# Who says that El Natural or a mod. of El Natural doesnt work



## prBrianpr (Nov 18, 2007)

This is my small bussiness in my home:









































































Lighting: filtered solar light
fertilizer: N-P-K, Micros+B
Filter: DIY pump with a car cleaning sponge
Time runing: 2 months
water changes: 50% 1 or 2 times at month 
fish:a lot of guppies
Substate: Mineralized soil and clay

On the end of the first row
my aquarium El Natural










The bussiness is only in my country:exclaim:


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## eco-mod (Oct 19, 2007)

Wow!!! That is quite impressive! I wish I could have that type of mass successful setup! Do you sell to local customers? Where are you from? Ship?

Keep it up!


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## FBG (Jan 2, 2006)

wow...I wish I could do that in my area...the temperatures are too extreme to have outdoor aquariums...unless they were put into the ground.  

are all of your tanks connected by siphon? or are the U's the filter I am seeing?


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## prBrianpr (Nov 18, 2007)

yeah they are connected by siphon. It only have on filter in each row. The bottom row have a potent filter that I bought. the other 2 rows have a simple pump with sponge. The only bad is that the pump-spoge filter gets clogged fast if I move a lot of plants in the filter area the clay-mineralized soil gets trapped in the filter, but I seeing that the filter is "cleaning itself" because the water is runing a little more fast now. The plants is growing well, I see a fast grow of grass-like plants. Their roots looks fast for the clay-mineralized soil. The last picture, is my El Natural aquarium is 4 month old (my learning El Natural aquarium) I join it to the bottom row. Yo saw it and see that the dwarf sagitaria grows from the mineralized soil o.o

eco- mod I live in Puerto Rico, the store is for PR only, and the prices of here are more cheap. Yeah I sell to local customers.

the temp is: close to 80F in the day and 67 or less in the night.


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## gdevil (Mar 6, 2009)

Hi prBrianpr, I was wonndering if U use any kind of CO2 (pump or DIY)...
Thas and impresive use of El Natura....

Greatings...


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## dawntwister (Sep 29, 2007)

How did you set up the mineralized soil? How long did it take you?


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## prBrianpr (Nov 18, 2007)

Thanks to everybody

I will going to use pressurised CO2 but here the 20lbs tank cost $220 so i will wait for one used, now it not have CO2, only guppy CO2  and bacterial CO2. 
Some plants makes bubbles in full sun. The mineralized soil is made in a experimental mode. First I use a container. fill it one half with soil and additives ( I not going to talk about soil name or what additives because I sell this prepared soil here) then I use aquarium water and fill the other half. Mix all, then Use a aquarium air pump and aereate the soil. It creates a movement in the water oxigenating it. With the time, like a month, the soil floating particles gets to the bottom. The soil gets smooth. At this time the soil of the bottom is ready to use. The soil contains living bacteria so when it is going to use the best is to take it like a fish, not having it more than a day without oxigen (in a bag). The other way is to dry the prepared soil. When you use it without drying put the soil as aquarium bed, then put clay and mix it. Finally gravel, I use Thirfty sorb. Then fill the aquarium. It gets cloudy the first day (24 hours) because the bacteria. With a filter with good GPH and put it to oxigenate water then you can put fish in the second day. I put guppies with only one lose in the 4 day because the power filter stop working. And that all the history. Please If somebody is going to make a aquarium like this put plenty of plants in the first day and a good filter. Yeah You can use like a inch of this substrate, I use a lot because the purpose is grow plants.


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## dawntwister (Sep 29, 2007)

prBrianpr said:


> I will going to use pressurised CO2 but here the 20lbs tank cost $220 so i will wait for one used.


Perhaps you could find 1 at craigslist, which is in your country. Also have read that some use paint ball pressure container. At Rex Griggs site info on how to build 1.



prBrianpr said:


> The mineralized soil is made in a experimental mode.


Thanks for the info on the mineralized soil. I add my own concoction of ferts so I can still make it. I just don't have the room to let it dry.


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## totziens (Jun 28, 2008)

Nice to see so many of your planted tanks. It looks like you're ready to run a LFS


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## prBrianpr (Nov 18, 2007)

New pics
































































Brian


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## dawntwister (Sep 29, 2007)

I read that the temp heat index is 94 in Puerto Rico. This temp doesn't affect the plants? How do you keep things living with that heat? 

I thought El Natural meant no ferts added, which you are.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Terrific! Love the pictures. You've got the El Natural down pat.

Thanks for posting.


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## prBrianpr (Nov 18, 2007)

dawntwister said:


> I read that the temp heat index is 94 in Puerto Rico. This temp doesn't affect the plants? How do you keep things living with that heat?
> 
> I thought El Natural meant no ferts added, which you are.


Yeah, is like el natural mod. I only ferts it like 1 day every 2 months. When I have new plants I use liquid ferts until the plants have working roots in the substrate. well The tanks temps are in the 80-86F steady. The temps are hot but in the shop the temps not are that hot because I live in the center of PR and closely to nature so the ambient remains fresh. Also the roof takes some of the heat away. 
The 94F degrees are in the coast and the urban zone.

Brian


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## prBrianpr (Nov 18, 2007)

dwalstad said:


> Terrific! Love the pictures. You've got the El Natural down pat.
> 
> Thanks for posting.


Thanks Walstad. I trying to do my best. Also I read about you and I am reading your book.

Brian


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## tames (Apr 18, 2008)

General Public:

"Do you have DIRT in those tanks?"


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## bigboij (Jul 24, 2009)

wow i wish there were shops here in Denver that had that many plants our selection here is poor


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## dawntwister (Sep 29, 2007)

tames said:


> General Public:
> 
> "Do you have DIRT in those tanks?"


Yes they have dirt in them. That is the NPT method to have dirt in them. The goal is to create an ecosystem as in the wild, thus little water changes and plant food need. Unfortunately I have found when water has been stripped of nutrients by the county it can be difficult. At least it is for me, for with at the proper amounts of plant food I get BBA.


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

This is out doors??



prBrianpr said:


> New pics
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## dawntwister (Sep 29, 2007)

armedbiggiet said:


> This is out doors??


It looks like the plants are outdoors, for I see the yard and a fence. He has a roof built over it like an awning over a door way.


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## prBrianpr (Nov 18, 2007)

Yeah, this is on the backyard. minimum temp now is 77 F inside and outside (In the shop) is like 74F. In the day the temp in the shop is 80F. I have now tetra fish and Im worry about them, but they looks so healthy and eating a lot, I feed them 2 times every day. THe tanks have a lot of DIRT, fish and snail poop. Dont have a strong current ans the filters only are for circulation with poor or none mechanical filtration. Noth have biological filtration, only the substrate. The plants make all, The Egeria Najas is a very good plant for fight against algae and its work very well. sometimes i syphon a little the substrate surface because snails makes a lot of poop. but that is like one time every 2 months. No make w/c, only refill. sometimes I have problem with CA and MG deficensy, in this case I make a w/c because water here is hard pH 8. in tanks the pH drops regulary to a 7.4-7.6. In this days I make a ciclid tank with El Natural setup and cutting dead coral (Live rock but dead) I wash them in a bucket, the water of the bucket turns withe (that is like GH booster) I use it to dose my other tanks. I use a roof. To be honest with you I sometimes need to use KNO3 like every 2 weeks, I dont have the enought fish to mantain the plants.The Macro and micro levels are going down all the time. I also use Micros but only 1 time at month. The plants that have roots not need fert at all but the anubias, ferns, floating plants and mosses need ferts in water or fish.


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## prBrianpr (Nov 18, 2007)

Update: Pics!!!































































































































Thats me









Yeah I need to do a clean


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## prBrianpr (Nov 18, 2007)

The 55G tank not use El Natural setup right now, I use regulary ferts on it, not going to make w/c, Have a canister filter (Mechanical and biological) and have 1 month old. now with rosy barbs, plecos bushynose and snails. have a heather. It will have the Natural setup when all goes right and have Discus.

I will make other post for the African cichlids


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

Are you getting too much sun there?


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Nice! I hope that your shop is doing well.

Prospective customers should be aware that your plants, which are obviously grown submerged, will probably adapt quickly to tank conditions. [Large commercial vendors sell mostly the emergent form, which has to adapt to the submerged condition.] Your plants have an advantage.

It looks like the Najas is dominating some of the tanks. I realize it may help with algae control, but it is also depleting water of free CO2 for the other submerged plants.

To combat algae, I would try some floating plants (if you haven't already). Floating plants get their CO2 from the air (my book, p. 144), so they're not competing with submerged plants for CO2. I like Frogbit and WaterSprite, but there are other interesting floaters (Azolla? Salvinia?, etc).

Your new cichlid tank looks interesting. Thanks for update.


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## LVKSPlantlady (Oct 4, 2009)

MAN your set up IS really cool! I hope I can have something that nice one day!


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## prBrianpr (Nov 18, 2007)

mistergreen I have good light. Not a lot like high light to prevent algae problems. In the past i want to have full sunlight and CO2 like high tech but for simple reasons like limited time to mantain and high cost to mantain. This setup brings me the flexibility. 

Thank you Diana Walstad. I used water letuce but die slowly because I dont have a lot of nutrient in the water to mantain a plant like that. In this Days I sell almost all Egeria Najas. Right now I dont have plants to make this job but luckily algae not is growing at all. This is like a shop and a experiment too because I learn a lot from this.

Thanks LVKSPlantlady


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## prBrianpr (Nov 18, 2007)

well, I saw many question here. 

specs:

5 tanks of 10G per row

Upper and lower 10G tanks rows:

Temp: 74F lowest-85F Highest.
gH:?
kH:?
pH: 7.4-7.6
ammonia and nitrite: ? I assume 0 mg/l
Nitrate: vary highest: 40 mg/l (KNO3 dosing) - Lowest: 0 mg/l
CO2 inyected: NO
Ferts: 1 time a month or two, mainly KNO3 and chelated Iron.
Cleaning: 1 time every 3-6 months if needed
Filters: Sponge. Cleaning every 1-3 month
Water changes: NO
What happens with tannins or yellow water? It only takes 1 month or less but dissapear. New Driftwood make that yellow water.
Plants: Variety
Fish: Guppy
Invertebrate: lots of snails, ramshorn and pond snail. The population is controlled but I tell to my costumers to wash the plants and check for eggs. They mantain the balance in fish. When a fish die, they eat it fast.

Cherry shrimps: they are new and they are happy.

Algae: I have algae blooms If make large water changes. Thing that I not making more.

Light: sunlight

Dirt: yeah the substrate is dirty but it "cleans" itself i think. I dont know it never gets too dirt. I think, the dirt becomes soil or plants eats it? I dont know. I only know that where I have a lots of rooted plants the dirt disappear with time.

Mid row:

Al the same only have tetra fish and one of the row have cichlids (not are connected). The temp now mantains it lowest at 80-81F because have heather.


Still I have to learn a lot of the nature but one thing that I learned is to make the ecosistem make its way


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## prBrianpr (Nov 18, 2007)

I will take new pics soon.


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## Jane in Upton (Aug 10, 2005)

Wow, Lovely!

What a nice setup, and the fish all look very healthy.

I'd second what Diana Walstad said - DO let folks know that your plants are all with their submergent growth - not the emersed growth. This is a HUGE plus!

Well Done!
-Jane


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