# 10 Gallon low-tech, NEED HELP PLEASE!!!



## hoffboy (Feb 20, 2005)

With watt/per gallon that low, you shouldn't need to add CO2, and with relatively slow growth, you probably won't require fertilizer either. There's a low light plants sticky thread here with some great recommendations. Good old standards that do well are Java fern and Anubias Barteri Nana. I like Java moss in low light as well, but others hate it because it can get out of control.

For substrate, if you're going to keep your wattage so low there's also not much need to get fancy with root nutrients. That said, I've had excellent results with EcoComplete in a high light tank with CO2 injection, and it looks really natural.

Good luck and post pics!

-Matt


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

EC is a good substrate, and with a sale, go for it!


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Plants you could have with no addition of ferts are:
Sagittaria subulata
Wisteria
Cryptocoryne

Check out this site.

Here are some low light non-Co2 tanks.


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## BBradbury (Nov 8, 2010)

Hello Ireland. You have a lot of inspiration for such a small tank. I don't have anything that small, but all mine are low-tech. No CO2 or anything fancy. There are quite a few plants that will thrive in low to moderate lighting. I have Java Fern and Anubias attached to driftwood and lava rock. Plant some Cryptocoryne plants in the gravel and you may not have room for much else. But, these will do fine in your tank. Include a good liquid plant food and your plants will do fine.

BBradbury


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## ireland (Jun 8, 2010)

Thanks you guys, I will post up pictures as soon as i find out how to upload pictures from my phone to the computer. I lost the Micro SD chip reader lol. Hmm maybe i can text it to my email.

And to BBradbury, what kind of liquid plant food do you use?


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## ireland (Jun 8, 2010)

WOW!!! the tanks one that site are pretty awesome, thanks Hilde


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## ireland (Jun 8, 2010)

that is the tank, I am re-arranging it later on today and try to get the java fern to stay on the driftwood. OH i forgot to ask, when i bought my Betta (Silfire, short for silverfire) it came with some lucky bamboo and i put them in the tank, are they okay for a planted aquarium?










OH theres another thing I was hoping you guys could help me with










how would i remedy that and prevent moss from getting sucked up?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

No, the bamboo eventually will die unless the leaves are out of the water. The roots & stem submerged are fine, though.

The best way to keep moss in place is to tie it down to something. You can put a sponge over the filter intake to help keep it out, but then you'll just end up with moss growing out of the sponge unless you keep cleaning it out... lol


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## ireland (Jun 8, 2010)

Thank you Laura, okay i took out the bamboos and got a bundle of Wisteria and Anacharis (read somewhere that these were really easy to grow), dipped them in a 1:20 bleach solution, and put them in a QT. Got the EC, putting it in tomorrow.

Will post new pictures. As for the filter and moss issues lol i think I'll just leave it the way it is and clean it once in awhile if any moss gets sucked up.


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## Kibblemania1414 (Feb 1, 2011)

+1 for laura. the bamboo needs to be like half out of the water.
and also..
im liking it.. GL


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## Kibblemania1414 (Feb 1, 2011)

wait also
DIY system: his voice is squeaky, just bear with him.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/127264-how-make-your-own-diy-co2.html


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

I have the same basic setup, the stock 15w light over a 10g tank. I have inert gravel in the tank with only root tabs under the my crypts and then just moss and java ferns in the tank. I run only loooow light, low tech tanks, we have eco complete in my 30g and in my boyfriend's 60g. We're really happy with the results of it! I've also found air stones / bubble walls seem to be helpful (if you go that route but then choose to upgrade the lighting and go with CO2 injection you'd want to remove them so the bubbles don't offgas the extra CO2). As for plants that grow well in such conditions, I've had a lot of luck with cryptocoryne species, java ferns, and mosses. I've had some luck with stem plants, but i've found that the ones that grow in low light grow so well in low light that without ferts they tend to wither, unless the tank is HEAVILY stocked. I had TONS of growth out of my sunset hygro in the 4 months my 30g was over stocked while it was set up temporarily at my boyfriend's mom's house where we stayed between moving from albany and into our new place down here  

Also, with those new plants you grabbed, make sure to "un-bundle" them before planting them, they'll grow better that way roud:

good luck!


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## ireland (Jun 8, 2010)

Thank you all, I took out the bamboo and gravel and put in one bag of eco-complete, anacharis, and wisteria. I'd also placed the java fern onto the driftwood hopefully they'll stick. Oh and i got a black background n put it on, I'm loving it.


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## ireland (Jun 8, 2010)

Sorry about taking so long to post up the pictures that i promised, it took awhile bc i broke my tank so i had to replace it ($10) but yeah here is how it looks like now










If you look closely at the picture you can see that the anacharis i got are dying, im not sure as to why. I read somewhere that excel can kill it, but i dont have any excel nor do i use any fertz (is that good or bad?). I also read that high temperature can kill it, is that true? bc i have the temperature at 78-80


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Your temp is definitely a possibility.

I can't ever keep Anacharis alive in my own tanks, and I think that's probably why, since that's the temps my tanks usually also run (higher in the summers...)


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## amazonalbert (Feb 19, 2011)

you are right the anacharis looks terribly. I dont use a heate in my 20 gallon and the temps are in the mid seventies. The anacharis grows just fine. You might want to consider lowering your temps. When healthy, anacharis shoots right up.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I wouldn't lower the temp just for the plant- it's right where it should be for the betta.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Tank is looking great, I really like the way you have the plants arranged around the driftwood! Nicely done, especially for a first attempt at a planted tank! roud: 

As for the anachris, I agree with with LauraLee, I would leave the temp where it is in order to keep the betta happy and try some different stem plants instead of the anachris. Maybe some wisteria or watersprite, 2 good low light / tech options!


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## ireland (Jun 8, 2010)

Thank you all, and yeah the day after i posted the picture, all the anacharis just melted.

I was reading some threads on here and APC, and i have come to understand that though CO2 is not a necessity, it does help the plants flourish? So would i benefit from it if i just rigged up a DIY CO2 2L bottle? it dont seem complicated at all


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Sure, won't hurt to give it a go!


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## gbose (Nov 21, 2010)

Great looking tank!

Good luck!

GB


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## ireland (Jun 8, 2010)

gbose said:


> Great looking tank!
> 
> Good luck!
> 
> GB


Thank you gbose

WOW!!! i rigged up a 2L bottle and started injecting CO2 in yesterday and by this morning all the algae that was on some anubias that i had aquired from a friend of mine had all disappear and the brown spots too.

new addition to the tank:
drop checker (acquired from a hobby retired friend)
anubias (same friend)
smaller heater (aqueon 50 watts)
hagen mini elite as reactor
lost the anacharis :icon_cry:


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## ireland (Jun 8, 2010)

hmm picture didnt show up on the last post.. well here it is


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## ireland (Jun 8, 2010)

just a quick update on this thank (maybe i should start a journal instead), i added some Crypt Lutea where the java fern is in the front left, Wisteria has gotten taller already and sprouting roots, more anubias leaf are sprouting, java fern are starting to lodge into place, but the java moss is not wanting too (maybe a few more weeks), changed out the hood from a whole set with a 15watt bulb into a glass canopy with an incandescent fixture but i put in 2 15watts 5500k spiral cpf instead.

think this would jump me to Mid-tech now?


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## JonahHart (Dec 8, 2010)

That could end up throwing quite a bit of light at your plants, too much in fact, if you aren't getting involved in C02. But if you don't want to change out your bulbs again you could do either of two things: Reduce your photo period, and/or get some floating plants to help control the lighting intensity. Just avoid duckweed.


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## ireland (Jun 8, 2010)

sorry about the horrible quality, its the camera from my phone.

I hooked up 2 2L CO2 bottle and run it through the hagen mini elite as a diffuser and it really gets the job done, and theres some low light floater which i cant remember the name at the moment at the top right.


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## WATduh (Feb 27, 2011)

ireland said:


> If you look closely at the picture you can see that the anacharis i got are dying, im not sure as to why. I read somewhere that excel can kill it, but i dont have any excel nor do i use any fertz (is that good or bad?). I also read that high temperature can kill it, is that true? bc i have the temperature at 78-80


Ireland- I had terrible luck with Anacharis in my 10g. I had the same exact setup as you when I first started. Anacharis is truly a beautiful plant, but my suggestion would be to get rid of it (if you haven't already) before it makes a mess of your tank. I had better luck with Wisteria, Water Sprite, Java Ferns, Crypts and Jungle Val.

Tank is looking great though! Keep up the good work.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

ireland said:


> If you look closely at the picture you can see that the anacharis i got are dying


Oh, I didn't see them. They need potassium sulfate.


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## ireland (Jun 8, 2010)

WATduh said:


> Ireland- I had terrible luck with Anacharis in my 10g. I had the same exact setup as you when I first started. Anacharis is truly a beautiful plant, but my suggestion would be to get rid of it (if you haven't already) before it makes a mess of your tank. I had better luck with Wisteria, Water Sprite, Java Ferns, Crypts and Jungle Val.
> 
> Tank is looking great though! Keep up the good work.


yeah they I took them all out a few weeks ago, they didnt look like they were going to make it so i took them out before they became a mess.

Thanks, I will try.

What do you guys think about Dwarf Hair Grass in the right front? and some Ludwigia glandulosa in the far left?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I'd only try those last 2 plants if you've for sure decided to put CO2 on the tank.


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