My 20g aquascape

[Caveden]

To start off, this project was based off a no filter idea. Took a while to convince myself to start this, but eventually I bought the materials required. This tank would be low light plants, and mostly a hardscape as I don’t plan on adding many plants as well.

started off with the general scape in mind, two islands at the sides with the wood meeting in the middle of the tank. So that’s what I did:

 

[Caveden]

Underneath the sand is the aquasoil, in case I ever decide to add plants in the back and to add an illusion of depth. After setting up the hardscape and gluing the rocks to the wood together, I filled up the tank and added anubias.

to start the cycle within the tank, I added feeder mollies and my cherry shrimp from the previous tank, ceramic biomedia rings from my main predatory tank, and beneficial bacteria from the bottle. Of course it was cruel but, oh well . Till now however, the Molly still lives on although the shrimp didn’t make it…

 

[Caveden]

The tank went through the cycling process, with the bacterial bloom. It lasted around 5 days, before the heterotrophic bacteria started to die off and the tank started to become less cloudy again. However, the tank walls and wood started to grow the bacterial film I assume. Picture below is the bacterial bloom within the tank.

 

[Deadeye]

Scape looks great! Any stocking ideas?

 

[Caveden]

This is the tank at the current moment. A lot less cloudy, although the water is more brown from the new spiderwood releasing the tannins. Inside the tank are:

- two otocinclus
- one freshwater Pom Pom crab
- the feeder Molly ( I’m feeding it to my bichirs soon, sorry)
- many, many Molly fry. Idiot gave birth, didn’t plan on it but sure

added the otocinclus to clear up the fuzzy film on the tank walls and wood. Today I tried adding a hillstream loach. That was when I stumbled upon my first problem which I didn’t anticipate. The hillstream loach was not doing well and turned upside down after a hour of adding it to the tank. I quickly removed it and placed it within the sump of my main predatory tank, where it revived again. That’s when it hit me: my tank was low oxygen due to no filter/ air bubbles, so there wasn’t much agitation at the surface. The otocinclus survived because they were able to breathe air and the mollies and crab could withstand low oxygen.
So this is the current state of my tank now, and I am quite contented with it. Upon research, I am thinking of adding ember tetras or white cloud danios which are able to withstand being in low oxygen levels. Any other recommendations are welcome, since I am planning on some schooling fish which are able to live in here

 

[Deadeye]

It might not hurt to add an airstone or sponge filter for a little surface agitation - there aren’t many fish that would do worse with it. You can turn down the flow so it isn’t too turbulent.
I’d definitely look into labyrinth fish as an option - naturally they won’t need much surface agitation.

 

[abominus]

the tank looks stunning!

 

[Caveden]

Bought 6 ember tetras for the tank, as I heard they can withstand low oxygen. Surviving well so far!
(photo edited so you can’t see my face in the reflection )

 

[abominus]

looks good

 

[Caveden]

Current stocking:
- 10 ember tetras
- 3 otocinclus
- one halfmoon betta

Probably the final stocking, under yellow lighting. Added more plants here, including anubias and christmas moss, with floating plants of red root floaters and duckweed. I most likely would add more seriyuu rocks and java ferns another time. I did try to add in tiger shrimp, but the betta murdered them

feel like the floating plants make the tank look more messy, thinking of removing them. Any thoughts on it would be appreciated