# Low Tech Iwagumi



## harold (Mar 8, 2008)

Hi all,

I am new to fishkeeping and planted tanks. I just recently purchased a used 29 gallon and would like to try my hands at an Iwagumi style tank. My question is: Is it possible to create a low tech Iwagumi style tank? I've done some research and I believe for the groundcover I could use either Glosso or Marsilea Minuta. I'm not sure what I would use for the rest though.

Below is a picture I found off the Internet. What do you all think I could use to replace the middle and background plantings?

Thanks!


View attachment 6671


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## SearunSimpson (Jun 5, 2007)

You could go mid-tech I guess, if you're going to be using Glosso or MM, you'll need Co2, at least for the glosso part, and highlight if you want it to carpet. Glosso will grow upwards if it doest get enough light (it reaches for it), so if you want it to stay low, keep the light up there (2-2.5wpg).


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## harold (Mar 8, 2008)

What constitutes mid-tech? 3WPG + Excel?

So maybe it's not possible to do a low-tech Iwagumi tank? Is the only contention here trying to establish a good carpet with low-tech?

Right now I'm thinking of using Onyx Sand as a substrate. Would this allow me to establish a carpet if I include Excel in my low-tech setup?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

2-3wpg is usually considered mid-tech. Mid-tech can be a difficult balancing act.

You *can* achieve a carpet w/out Excel or CO2, but adding a carbon source will definitely decrease the amount of time it takes to get there.

You might consider _Vallisneria nana_ or _Echinodorus augustifolia _as background plants; both can be invasive, though, so you might need to partition them off.

This is a pic of my carpet of E. tenellus 'narrow', grown with no CO2 or any ferts in only 1.8wpg (took at least a year to fill in- now is 4 yrs old)


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## harold (Mar 8, 2008)

I've been reading up about starting a planted tank emersed to get a foreground carpet established before flooding the tank. Does anyone know if I used HC with this approach would I still be able to go low-tech after flooding the tank? Or perhaps mid-tech (3WPG + Excel)?

Thanks!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I've never personally tried HC, but from what I hear it's pretty light-hungry.

Have you considered Marselia minuta instead? That makes a nice carpet in low light...


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## harold (Mar 8, 2008)

Laura, does this mean I could do an emerse approach using Marselia minuta? Then after flooding I could continue with a low-tech tank?

My thinking is get the carpet going very well then flood the tank. I'm just not sure if this approach will allow for low-tech after flooding.


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## allwet (Feb 18, 2008)

quite a carpet you have their laura...i can only dream about having something like that.you must have a green thumb! allwet......


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

My secret- used Fluorite and 1.8wpg. Nothing else but fish for fertilizer! :smile: I'm gonna 'scape it as soon as I get my 90gal up and running... most of the E. tenellus will go in the 90 but I'll leave enough in to re-carpet this one again...

I'm not 100% sure that M. minuta can be grown emersed; there's a list of emersed groundcover plants on a Tom Barr thread somewhere; might want to run a search on Marselia minuta and see what you can find? (you might want to double-check my spelling too LOL)


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## MARIMOBALL (Mar 18, 2007)

Ive never seen a low or med. tech Iwagumi. only something like dwarf sag. but not a carpet plant. HC and MM HM will die once you fill the tank and not have CO2, high light, aquasoil, and lots of fertilizer. Especially potassium, which HC will deplete it fast. I have an Iwagumi and I have a current 4x24watt T5 HO, CO2,aquasoil,and potassium 2x week on an 18gal tank to keep my HC carpet dense.


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## harold (Mar 8, 2008)

I'm at the point now where I just simply want to get my feet wet with some low-tech plant (tired of all the researching that's only making me more confused). I started reading that there are certain plants that do not need a substrate at all and simply need something to anchor on like wood or rocks (anubias, java moss, etc).

So I decided to maybe do something very simple without a whole lot of investment ($$) and try my hand at some "easy" plants. I went ahead and started my 10 gallon with nothing but a few rocks and left over river rocks I had on hand.

Here is a shot of what it looks like now:








And here is what I'm hoping to accomplish:
A=?
B=Java moss
C=Anubia








I feel stupid for even asking but is this something I can actually do in a low-tech/no soil substrate tank?

Thanks!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

For "A" you could try a moss wall; it will grow pretty slowly though in a low-light setup. Getting as close as possible to 2wpg and dosing some ferts and Flourish Excel would help, though.

The anubias will need to be fastened to something, not in the substrate, though- maybe some small pieces of driftwood or smaller rocks?

I think it could look very nice though- creativity and trying something new is always awesome! :thumbsup:


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

I've seen some java moss carpets used in iwagumi setups that look great, but trimming it could be a pain i've heard.
Agreed with laura a moss wall / moss carpet looks great but takes awhile to take hold, so maybe if you want that try having some fast growing stem plants growing at the same time.


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## SeaSerpant (Feb 20, 2008)

looks like a good plan. what exactly in iwagumi


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

Marsilia sp. look quite different emmersed from submerged; starting a tank emmersed might be a bad idea as the transition wouldn't be very seamless. That said, I have marsilia in my tank, and it is great, just requires patience. 

3WPG & no co2 sounds like a bad idea, IMHO.


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

I've used marselia minuta in my tanks too, and it's transition from emersed to submerged includes most all the leaves melting and regrowing the more compact submerged leaves. In a non-Co2 tank it is a very slow growing plant. 

You should look into doing DIY CO2 if you haven't already. It isn't hard to do at all, costs about 5 bucks for all the stuff you need, and allows you to grow a much greater variety of plants.

Good luck!


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## harold (Mar 8, 2008)

Are there any other options for *A* (background plant)? I was thinking maybe something that I could attach to small rocks that would go under the river rocks. 

If there is something that could be used for this, would the roots start attaching itself throughout the river rock substrate that I have? Just trying to undertand how that works.

By the way, I have abandoned the idea of Iwagumi, soil substrates, emerse tank, and everything else I had originally considered for now. I just want to get a quick tank going while getting started with some plants that are _attachable_. Is there a term I can search for that would get me a list of these types of plants?

Edit: One more question... can I add plants while my tank is cycling?


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

The obvious choice for A would be narrow leaf java fern.
The term you are looking for is epiphyte.
Yes, you can add plants while cycling.


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## harold (Mar 8, 2008)

Thanks for all the feedback and help everyone.

Here is my latest thought...








Either Anubias Nana or Java Fern in the background and Java Moss for the carpet. If I place java moss on small rocks throughout the tank will it eventually spread over the even smaller river rocks?

One more newbie question...
If I place fish in after the tank cycles with no plants can I still place plants in later? Will this cause harm to the fish?

Edit: Just had a thought about how you would clean the moss/substrate if java moss was used to carpet???


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## harold (Mar 8, 2008)

Ok. Scratch my last post. Here is what I'm going with...








Simple, relatively easy, and inexpensive. In case you can't tell the plants were photoshop in place. Feedback always appreciated.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

That looks like two breasts with some cancerous growth in the middle...Go for something less uniform.


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## harold (Mar 8, 2008)

Too funny! Didn't see that one coming.

I hear what you're saying though. I'll play around wth the rock configuration a bit more. Also, I could run the anubia and fern the entire length of the tank.


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## harold (Mar 8, 2008)

Here is my new layout. Not great but I think better.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

looks better.

anubias barteri nana isn't much of a background plant, you'll find. better in the midground, next to those rocks.


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## harold (Mar 8, 2008)

Ok. I promise this is my last change.

I really like what I ended up with here. This will be a simple tank that will allow me to introduce myself to live plants without investing alot of money. This also give me the Iwagumi look I was going for!









And if I have success with the anubia maybe I'll add some java fern and moss.








10 gallon currently contains...
Substrate: river rocks from dollar store
Rocks from backyard

Will soon have...
Several anubia nana plants 
5 or 7 rasboras
1 mystery snail

Comments and feedback appreciated. Thanks!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

ROFLMBO @ "last change"

That will NEVER happen- not for ANY of us; what you're starting off with now is just the very beginning of a lifetime addiction.... hehehehe:help: 

I like it, BTW- nice, clean and simple. :thumbsup:


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