Is this Dream Tank possible?

bigfish93

Does anyone know if I could set up an aquarium like this without CO2? I am in love with this set up but I am a college student on a budget.

bigfish93

Here is a description of the tank:

Tank Size: Standard 2ft (2x1x1)
Co2: 2.5bps
Lightings: 110W PLL Dymax 8 hours a day

Plants: Utricularia Graminifolia, Rotala SP Green, HC, Marsilea Quadrifolia, Staurygene SP, Riccia Fluitans.

Fauna: Neon Tetras, Otto + SAE + Yamato Shrimp

patadams66

if the tank is only that big and your on a budget check out some of the DIY (do it yourself) CO2 systems in the DIY section.

they are pretty simple and cheap to put together.

BarbH

Hello and welcome to TFK I would do research on the different plants to see what thier requirements are. From doing a bit of quick searching Utricularia Graminfolia needs CO2 and high light, Rotala sp from what I can see needs medium light, marsilea quadrifolia is fine with low light. When getting into high light setups CO2 becomes more important. If you haven't already seen, there is a four part series on natural planted aquarium at the top of the freshwater plants section, this will help in getting you information on the needs of a planted tank if not familar already. Some of the other members I am sure will be able to chime in with their experiences. Definitly is a nice looking tank.

Byron

I am going to go against the grain here, but for a very good reason.

First, to answer your intial question, this is what we call a high-tech setup. Those substrate plants may manage in the "natural" setups but not likely. CO2 diffusion, plus high light and daily nutrient fertilization to balance. I personally do not believe you can achieve this aquascape without all the periphanalia.

Now to my issue with such a tank: it is not natural. It is beautiful (depending upon one's point of view) but it is a work of art, such as a painting would be. It is not a natural fish environment. And while there is nothing wrong with that in itself, there is when it comes to the fish.

The Neon Tetra in the video are washed out. Reason: light is way too bright, and they have no cover. The poor fish are stressed. They are also being buffeted around with far too much current for this species. They are simply put, not behaving normally or naturally, and that is highly likely to take its toll eventually. At one point in the video, the poor oto (looks like an oto, but is moving so fast not sure) is nearly out of its mind, darting spastically around the tank. Not a good environment for these fish.

If one wants a planted tank that is an artistic display, fine; keep the fish out of it. The so-called "Dutch Aquaria" of several years ago were so designed. I belong to several planted tank forums, and there are many aquarists whose prime interest is in an aquarium of plants, with fish as secondary; the setup promotes the plants, and the fish just happen to be there. Fish should be suited to the environment in which they are being forced to live. For me, fish being living ctreatures are first, the plants have to be subordinate. Thus lighting, filtration, etc. is suited more to the fish, not the plants.

Byron.

martian123

the more fish you have the less co2 you need. Have a heavily planted 29 gallon with about 20 fish and i have never used co2 ever and my plants are very healthy and thriving. so just try it out and they dont look healthy than fix something. but dont spend that much money on something you might not need.

good luck

kitten_penang

i'de say forget it... 80% of those plants don't do well without co2 and a cool tank 22 degrees-26 degrees.. those are some what fussy plants that need added co2 to grow to that stage.most of these tanks have added supplemental trace chemicals added other then seachem comprehensive.
most ADA planted tanks like that one costs a lot.the minimum spent on a tank like that is MYR 1000 ( around US 300++ ) per feet

Quantum

Just curious, what does ADA stand for? I know it is usually used when refering to the Takashi Amano- style setups (I think) like the one shown in the video above, but what exactly do the letters "ADA" stand for?

Byron

Aqua Design Amano Co. Ltd., it's Mr. Amano's own corporation that he established in 1993. It carries a line of equipment and accessories (soil, ferts, etc. too) for his "nature aquarium" concept.

redchigh

Yes, possible. WITH a medium-light setup and shaded areas. Will take a lot of trimming though...

And, of course, substitutions. I believe in compromise- The biggest part of that design is the rockwork- rocks don't need light. Just find subtle plants that look similiar and work in low light. Here are some examples-


Utricularia Graminifolia- This plant's nearly impossible WITH CO2. Very difficult plant. Try Dwarf Hairgrass var 'BELEM' here instead. Alternatively, try narrow-leaf Chain Sword.

Rotala SP Green- Hey, this one works fine in low-light. Rotala Indica works well too, with proper maintenance.

HC- Impossible in low light without the dry start method.... Try Cryptocyrne Parva, or a well-trimmed moss on a screen. Others can explain this, I have no time.

Marsilea Quadrifolia- Works in low light- I can prove it. Might get 1/5 to 1 inch tall. Don't place in a shaded area though, and takes a LONG time for submerged growth to start. Just plant (it's a huge plant emersed) and ignore. After several submerged shoots begin to grow, you can trim the ugly emersed growth off. (literally might take a couple months, but ignore it and let it 'settle'.)

Staurygene SP. Not quite the same, but try Prosperinica Palustrus. It's much bigger, but interesting look. Or Anarchis 'narrow leaf' (tie to a rock out of view- it will never root. Also, prune often and throw away the bottoms)
Riccia Fluitans.

Another nice plant for that setup would be Monosolenium tenerum... It's in the liverwort family, grows extremely slow, and is fragile... BUT, it works well in medium-light.

I've seen some very nice 'moss scapes' and even 'algae-scapes' that have a similiar feel but much simpler. You could even get a moss ball, shred it, and place it in a bowl in the window. Eventually it *should* grow into a bumpy but relatively flat shape. Then set on a rock.

I would enlarge the 'stem plant' areas just a bit to add security to the fish, and add some floating plants with tiny roots... Azolla or Duckweed would do. Just keep them thinned, and let them cover 1/4 - 1/2 of the tank... no more.

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