# Advice needed for lighting on low tech setup



## rocorn (Jun 23, 2010)

I have a Juwel Rio 125 tank which has 56watts of Juwel T5 high light, I currently run this tank as a high tech setup very successfully but would like to change over to low tech. Can I do this with T5 lighting or will I have algae issues? Juwel do sell a T8 light unit but it only has 36watts which I thought may be too low for a 125 litre tank (about 33 US galls). I am thinking along the lines of using floating plants and possibly reducing my photo period to 6 hours. Any advice would be appreciated.

I would also like to use as many of my existing plants as possible, do I need to do anything to acclimatise these plants to a lower light setup or will they just make the adjustment themselves.

Thanks

Kev


----------



## vicky (Feb 18, 2010)

Using floating plants, reducing the photo period, and increasing the height of the light are all ways to make this work. Six hours seems quite short to me, but if it works, there you are. I have 1.7 wpg over my low-tech 55 and don't think it is too much light. I have never gone from high tech to low tech so I can't advise on the acclimation process. If some of them don't adjust, I would hope that others would fill in.


----------



## rocorn (Jun 23, 2010)

vicky said:


> Using floating plants, reducing the photo period, and increasing the height of the light are all ways to make this work. Six hours seems quite short to me, but if it works, there you are. I have 1.7 wpg over my low-tech 55 and don't think it is too much light. I have never gone from high tech to low tech so I can't advise on the acclimation process. If some of them don't adjust, I would hope that others would fill in.


Thanks for the advice. just wondering, is that 1.7 w of T5 lighting you have? and how long are you lighting your tank? I currently have lights on for 7.5 hours with Co2 injection and they are growing well, the tank also has some daylight from a nearby window.


----------



## JKUK (Feb 16, 2007)

Hi,

I run several Juwel Aquaiums this way, some with the T5 lighting and some with the old T8's.

They all work beautifully, as long as you have plenty of floaters. I find Salvinia or duck weed are the best especially in the T5 tanks, as the heat tends to fry Pistia and Limnobium. The T8's I run on 12 photo periods and the T5's on 8 hours.

I have always found that just one inch of soil covered with one inch of fine 2-4mm gravel works best.
I also remove all of the sponges from the Juwel filter except one coarse blue foam.

Welcome to the best and most natural way of keeping aquaria.

James


----------



## vicky (Feb 18, 2010)

Haha, no, not T5. It is a home made unit with four 23 watt spirals mounted vertically - efficient and cheap. I tend to have them on about 10 hours per day, with a siesta in the middle. I'm home a lot and like to see my fish. If I start to get too much algae I increase the siesta time. +1 on the floaters. In addition to reducing light getting through, they are nitrate sponges, allowing me to overstock at times without water changes.


----------



## rocorn (Jun 23, 2010)

Thanks James, good to know I don't necessarily have to buy a T8 lighting unit and that floating plants do the trick. Also useful to know which substrate works for you, do you mineralise the soil before adding to your aquarium?. 

Kev


----------



## JKUK (Feb 16, 2007)

Hi Kev,

No I don't mineralise the soil, I like to keep things simple and as near natural as possible.

I have used anything from mole hills, to John Innes no 2 or 3 and have always had great results. The only time things have gone wrong for me, is when the substrate was too deep or gravel too fine. Basically stick to exactly what Diana says, and things should work out great. 

Out of interest I did some water tests on my oldest aquarium set up (15 years, 11 as a natural tank)
Despite not having had a water change for well over a year, and even then only being partially changed maybe once a year for 11 years. The water is quality is amazing! Much better than the local tap water checks out! Plant growth is still great, and my emperor tetras just breed and breed. Just sit back and enjoy.

Nature knows best!

James


----------



## rocorn (Jun 23, 2010)

Are Aquasoils ok to use in a natural aquarium setup?, possibly as a top layer over one inch of topsoil, or even in place of topsoil. Would be interested in hearing opinions as I haven't yet run a tank based on Diana's principles, so am a newbie to this style of fishkeeping. Thanks, all advice very much appreciated.


----------



## JKUK (Feb 16, 2007)

Are you thinking of the aquatic soils sold for potting pond plants?

or one of the soils that the high tech folks tend to use? like ADA.


----------



## rocorn (Jun 23, 2010)

Sorry should have been a little clearer, I mean like ADA etc.


----------



## JKUK (Feb 16, 2007)

Can't say this is something I have ever tried, the fact that these substrates affect the pH and possibly the hardness is rather at odds with the Walstad way. Soil based aquariums will actually buffer the water, this is one of the reasons these tanks are so stable, especially over the long term. 

To give you an example, I set up a Walstad tank with pure rain water and lime free gravel (zero hardness) in an attempt to create a soft water Walstad tank. To my surprise within a few weeks the pH and hardness had increased to about the same level as my other tanks.


----------



## rocorn (Jun 23, 2010)

mmm! interesting James, I didn't realise the soil had a buffering effect. I can see I've got a lot to learn about NPT's, Better read the book again! thanks


----------



## penfold (Dec 7, 2010)

I'm sure it depends on the soil. My soil increased water hardness for about a month or two. Now I have to occasionally add minerals in order to keep the hardness from dropping.


----------



## rocorn (Jun 23, 2010)

Hi james,
I must say i am very impressed by your description of your oldest NPT, was just wondering how long you have found the nutrients last in the soil substrate? and whether or not you add any supplementary ferts to the water column?. Last week i set up a 30 litre aquarium with a substrate of topsoil capped with gravel as a tentative test before changing my rio 125 to a NPT, early days but so far this tank is looking great, crystal clear, no algae problems yet and fish and plants also seem quite happy, will keep you posted on it's progress, thanks for the advice and encouragement.

Kev


----------



## JKUK (Feb 16, 2007)

rocorn said:


> Hi james,
> I must say i am very impressed by your description of your oldest NPT, was just wondering how long you have found the nutrients last in the soil substrate? and whether or not you add any supplementary ferts to the water column?.Kev


Thanks Kev, as you can probably tell I'm a big fan of this kind of aquarium keeping.

I never have to add any nutrients to the soil or water column in any of my tanks, I just let nature take over. I know this can seem hard to believe especially if you have previously had high tech tanks, but its definitely possible, you just have to go with the flow of what works.

One thing I would suggest, is that you keep strictly to the 2-4mm gravel grade Diana recommends and 1 to 1 1/2" depths for both soil and gravel. I have tried tanks using sand and different depths and have never had quite the same long term success. I strongly believe if you want a Walstad aquarium that will never give out, this is the way to go. I think the most probable reason that sand caped tanks only work for a while, is the substrate is too fine to allow fine sediments to build up between the grains. Thus depriving the plants of a long term nutrient source and Co2 from the decay of this organic matter. I find my tanks never really build up significant amounts of mulm on top of the gravel, and subsequently never need siphoning.

James


----------

