# Is El Natural right for me?



## Seal (Nov 13, 2007)

I understand that planted tanks take more work than F/O tanks so before I dive in I wanted to know if El Natural is right for me. I know the Higher tech setups arent for me as I dont have the time nor money for them.

I live away at college and can only dedicated 4 days a week to the tank, other than that just basic feeding to fish can only be given the other 3 days. Ive read all the stickies and the stickies on first tank setups and basics to planted tanks and know what needs to be done. I just want to know if the amount of time i can dedicate to the tank will be enough to efficiently maintain it.

Edit: id like to say this is a very nice site and has tons of great information on here. Hopefuly ill be able to contribute something to you fellas later on.


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## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

Hello!

I've found that el natural tanks take a lot less work. For me, I've found that aside from replacing evaporated water every now and then and feeding my betta and snails, the only thing I really have to do is prune plants when they get too big or when my floating plants start to cover the surface.  That's the reason el natural setups are called "low maintenance". The four days you have to look after the tank are days that you can spend admiring your aquarium and when needed, topping up the water in the tank.


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

I agree, you should be fine with an El Natural tank. There is actually less maintenance than a fish only tank because you have to do fewer water changes. Typically for me on most days I just feed the fish, once or twice a week I top off the open top tanks and remove excess floating plants, every 2-3 weeks I trim back the stem plants, and once every 2-4 weeks I clean my filters.


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## onemyndseye (May 12, 2006)

Ill second what the others have said here.  Dont be scared away by a NPT... quite easy and fun... infact if it wasnt for NPTs I would have gave up on plants along time ago and probably went the Reef tank direction...... NPT's just simplify the process 

Take care and good luck 
-Justin
One Mynds Eye


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## Seal (Nov 13, 2007)

hehe thanks guys! I just wanted to make sure before i started stripping my tank now (have big Cichlid fish right now and have had them for 2-3 years kinda want a new adventure)that i was going to be able to efficiently take care of this type of tank.

Theres just a look about planted tanks youll never be able to get with fake stuff, not even those new fabric plants come close. Ive been debating this for a good year and now that you guys tell me the time i have to dedicate will be fine im going to go for it. 

Thanks alot and hopefully ill be able to post up a Tank Journal for you guys!


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## Cliff Mayes (Jan 29, 2007)

If you have and want to keep big cichlids the El Natural planted tank might not work for you.


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## newbie314 (Mar 2, 2007)

No filter on my 20g-long. Just lights and a heater.
And the cover really keeps the water evapouration down.


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## Seal (Nov 13, 2007)

Cliff Mayes said:


> If you have and want to keep big cichlids the El Natural planted tank might not work for you.


Nope the Cichlids are going to be sent to my buddy who has a few 55gal tanks. They rip up everything in sight i wouldnt dream of them in a nice planted tank  I was figureing some nice swordtails and a couple schooling fish would work well in a 52gal flat back hex.

for filtration im goint to just use two wisper filters with the biological media taken out and just put that filter cotton in there for water flow and to make it look clean. I have an appropriate heater for the tank and im going to be swapping my lighting system to have a good 2wpg instead of the 1 long florescent strip the tank came with. I also have a power filter ill throw a prefilter onto.


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## Cliff Mayes (Jan 29, 2007)

Ya, not counting dumb old Goldfish (who really love plants), I have been relegated to wimpy fish too. It is good that the Cichlids are going to a good home.

The Pre-filter and floss you are putting in your tank will in effect become your filters. Until you toss the floss (Hey that rhymes!) it will work as bio as well as mechanical filtration and the pre-filter (a sponge, I would imagine) will work as a sponge filter and probably, by itself, be more than enough to keep the tank in good shape. Water flow, from the various appliances, will be a very good thing in your tank.

Watch the lights. It's a slippery slope. I would try the lower lights first and some Excel and maybe ferts if needed. If you have made the decision to spend the money and want high rates of growth then it becomes a whole new ball game. High lights, pressurized CO2,ferts etc. become the way.

Good luck.


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## Seal (Nov 13, 2007)

hmm sounds good about the filters and lights.

So im guessing ill just throw on a pre filter to the powerhead and possibly two tiny stocking coverings on the HOBs and take out ALL media inside them and just use them for water flow.

the lights i guess ill keep at around 1wpg, its near a window and I can have that opened every day or every other and see how things grow (hopefully plants and not alge) 

I definitly want to stay away from pressurized C02 unless i can figure out how to fix up a rig with stuff i have at home...definitly cant afford 200+ on c02 alone.


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

You'd probably be fine with just the powerhead with a foam prefilter.


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## Seal (Nov 13, 2007)

Sounds good, Ill work with just a powerhead and pre filter on it and see how it goes. worst comes to worst ill just throw on one of the HOBs if it needs more. 

As of now ive got some good no name topsoil with no fertz, for 40lbs it was only $1.50 including tax so i cant go wrong. I also got some of that Shuartz (idk the exact name but its something like that) Aquatic plant soil that im going to use as the top gravel it seems to have a nice funky little color that might make some fish and inverts stand out nicely. Im leaching and soaking a piece of wood now after baking it in the oven at 300 for a full day (mom was not happy hehe) and a nice little piece of red rock that tends to give a nice glowing red color under florscent lights. Going to be trying it out in a 10g first to make sure i dont mess things up too badly before i jump to the 55g and this way ill have established plants to transplant in.


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

That sounds good. More plants are always better when you're starting up a NPT! I recently tore down at 20 gallon NPT and used a spatula to move part of the substrate into a 10 gallon. It worked great with very little mess.


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## dawntwister (Sep 29, 2007)

Seal said:


> Sounds good, Ill work with just a powerhead and pre filter on it and see how it goes. worst comes to worst ill just throw on one of the HOBs if it needs more.
> 
> As of now ive got some good no name topsoil with no fertz, for 40lbs it was only $1.50 including tax so i cant go wrong. I also got some of that Shuartz (idk the exact name but its something like that) Aquatic plant soil that im going to use as the top gravel it seems to have a nice funky little color that might make some fish and inverts stand out nicely. Im leaching and soaking a piece of wood now after baking it in the oven at 300 for a full day (mom was not happy hehe) and a nice little piece of red rock that tends to give a nice glowing red color under florscent lights. Going to be trying it out in a 10g first to make sure i dont mess things up too badly before i jump to the 55g and this way ill have established plants to transplant in.


I read at this forum that someone, whom used aqua soil over dirt, reset up her tank and it cycled very click. She had some cloudyness for about 12 hours.


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## Seal (Nov 13, 2007)

The Aquatic soil isnt really a soil. Its just basicly small small gravel it wont have any nutrition for the plants so i dont see how it would really effect it. I have topsoil underneath it and ive tried it out in a test bottle and it was cloudy overnight. That was mainly i think due to me not washing the Aquatic "soil" as its a little dusty out of the bag which prewashing it should cut out most of that.

And what do you mean cycled very quick? would that be a good thing?


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## dawntwister (Sep 29, 2007)

Seal said:


> The Aquatic soil isnt really a soil. Its just basicly small small gravel it wont have any nutrition for the plants so i dont see how it would really effect it. I have topsoil underneath it and ive tried it out in a test bottle and it was cloudy overnight. That was mainly i think due to me not washing the Aquatic "soil" as its a little dusty out of the bag which prewashing it should cut out most of that.
> 
> And what do you mean cycled very quick? would that be a good thing?


Exscuse me for my bad terminology. I usually am on the computer after work at 2am. I should of said that water cleared up fast. It was Jessie, at this site, that reset her tank up. My water was cloudy for about a month. Her's was only cloudy for 12 hours. Aqua soil is a good absorbant, from what I have read. Newly established tanks, I read may have a white cloud. The aqua soil, I think, helps clear up the cloudiness. Just my theory.


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## Seal (Nov 13, 2007)

yea thats what i gather too, good water absorbant and sets up good bacteria colonies as it is a really poreis material. It does clear up very nicely too judging from the test bottle, im going to guess because it is a kiln fired substance thats basicly like a ceramic type of material. Other than that i dont know why it works so well. I love it though and its the best mistake buy ive had in a while


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## dawntwister (Sep 29, 2007)

Seal said:


> yea thats what i gather too, good water absorbant and sets up good bacteria colonies as it is a really poreis material. It does clear up very nicely too judging from the test bottle, im going to guess because it is a kiln fired substance thats basicly like a ceramic type of material. Other than that i dont know why it works so well. I love it though and its the best mistake buy ive had in a while


Yeh, I wish had bought it instead of the sand. I thought it be too costly for my 10G tank and 30G tank. Thus I started with playsand, which gave me orange pea soup, then went to pool sand. I almost gave up on having a natural tank. Due to advise from people hear I didn't give up. Finally, after month of feeling like pulling my hair out, I have a lovely tank now.


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