Medium light and low maintenance?

[Mebbid]

So my grandma came to visit and fell in love with my planted tank then started talking about wanting a tank again after having been without fish for nearly 30 years (She used to be an aquarium addict back in the day)

So we decided decided that we are going to chip in and get her a 40 breeder planted tank for Christmas.

What's some good options to make this tank as low maintenance as possible with keeping good plant growth?

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Is she going to maintain it or you?

We sort of did the same thing for my mom during Xmas, but I set it up medium/high tech planted 26g bow front. I'm working on the tank every visit! Lol... I don't mind but I'm thinking in a year or two, I may be moving to another state so I'll transform this tank to be low tech / low maintenance. I've been already thinking what equipment I would leave or take. For starters, I'm going to reduce the lighting big time. I'm thinking a single Finnex Fugeray Planted Plus (comes out in November) or a single Current Satellite LED+. I'll of course have the lights on a timer. Next, I would take the canister filter (fluval 306) she currently has, because it's too heavy for her to clean or stoop down in the stand to access it, and get a Fluval C4 or large equivalent Aqua Clear HOB. Easier to access and no heavy lifting. Lots of circulation would help reduce algae due to deadspots, so a powerhead would be added...and heavily plant the tank with low light tolerant plants, and lightly stocked so there will be little bioload to cause a mess. Regular dosing of flourish and excel to make things simple.

 

[Mebbid]

She is going to maintain it with occasional help from my dad and I. I'm just looking at doing a setup that won't be laboriously intensive. Probably using either a t5ho light or LEDs on a timer. I'm not sure what fish she likes yet so it will be very lightly stocked, especially because she said she'd be perfectly happy with just a tank full of plants heh.

I was thinking of either a small group of kuhli loaches or cory cats with 2 angels and some neon tetras but I will figure out what she likes in a few weeks.

Using some comprehensive fert and excel would be a reasonable amount of effort for it.