# Very low tech Riparium



## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

A 29G no tech Riparium. The inspiration comes from BigTom and Hydrophyte, owner of RipariumSupply, so a big thanks to them for starters!

I wanted to try something new, I wanted it to be cheap and at least fairly self sustaining. I don't mind the occasional feed or adding of ferts but I'd like to keep water changes to a minimum. I suffer from ME and I find them difficult on anything other than really small tanks. Plus I wanted the challenge of going El Natural.

Rocks, gravel and soil in. Around 1 inch of each.










Planters in.










A few plants to start.










Moved the peace Lilly...




























Magnolia leaves from the garden still waiting to sink. All the plants are terrarium cuttings so I'm hoping they adjust to the lower humidity.

Any questions feel free to ask!


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

My magnolia leaves dissolved in one week! My Indian almond leaves and oak leaves are going on a year now with minimal breakdown...

Simple, but great looking tank! I have wanted to do a rip for some time now, but I have no more tank space in my lab...

Did I miss the size of this tank?


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

Oh well, they were free! Plenty of oaks nearby too.

Yep it's 29 Gallons. I forget whether that's US or UK!


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

PaulG said:


> Oh well, they were free! Plenty of oaks nearby too.
> 
> Yep it's 29 Gallons. I forget whether that's US or UK!


Either way you are off to a great start and it looks great! I use the mag leaves to keep my black water tank black!


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

Thanks!

I'm not after a black water look, but I'm not too bothered either way.


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

Just realised there's a Riparium section. Sorry mods.


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## psalm18.2 (Oct 16, 2010)

Off to a nice start.


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

Thankyou. Still undecided on fauna. Any ideas?


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

Lighthood added. Two x 24W T5, may need lowering.

Ignore the cable just checking the temps, 18c/64f. Will probably need to purchase a heater.


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)




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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

So unbelievably happy, impressed and surprised with this tank. I'm waiting for something to go wrong!

Overview:










Images from left to right:






































*Riparium section from left to right:*

Philodendron scandens (big broad leaves)

Asclepias curassavica (tall plant)

Rotala rotindifolia

Ludwigia repens

Hygrophilia polysperma

Cyperus isolucladus (tall plant, may stems)

Hydrocotyl vulgaris (little round leaves, also floating bare rooted)

Vesicularia dubyana (java moss, tucked in there somewhere)

Fittonia albivenis (red leaves)

Spathiphyllum sp. (peace lilly, not sure which species)

Pilea cardieri (back right, white and green leaves)

Ludwigia natans

Pellonia repens (climbing out of the tank far right

*Aquatic section:*

Sagittaria subulata

Vesicularia dubyana

Bacopa Sp.

Cryptocoryne moehimannii

Cryptocoryne Sp.

Bacopa amplexicaulis

Hygrophilai polysperma

Ignore the silicone will be covered in plant growth. A few more species to add, looking for other Pilea species and possibly some hairgrass.


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## TickleMyElmo (Aug 13, 2009)

Looking good! Looks very natural! Welcome to the riparium club by the way  I have one as well, its in my signature V


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)




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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

Looks Great! Im really liking the plants. I have some of them in my Dart Frog Vivarium.


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

EntoCraig said:


> Looks Great! Im really liking the plants. I have some of them in my Dart Frog Vivarium.


That's where I stole mine from! Sold a few cuttings, then used some in here. The money I made from sales I used for the other plants.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

This is looking great! You have a lot of the best riparium plants in there.

I have this goldfish setup going and it is also very low tech. This one is powered by sunlight (and an air pump).


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## blackwidow (Mar 22, 2010)

hydrophyte said:


> This is looking great! You have a lot of the best riparium plants in there.
> 
> I have this goldfish setup going and it is also very low tech. This one is powered by sunlight (and an air pump).


that s a nice tank, do you get any algae cause of the sun? how long does it get the sun light?


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

blackwidow said:


> that s a nice tank, do you get any algae cause of the sun? how long does it get the sun light?


It gets the sunlight all day. After I set it up it went through a greenwater bloom that lasted a month and a half, but since then the water is very clear and it grows just a bit of hair algae.


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

Any NPT experts think I'm safe to add fish yet?

I've added a few more crypts and stems.


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)




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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

I do have some plants in the middle, they're just growing real slow. A shame because I'd have liked the emersed section to be a little more even looking in by now.

Have moved and trimmed a few parts that were overgrown so maybe considering some more species to hurry it up

Added some E.tennulus down the front with some crypts, once they grow in I'm hoping it will start to look really sweet.

Still no fish.


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

10 Flame Tetras added:fish:


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## BlueJack (Apr 15, 2011)

very nice tank!


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

Thanks!

So the first time I added a tiny amount of filter wool on to my pump, water was super clear. Now I've changed the wool it won't clear up again


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## skabooya (Apr 15, 2005)

give it time. It sounds like you just disturbed the beneficial bacteria.


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

skabooya said:


> give it time. It sounds like you just disturbed the beneficial bacteria.


Yeah I had. Bit of a noob mistake.

Fish have settled in well, hope to add more at some point!


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## gabysapha (Oct 26, 2011)

Looks great! More pictures!!!!


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## Petrie (Dec 30, 2011)

whoa!!! I didn't know something like that existed, i'm gonna have to research plants and where to get those baskets on the side.


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

Terrible quality video but you get the idea. Rescaped left hand side, has growing to do.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SurGbN04tqw&list=UUtSHLc13WT9Gye7qAGmfS4A&index=1&feature=pl


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## Chrisinator (Jun 5, 2008)

Gorgeous!


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## jsuereth (Dec 21, 2010)

hydrophyte said:


> This is looking great! You have a lot of the best riparium plants in there.
> 
> I have this goldfish setup going and it is also very low tech. This one is powered by sunlight (and an air pump).


I definitely like the look of that cyperus. Can't wait for mine to start growing.


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

Mine's now outdoors, grew too big.


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## mdreher (Jul 31, 2011)

That's a great riparium. You've got some really nice growth.


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## maxthedog123 (Jul 23, 2007)

Question for you on terrestrial plants: will they grow in just water? I have peace lilies in the back of my tank sticking through a grate with just roots in the water.


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

maxthedog123 said:


> Question for you on terrestrial plants: will they grow in just water? I have peace lilies in the back of my tank sticking through a grate with just roots in the water.


Genuine terrestrial plants won't but a few plants sold as terrestrial plants are actual marsh/bog plants and can adapt easily to submerged roots. Peace Lilly being the most common example.


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## maxthedog123 (Jul 23, 2007)

I am curious - my philodendron isn't growing, in fact it is dying. How does submerged in a planter like you have vs. just submerged in water affect growth/health? I would think a) the plant has to able to tolerate submerged roots and then b) is there more to how it absorbs nutrients?

Any good lists/websites with bog plant species that you used, or did you just use trial and error?


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## indigo (Aug 1, 2011)

very nice tank


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

maxthedog123 said:


> I am curious - my philodendron isn't growing, in fact it is dying. How does submerged in a planter like you have vs. just submerged in water affect growth/health? I would think a) the plant has to able to tolerate submerged roots and then b) is there more to how it absorbs nutrients?
> 
> Any good lists/websites with bog plant species that you used, or did you just use trial and error?


Check the Riparium section and specifically threads/posts by Hydrophyte. A wealth of information regarding suitable plants. Also there's a thread by BigTom in which he set up a similar tank and tried out a few houseplants to see which worked. I think a few Calathea Sp.

The planters with hydroleca actually have no nutrient value and I think the plants are starting to suffer as they grow and increase demand for nutrients. The peace lilly has rooted way down through the basket and almost to the substrate and 3/5 planters have been switched to some year old ADA Amazonia 2 in an effort to provide more nutrients to the roots. Maybe if I was dosing the water column I wouldn't need to do this.

As for Philodendron my P.Scandens was growing well but I decided to remove it as I didn't like the look.


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