# Questions for a Low Tech tank



## blackandyellow (Jul 1, 2009)

I have a 100 gal high tech tank full of plants, with lots of light and pressurized Co2

For my new 140 gallon tank for my Silver Dollars I´m attempting to build a White Water Orinoco Biotope, so I basically have a "sunken" forest section in the tank with driftwood and the rest of the tank (6ft long) is pretty much left as an open space, simulating open waters where the Red Hook Silver Dollars spend most of their time.

I have 3 regular amazon swordplants in this tank, in the "sunken forest section". I would like them to grow nicely and fill in, but don´t want to go the high tech way. is it possible to keep them happy just adding fertz and excel? Here are the tank specs:

140 gallon (6 ft L X 2.3 H X 1.5 W)
Light: Dimax Rex-8 T5 with 8 90 cms bulbs (I think they are around 20 wtt each). Will be on for around 6 to 8 hours a day
Substrate is composed of 1cm round little river rocks
Filter via a Fluval FX-5 and large powerhead with a quick filter

Inhabitants:
4 Red Hook Silver Dollars - 5 to 6" each
4 Regular Silver Dollars - 4" each
12 Red Eye Tetras
2 Angelfish (will leave as soon as I find a good home for them)
1 5 " common pleco (also soon to leave)
4 corydoras melanistus (will probably increase # to 8)

Except for the cories I don´t plan to add more fish, except maybe keeping a small pleco for algae control.

You think I can grow the amazon swords just like they did when they were in my high tech tank? How much light is recommended and what fertz / excel dose would you use for this tank? It´s only 3 swordplants around 5" tall


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Keep the light low and you should be good to go. If those are T5NOs (not HOs) then just 3 rows spaced out over the tank should be more than enough light.

If swords are the only plants going in the tank then I'd just give them some root tabs and not bother with ferts in the water column, personally.

Sounds like a nice tank!


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## blackandyellow (Jul 1, 2009)

Thanks, I will post pics later. The lamp has two switches so I can definitely keep half the bulbs off.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

If the Bristle Nose Pleco is native to that area, I would use that one (or even a couple) instead of a common Pleco. They can breed in a tank. The male tends the eggs in a cave. 
This sounds like an intersting tank! Can you post some pics?


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## FSM (Jan 13, 2009)

Don't silver dollars eat plants? I fed mine spinach before selling them.


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## blackandyellow (Jul 1, 2009)

Here are pics of the tank. Silver Dollars are like cows! they eat plants like crazy, but somehow they dislike the taste of amazon swords and only occasionally nible them if I don´t feed them well. The plants you see here (nibbled of course  ) have been with them for over 8 months and are still alive. I feed them a lot of vegetable matter, including spinach, zucchini and pleco tabs.

Any advice or recommendations on the aquascape are more than welcome! I want to get some more "large branches" instead of the blocky pieces I have, so this is definitely work in progress.

The idea is to try to make it a biotope tank, an Orinoco White Water Stream, so I know plants should be limited and the open area is trying to depict the open section of the river. There is a mirror behind the tank which works to give it an interesting depth and let´s you have twice as much fish without overcrowding!




























Tanks specs and inhabitants:
140 galon (aprox) 
FX-5 - Fluval
301 Fluval 
1 mid size powerhead
Dymax Rex8 T5 lighting

Inhabitants:
4 Red Hook Silver Dollars (confirmed on mongabay they are native to Orinoco white water)
4 regular silver dollars (also confirmed native to the region)
12 red eye tetras (not sure about these, I don´t think they belong to Orinoco, but a similar species does - this are moenkhausia sanctafilomenae and the native species are moenkhausia oligolepis)
4 corydoras melanistus - with 8 more currently on qt - also native in the region
2 Angelfish (will go soon - although native they are not wild type)
1 Common pleco (also leaving, he´s getting scarely huge)

Things to do: Finish a nice aquascape once I can get a hold of nice pieces of driftwood. get a smaller sized pleco, find a home for the angels.


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