# Planning on making a low tech 10gal dirt planted tank



## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

You want to shield the substrate from intense light. Iron reduction or something? Its in Walstad's book.. i just duct taped the bottoms of two of my tanks today.

Also, if you have decent top soil.. use that. It is going to have all the micros, including enough iron to drop your jaw. 

Prepare for slightly stained water, it is actually a bit helpful in our tanks.

Edit: you probly wont need to dose micros. Maybe not even N-(P)-K


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

java moss, amazon frogbit and marimo balls do not need fert supplementing nor root tabs. These are the traditional low maintenance beginner plants.

If you want faster growth, reappropriate your fert funds to improving your lamp fixture and make an effort to develop biofilm and microbes which fosters a healthier tank. Careful pairing of livestock also attributes to the health of your plants. I find moss grows exponentially faster in my shrimp tanks than fish tanks.

The only dosing I do for mosses are in my window containers.

If you are the type of person who puts 93 octane in a car that only requires 87, more power to ya


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## shrimpzoo (Sep 27, 2011)

I guess I'll aim towards having medium light.

What lamp fixture/brand would you recommend? I'm probably just going to ask the LFS person working to offer me a medium light fixture for a 10gal aquarium lol.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

If your not going to have rooted plants why dirt the tank?
(can't believe I'm posting not to dirt a tank LMAO)


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## CoffeeLove (Oct 31, 2012)

wkndracer said:


> If your not going to have rooted plants why dirt the tank?
> (can't believe I'm posting not to dirt a tank LMAO)


I concur.

None of those plants will be in the dirt rendering your dirt useless. Do you plan on adding plants that actually root in the ground?

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## shrimpzoo (Sep 27, 2011)

wkndracer said:


> If your not going to have rooted plants why dirt the tank?
> (can't believe I'm posting not to dirt a tank LMAO)


Won't the nutrients from the dirt still go to the plants even if they aren't rooted?

and I will get stem plants I suppose just to make use of the dirt lol and make the tank look nicer for my room XD

My main purpose of this tank was to make my amazon frogbit more green and grow more of them. 

and to make my marimo balls more green (they are a bit yellow since I kind of gave them too much light long long ago).


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## CoffeeLove (Oct 31, 2012)

Nope. You need to fertilize the water column too.

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## caoder (Nov 18, 2011)

Just as a simple med. light option is just to use a desk lamp with a 19~w CFL. I have it on my 10g and my 15g. Its perfect for the entire 10g if you center it and perfect for a bright half of a 15.
here it is on my 10. its dirted with river gravel and i dose flourish.


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## shrimpzoo (Sep 27, 2011)

so floaters and marimo balls won't benefit from dirt? only stem plants that root into the dirt will ;/ ?

I would of thought that nutrients from the dirt would leech into the water lol.


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

I believe that's part of the reason to put a sand cap on the dirt - to slow the rate at which the water will circulate through it, and cut down on the amount of substances leaching into the water column from the dirt.

It's good for plants since they grow their roots into it, and can pick up whatever nutrients directly.

I don't think there is much need to use flourite either, if you have a cheaper alternative. Also, 3" of substrate will take up a lot of room in a 10gallon. You might want to put just a bare minimum of substrate in- enough to cover the bottom/look nice, but not to take up so much of the tank volume.

I don't think there is any problem with your plant selection, could be an interesting tank, but I think the setup can be a lot easier/simpler then what you are planning. 

I know you weren't planning on putting any critters in, but it might be worth throwing even a couple feeder guppies in.


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## Django (Jun 13, 2012)

I'm a newbie, but I just felt compelled to put in this post. Seems like most people in this thread, if not all, have more experience than I do.

I have been working on a 10g planted with "da da da daah" big gravel. Right now it's looking a little sickly because I put too much light on it and got about four kinds of algae. I'm sure it will come back The hair algae seems to be receeding and not growing so much.

I thought I'd ask if a source of ammonia was needed for the nitrifying bacteria and the plants. I imagine more plants and a few fish (as mentioned) would be good. Just thought I'd mention again. Also if possible getting an ajustablle height lighting can be very helpful.


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## caoder (Nov 18, 2011)

i have roughly an inch of substrates in my tanks which has about 1/4" of dirt. THe cap is mainly to keep the dirt from being disturbed. It provides good nutrients, but mainly to root feeders. Most tem plants don't feed off of their roots. Most beneficial ones will be swords, bulb plants and other large leaved heavily rooted plants. As far as i can tell, various stem plants i have do fine without any substrate. Ludwigia repens, h. polysperma, and hornwort are the stem plants i have, they do as well floating as planted.


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## shrimpzoo (Sep 27, 2011)

Alright, finished creating the tank.

So far the only 2 plants in there are: 

- Rotala rotundifollia
- Hygrophila polysperma

I got a Zoo Med Coral Flora Sun Plant Growth Bulb T8 15 Watts, 18-Inch for lighting (5,000°K).

http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Coral-Growth-18-Inch/dp/B001PBAUOO

Sadly, when I bought it home it started emitting a high pitch noise so I'll prob have to exchange it when I go back to the store tomorrow.

And I have to remove more of the sponge at the bottom of the plant which the roots grasped onto pretty tightly lol.

Hopefully this lighting is good for my low tech dirt tank? Let me know if I should get something different lol.


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## Basilisk (Mar 1, 2004)

shrimpzoo said:


> I decided I want something green and lively in my room and have the plants mass produce + glow a healthy green.


You could grow _quite_ a batch of green wendtii's with what you've put together.


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## shrimpzoo (Sep 27, 2011)

I shall look for those then  ! ty for the suggestion


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## shrimpzoo (Sep 27, 2011)

Tank now consists of:

- bacopa australis
- hygrophila difformis wisteria
- rotala rotundifolia
- hygrophila polysperma
- marimo ball
- amazon frogbit

I am now done with this tank and shall let it grow  if anyone sees a foreseeable problem let me know lol


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## CoffeeLove (Oct 31, 2012)

I see a problem right off the bat.

No pics yet 

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