# Low tech aquarium?



## FlAussieMom (May 28, 2012)

I am purchasing the 6.6 gallon book case aquarium from petco this weekend and have decided that it will be my first planted tank project. I want to do a low tech tank, no co2 not special soil if I can avoid it. Are there any plants that I can carefully plop into a sand or gravel sub straight?


----------



## copperarabian (Apr 27, 2011)

Most plants you'll at least want root tabs or liquid fertilizer for them to do really good.

Anubias, crypts, amazon sword, java moss, java fern and a few more. If you can buy plant gravel instead of normal gravel, it benefits the plants so much. In my aquarium I use pond potting media (fish safe) and my anubias grows like a weed.


----------



## JackisLost (Feb 26, 2011)

i first opt for gravel only, then it was fluorite, then i went to aqua soil; i never turned back. there's some soil that claim to stabilize the PH and with the popularity of aquarium soil, it is almost as cheap as gravel. but with aquarium soil it degrades over time and you don't really vacuum the substrate, just plant it and have bottom feeders. err... maybe it isn't what you're looking for  sorry for the rant, haha.


----------



## mursey (May 9, 2012)

I am starting to switch my tanks to planted also .. but in the meantime I do have one 6.6 bookshelf tank where I just tied Anubias and some. . dwarf swords (I believe) and they have been living very well for several months. I add Florin Multi to it. 

I just got some Amazonia Aquasoil today. Haven't put it in that tank yet but . .. I have had luck with anubias, anacharis, and a few other plants using just Florin Multi and low-tech lights that came with each tank I have.

--------
Edit: Also, if you are a total beginner like me, I will say that I have seen plant packages on many websites called "Easy Life package", "Low Light Package", "Hard to Kill Plants" .. and so on. They all say you don't need CO2 and you only need 1 or 2 watts per gallon for these.


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Low-tec is the way to go. All of my tanks are low-tec planted and the fish and plants look great. I've heard a lot of conflicting things about plant substrates. Some say they are great, some say they are worthless. Personally, I just opt to never vacuum the substrate. The mulm that gathers there is great plant food. I will use root tabs on the heavy root-feeders like swords and crypts. And of course, all of my tanks get a weekly liquid fert. 

Anubias and java fern are great starting plants; they can be tied to driftwood for a nice effect or planted with roots only in the soil. With how shallow that tank is, stem plants like rotala, anarcharis, and hornwort would do great, but you will probably have to trim them weekly. Hornwort also works wonders as a floating plant. Swords are another good choice but stay with the dwarf swords. Your basic amazon sword grow huge and have massive root systems. Best leave those to larger tanks. Crypts are nice low-light plants, but they can be a bit finicky. They don't like to be moved or have any changes in water parameters.


----------



## babystarz (Aug 3, 2012)

I also recommend anubias, it's the only initial plant I had that I didn't manage to kill  It doesn't need much light and it's not supposed to be buried (it collects nutrients from the water column). I will suggest you pick up a bottle of Seachem Flourish, it contains all the nutrients you'll need.


----------



## Relic (Jul 14, 2012)

Pure clay kitty litter{Wal-Mart brand "special kitty"} and you can cap it with either sand or regular aquarium gravel. My plants seem to like it :dunno: I have anubias,crypts,amazon sword{I use root tabs for those} java moss and banana lillys.


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Aquasoil is nice but it exhausts after 2-3 years and is worthless. Lowers pH during that time.
Contains ammonia so you cannot add fish for a few weeks after adding it in.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

Olympia said:


> Aquasoil is nice but it exhausts after 2-3 years and is worthless. Lowers pH during that time.
> Contains ammonia so you cannot add fish for a few weeks after adding it in.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


+1

I was gonna get aquasoil, but really I saw a lot of info that I didn't like. If I were to setup a high tech tank I would obviously have a soil. Lowtech doesn't really matter. And don't think aquasoil is gonna make you have some amazing tank... Sadly ADA products are the Apple for aquaria, overpriced products... Though they are quality lol


----------



## ZergyMonster (Feb 20, 2012)

kfryman said:


> +1
> 
> I was gonna get aquasoil, but really I saw a lot of info that I didn't like. If I were to setup a high tech tank I would obviously have a soil. Lowtech doesn't really matter. And don't think aquasoil is gonna make you have some amazing tank... Sadly ADA products are the Apple for aquaria, overpriced products... Though they are quality lol


Thank you for saying this. I have been thinking about getting some aquasoil but haven't had too much time to research it. I've had my doubts because obviously a nutrient rich substrate wouldn't last all that long.


----------



## redchigh (Jan 20, 2010)

why not use real soil? I use natural planted tanks which involve a little dirt (soil) mixed into the bottom layer of the substrate.


----------



## ZergyMonster (Feb 20, 2012)

I use soil as well but I believe that aquasoil won't compact as easily as soil so it makes it easier for plants grow their root systems. But like what was stated above you can either pay the price and have nice things quickly or you can be cheap and have the same end result but maybe a little slower.


----------

