Low Tech

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redsea

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Jul 25, 2011
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Hi everybody, I am going to be making my twenty gallon long a low tech planted. :) Ideally, I would like to have it so I just have my lighting, and I don't have to add CO2 or any other supplements. From what I understand, I can't have high to medium light plants without giving them CO2/supplements, so I think I am looking for low-light plants that just need light.


So, I am in search of some plant ideas for this kind of setup. :) Thank you!
 
You could for sure do Crypts (and there are lots of different ones from little to big), anubia, java fern (regular and wendilov), possibly dwarf sag and cockscrew vals, and I've found I can grow water sprite in pretty low light. I would still recommend using a liquid fert such as Seachems Comprehensive weekly.
 
Cool, so my new plan is a low light LED fixture, add low light plants (like those), and dose weekly. That sounds like a great compromise to me!

10-30 Par is considered low light, correct? I shouldn't have anything above that, or I will likely run into algae issues, right?

:lol: Thanks! I should probably be paying you for all the time you have spent answering my hundreds of questions!
 
You'll be in low light and algae issues most often rear their ugly heads when lights are left on too long. 6-8 hours is all the longer light should be on or you can have algae issues. You can start with 6 and build your time up to 8 but if you start getting algae at some point don't go any longer and back down alittle. You will get some diatoms regardless in a new tank but with limited light they tend not to be too bad. They will go away on their own once silicates are used up in the water or you can get a nerite snail or two as they love diatoms, bio-film, green dust algae, and green spot algae.

I'm just glad I can help, I know how hard it is switching from SW back to FW.
 
Thanks! I feel like I know a good amount about SW, but barely anything about FW! I have some magazines I need to be reading. :)

I don't know if I asked you this already, but where to you put your WC water? Thanks!
 
When it's warm I water the plants outside as I have an Aqueon Water Changer and I change 80-100 gallons weekly from the 220g alone. In the winter I use some to water house plants but unfortunely the rest goes down the drain. It's a waste but that is too much water to do much of anything with.
 
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