# Considering High Tech Planted Tank



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Are any other Members doing this?

The whole Amano thing with C02, shrimp, otos, Crossocheilus siamensis and schooling fish.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

Not quite the Amano thing, but yes, CO2, EI dosing with dry ferts, lotsa lighting and plants.

My advice - don't do it! LOL. Been a challenging journey, to say the least.


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

Hello DJR:

I did one for many years, not an Amano but a very heavily planted "High Tech" and "Heavily Planted" tank. Nice, but needed lots of weekly pruning.


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## Biciclid (Jan 27, 2016)

Same here, in the end 4 years ago transformed into low-tech and been a lot happier, just quarzite gravel, peat in the filter and easy planting (anubia, java fern, crypts and vallis), no ferts ever, no CO2, prune once a year (except for mowing the vallis every 3 months). Fish a lot happier as values more stable.





I think you can get at least 75% of the look (and I am no expert) with at least 75% less hassle.
Now looking into adding algae scrubbers (mostly for mbuna tanks, otos and BNs and plants keep algae to the minimum in this tank. I think the amano thing is more in the process of setting it up and getting it to grow to the point where you take a good picture rather than something you keep ticking along for years.
Whatever you decide just have fun and enjoy (although I certainy don't need to teach you to suck eggs) ciao from snowy Italy


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I've done low tech planted without a lot of success...too much algae on the slow growing plants. A brief stint with CO2 "light" gave me dramatic improvement with growth and algae but I did not keep it up.

I want to see how much help the shrimp, otos and Crossocheilus siamensis are as well, but they don't mix with Africans.

Expensive experiment just to see, but I've been wanting to do it for a while.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

There is a saying in woodworking that power saws simply make it faster to cut a board too short.

Planted tanks are similar, whether low or high tech, it is all about balancing light, fertilization, and CO2. When all are at the appropriate levels, the plants grow well, and algae is kept at bay. When moving to higher tech, any imbalance causes a more drastic swing and it can be harder to get back to balance without over compensating elsewhere.

One thing I found helpful was a mind set change. Thinking of the project tank as a Plant tank, and not a fish tank with plants, made it much clearer on many decisions. Plants first, fish second, which is tough for us fishkeepers.

Fortunately, there are a ton more resources out there now, than 25 years ago when I started dabbling in planted tanks.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I've never been able to get the balance in low tech for any kind of extended period. But I had plant eating fish and no helpers. Like I said the brief C02 stint had way better growth and way less algae with other parameters the same. Guess I will find out if I do it.


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## RayMontana (Oct 5, 2016)

My Mbuna tank is heavily planted. At first I didnt like it because the old growth on the plants pretty much turned brown on many plants. I figured it was the high PH and really hard water that did that.After about a month of that they started growing back. All I have is a grow light bulb in the tank light and dump some flourish in there every so often when I change the water. Some plants are doing better than others. Jungle val and Hygrophila Angustifolia seem to do best. Swords not so much. I am ordering a bunch of different stuff soon for my other tanks. Anubias grow soooo slooowly i wouldnt bother with them again.
I did it both for the look and the health of the fish. They are always chewing on them. I see alot of tanks with no plants and think that the fish must be missing something they need. Maybe not..Good luck on your project.


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## wryan (Dec 6, 2015)

RayMontana said:


> ... I am ordering a bunch of different stuff soon for my other tanks. *Anubias grow soooo slooowly i wouldnt bother with them again*. ...


Tied to a rock ... or rooted in the substrate ?

The reason I ask is that I bought an Anubias about a year ago from the LFS. It was pretty good sized so I decided to split it to propagate it.

The piece I planted in the substrate didn't do all that well.

The piece I tied to a lava rock however took off and has grown to nearly to water surface as of now.

If it's planted in substrate definitely make sure not to bury the rhizome ... keep it on top of whatever you're using as substrate.


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## RayMontana (Oct 5, 2016)

I put them in the gravel..maybe that was the problem..


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Anubias are known for slow growth...which is why algae is a problem and why they are good for a low tech tank.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

wryan said:


> RayMontana said:
> 
> 
> > ... I am ordering a bunch of different stuff soon for my other tanks. *Anubias grow soooo slooowly i wouldnt bother with them again*. ...
> ...


Anubias, like java fern should not be planted in substrate, the rhizome needs to stay out of the gravel - their thinner roots can get into the gravel. For this reason, these are great plants to attach to driftwood or rockwork.


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## RayMontana (Oct 5, 2016)

I learned yet something else today..thank you


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## CeeJay (Aug 16, 2016)

I say go for it.

If you like to messing around with your tank this will give you lots to do. Once the plants get started you will be trimming all the time. How big of tank are you planning? That will have a factor on how big your co2 tank will have to be. But don't be fooled they take lots of work and testing to keep everything in balance. You can do dirt tank and get a lot of the same results without the co2. Also as important what kind of lighting are you going to use. Just me but this should be pretty easy with your level of experience.


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