these guys). Unfortunately my tetra's considered even the adult sized shrimp as food/toys. 

One of my gourami's doing a "duck face" for the camera. LOL!!!









Danio's









Fish room, AKA my kitchen


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

The tank looks nice, I was wondering who made this panoramic type tank, I'd seen it in another thread. Just a thought that maybe you could raise the light a little to keep emersed growth from getting crispy, you might get some cool flowers or something unexpected.

My DHG was growing but not like I see in other tanks, some have it with seed growing on top, but my Kribensis would pull at it every night and I would net out 4 or 5 nice little rooted plantlets every morning. The DHG lost after 2 or 3 months. I replaced it with Staurogyne sp. 'Porto Velho' and it's doing ok but it's a slow grower.

You should try just double dosing Excel, a 500 ml botlle is $13 and would last you a while, long enough to get your plants growing good. So far it looks good with no CO2 and I really like the rocks and your doing it right with just top off's this is where most run into trouble on a low tech tank with weekly water changes and algae.

With a small tank you can drain your water into a couple of buckets and do a rescape if you don't like it. I use flourite as well with Osmocote gel cap on a high tech tank but I would like to try a MTS tank capped with flourite, I think the plants would do better and we could omit the root tabs, good luck.

Give the shrimp some hiding places with floating plants, etc. but try again with RCS or Amanos.


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## HeathBar (Aug 28, 2007)

Thanks for the compliments. There are 2 companies that make these types of tanks, GLA has their own (which is where I got mine) and Marie Depot carries the Mr. Aqua version. 

I'm actually considering adding CO2 to the tank and an extra T5HO bulb, at least until the plants fill in how I want them. I have a paintball CO2 system and ferts collecting dust right now.


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## Sparky007 (May 30, 2011)

Looks great! I also love the footprint of this tank, so much presence without being overwhelming. Looks great in your kitchen! I"ll keep checking to see who things turn out.


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## mcqueenesq (Aug 29, 2011)

I would love to have your tank in my kitchen. Great job! How is the top-off only water change routine working, and do you think the 2213's flow is about right for this tank (i.e., any noticeable dead zones)?


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## Penny (Sep 16, 2011)

Oh wow, I really like that tank! Nice and long - it would be perfect for a betta  Those are some great looking rocks, too. Good luck with the DHG, I am trying some out for myself also in a small, low tech tank. Thinking about picking up some Excel, even though it will probably melt my anacharis...


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## HeathBar (Aug 28, 2007)

mcqueenesq said:


> I would love to have your tank in my kitchen. Great job! How is the top-off only water change routine working, and do you think the 2213's flow is about right for this tank (i.e., any noticeable dead zones)?


The top off's only routine is going well so far. The water evaporates pretty quick so I end up adding more water at least once a week.

The 2213 seems to be just right for this tank. Initially I had the intake and output on the same side but it was creating some dead zones on the opposite end of the tank. I've since moved the input to the other side and now the flow is much better. 

I also put one Amano in the tank a few days ago and so far he seems to be happy, all the fish seem to ignore him since he's about the same size as them. Hopefully I'll be able to add some more in the future :smile:


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## HeathBar (Aug 28, 2007)

Updated Pics:

Added some chain sword which has really taken off. 



















Otto eggs I think?


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

Beautiful looking tank. Keep up the good work!


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## xenxes (Dec 22, 2011)

That's a beautiful tank, wish I had space for a long one


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## sockfish (Jul 11, 2007)

I just bought this tank and am checking out everyone elso who's setting it up! Thanks for the info!

sox


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

WOW that's an awesome looking low tech tank that doesn't look like the typical low tech, reminds me of something a whole lot better. amazing plants and scape you have there! I can't wait to see what the future holds for this tank, should be a great ride though! Keep it up, I wanna see more!


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## [email protected] (Apr 27, 2011)

Tank looks like it's doing pretty good, good job. It's nice to see some nice low techs. Very good, thanks for the pics and updates.


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## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

nice tank! love the low tech setup. btw, if i may ask, where did you get your gla tank? their website says out of stock... do any other places sell the gla 12 gal long?


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## HeathBar (Aug 28, 2007)

It's been a while since I posted updates. Here are some pictures of the tank now. These were taken just before a major trim.

I'm really happy with the way it turned out. The only regular maintenance I do on it is add water once a week and feed the fish every day. Once a month I remove any accumulated algae with my hands. Every 6 months the filters gets cleaned out. 

No ferts, no CO2.


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## salmon (Apr 14, 2011)

very nice Heathbar!

amazing growth for no Co2/dosing.


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## HeathBar (Aug 28, 2007)

dasob85 said:


> nice tank! love the low tech setup. btw, if i may ask, where did you get your gla tank? their website says out of stock... do any other places sell the gla 12 gal long?


Marine Depot sells a comparable tank called the MrAqua 12g Long. :thumbsup:

Link


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## Volkswagen (Jan 18, 2012)

Nice growth. I would really like to own one of these eventually.


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## kcartwright856 (Jan 16, 2012)

Love it! You did an amazing job!


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## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

thanks! i ended up emailing them and orlando "found" one in stock


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## chiefroastbeef (Feb 14, 2011)

Awesome growth! Do you have a photo of the tank trimmed?

I just bought some aromatica for my low tech tank, I am comforted in seeing that yours are doing okay! Thank you for the photos and sharing.


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## ItsDubC (Feb 5, 2008)

Well done! Just goes to show that CO2 supplementation isn't a necessity in a planted tank. Just curious tho, you're no longer supplementing ferts but does that include root tabs as well?


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