Lowest Maintenance Setup (Hypothetical or Not)

[ellymelly]

Hi, Everyone,

This is a great website, which seems to be full of knowledgable people. I have a question I'd like to run past you. I'm sure you've come across similar questions before, so I thank anyone in advance who takes the time to answer.

The basic question is: what sort of set up would lead to the lowest maintenance freshwater aquarium possible (with fish, not just shrimp), and exactly "how low" could that maintenance go? (And by low maintenance, I mean after any required initial period to establish the tank)

I ask because I was led here after doing research on aquaponics. I was at first sold on the idea, as there were all these people saying that with a proper aquaponic system, you would never have to change water.

Now I realize that's not likely the case.

However, I know that there are people who are very knowledgable at combining different systems to create lower maintenance tanks (aquaponics, planting certain plants, combining certain fish and snails and other bottom feeders, etc.)

I guess I'm wondering - if you could set up the perfect, lowest maintenance freshwater tank using any technologies available, what would you do? And by low maintenance, what are you referring to - how many times would you have to change water, vacuum gravel, etc.?

I totally get it if you don't have time to post details. I am a newbie enough that even describing a general approach would be helpful, as that would help direct my own research.

Many thanks!

(P.S. If this info is useful in any way, I've been thinking of setting up a 30-50 gallon community tank, starting with a school of neon tetras and/or pencil fish, and going from there, maybe getting more south american fish. This is why I've been researching this)

 

[Toad]

I've heard walstad method (spelling?) tanks are very low maintenance, but I think they require severe research before setup.

Otherwise, filter, light, gravel vac once a week and whatever grows, grows. with stock that won't set your parameters off within the water change schedule you want to deal with you could go longer.

Tanks are kinda what you make of them, there are certain hard rules but the complexity of your setup depends on what you want to do with it.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[ellymelly]

I've heard walstad method (spelling?) tanks are very low maintenance, but I think they require severe research before setup.

Great, thanks! I've started reading up on the Walstad method.

There were some online who said that with a properly set-up Walstad tank, no vacuuming is necessary. Do you, or anyone else, know if that is indeed the case?

 

[Caliban07]

Great, thanks! I've started reading up on the Walstad method.



There were some online who said that with a properly set-up Walstad tank, no vacuuming is necessary. Do you, or anyone else, know if that is indeed the case?

Hi Ellymelly

Vacuuming the gravel in most planted tanks is not necessary. Soil is a fantastic substrate for plants but it has its drawbacks. I'd say you definitely need to know what you are getting in to before using it.



This is my tank I guess you could say in its prime. Soil substrate but this was adding co2 and dosing macro nutrients such as potassium, nitrogen and phosphate.

Without co2 you are going to want to stick with crypts mainly. Anubias, lagenandra meeboldi and Java fern should do well. Jungle vals too.

I highly recommend water changes at least every two weeks and you'll want very good flow whether via filters or just power heads. Lighting should be kept low too.

 

[henningc]

OK, Ill get lots of negatives on this but here goes. Several years ago I was using a 5 gal bucket to do water changes. The bucket had held fish for cleanout and sale. It also had ,3 4" long sections 1/2 PVC pipe and the remains of an old plastic plant. During the process of water changing I siphoned up 4 Least Killies by mistake. I was working behind the tank rack so I accidently left the bucket and forgot about it for several weeks, actually like 3 months. When I ran into it again I noted that there were at least 8 LKs in there so I brought the bucket out and put it where I could observe. I also gave it one micro pinch of food daily. Within 6 months I had removed at least 20 LKs and had at least 12 mature adults in there. For the next several years I added water once a week while doing water changes. Everyone is thriving in the enviroment. About 1 year ago, I was doing some work on tanks and came across a molting marble crayfish that would have been picked to shreads if not moved. I flipped the craufish in the bucket with the LKs and again forgot all about it other than regular daily feedings. The crayfish did OK for the first few weeks so I added a flower pot tipped to the side for his shelter. Several months later I noticed a large number for crayfish in the bucket as well. I still have it set up and actually have 6 more doig the same thing. Now whe I start a bucket I add 2-3 dried Oak Leaves-from my yard- and weight them down with the PVC sections. This seems to help estabilish things more quickly.

Keep in mind these buckets have no air or man made filtration. Most get only a small water change once per year, if that, due to the mum getting too deep to see the crayfish. This works great with Endlers, Guppys, shrimp and other small fish. I also raise ramshorn snails in the buckets for crayfish food. It also works to produce some plants so long as there are no crayfish in there.

 

[skrapeNKA]

If you understock your tank, outside of weekly/bi-weekly water changes and feeding as required, your maintenance could be near zero. I have no experience with them, but an automatic feeder could potentially remove that step as well. With a moderate plant load, you can limit any dosing of fertilizers to your water change day and a timer on your light allows you to not worry about remembering to turn it on and off. A couple of Nerite snails can take care of keeping most algaes under control. Depending on what you have living with your plants, they might not actually require feeding! Certain small fishes and shrimps can get by eating micro-organisms that live in your substrate and on your plants.

Until I had a shrimp-splosion (went from 10 to somewhere around 100) my tank was almost maintenance free, now I have to feed things regularly and my filter pre-sponge and gravel mysteriously require more cleaning....