Low Tech - no filter 20g planted tank experiment.

[Galactik]

I just converted my old 20g ramshorn snail breeding tank into a somewhat of a deep sand bed planted tank to see if I can transition it into a no filter - low maintenance setup.

I started with a layer of top soil in the very bottom followed by 3 or 4 inches of different established substrates I had from other tanks and some rocks. I just put in all my left over plants including some swords and water wisteria to see if they take off.

I currently have no filters other than a tiny pump for circulation. But I'm debating whether or not I need this once it is established.

Does anyone else have a similar setup going?


Currently I only have a few ramshorn snails in there and MTS

 

[Galactik]

 

[tiger15]

I have a couple 1 gal bowls set up like yours with zero tech, no heater, filter, light or aeration. They receive half day sunlight from the window, heavily planted with carpet plants and floaters, and keep shrimp. I have to top off water from evaporation weekly, and do 30% WC every 3 to 4 weeks not to replace with clean water, but dirty water from my main tanks. Not doing WC will lead to plant decline due to nutrients depletion.

 

[Galactik]

Very cool did you experience any algae issues being by the window?

What about any film build up on the surface of the water?

 

[tiger15]

No algae except green thread algae (spirogyra) . I have a population of ramhorn snails and shrimp that eat algae. The glass is always clear, no green water or surface film I am aware of as the surface is blanketed with floaters. Spirogyra comes and goes with unknown reasons, and critters don’t eat it so I pulled them out from time to time when it is choking.

 

[Galactik]

Day 3 - I removed the circulation pump. Snails seem to be out and about like normal and plants seem to be bouncing back already.

 

[Galactik]

View attachment 1402057
View attachment 1402058

9 days later and plants seem to be taking off now!

 

[tiger15]

Look nice! Do you feed the snails? After a while, the organic top soil will run out of nutrients, and you will need to replenish nutrients by dosing and/or WC.

 

[duanes]

I suppose low tech can mean many things to many people.
Here in Panama, if any stagnant water like a tank is found without moving water, its an automatic $100 fine by the health dept. mosquito police (1st offense), and they visit once/month.
On the upside, heaters are not needed, and I don't use any artificial light, only the indirect sun, hitting the tank mouring and late afternoon.
To keep water moving, a pump, and sump are used on the 180 gal, what I consider, my "low tech concept".

It is heavily planted with aquatic, and terrestrial plants, and contains 16 fish all in the 3"-5" range, except the 1 goby at 10+" (mostly all plants were collected. and all fish are wild from here in Panama).The obvious exception is an Amazon sword plant bought in a LFS, that has had a hard time competing with the wild plants, so was moved to a semi-submerged floating log. Some of the aquatic plants collected, like Hyacinth and Hydrocotyle, didn't survive being under a patio roof, with only indirect sun. The survives are Hydrilla, and Vallisneria.

I do daily small water changes, (old water is taken from the surface) using that water on the garden, and for flushing toilets, and the tank leaks a little due to the regular earthquakes.
The substrate is never vacuumed to provide organic nutrients for the plants, and sea shells are in flow to the sump, to add calcium.

The sump is in direct sun, so algae also helps sucking up extra nutrients, the tank itself has very little algae
It has been set up about a year, and even with my lazy water change schedule of late, nitrate reads between 0-5ppm.

and pH hovers around 8, (slightly lower early morning, higher in the late afternoon as the plants use up the CO2) like the waters the fish and plants came from.

The fish are
a dozen Andinoacara coerleopuntatus

2 Roeboides tetras

a Panamanian Plecostomus

and the big goby

A few months ago I added water lilies acquired from a local aquarist.

The terrestrial plants were collected here on the island.

 

[Ulu]

Hydrilla was a big issue here, clogging up irrigation and reservoirs where we fish. We also have the local mosquito patrol guys, but there are no fines for most offenders. Potted plants with watering dishes are a major issue. They do a seasonal sweep of the 'burbs, plus release lots of infertile mosquitos.

I have found a few mosquitoes hatching when I tried to do an outdoor planted tank with minimal circulation. It had too much sun, and everything planted died, and then I had to dump the whole thing due to mosquito larvae. I needed a fish to eat the larvae. ;(

My patio tanks have 4mm bypass holes in the feed pipe that provide a small jet for surface motion, and will suck air to prevent back-siphon to the pump if the power goes off.