# My first Natural planted aquarium (I guess?)



## Bwooster (Apr 4, 2018)

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and wanted to show you my 5-month 14 gallon (54 L) planted tank. I believe the technique I used loosely resembles that of a NPT, Although I sadly haven't read Diana Walstad' s book yet. I used an inch of sieved potting soil and a thin upper layer of sand and gravel for substrate. Otherwise, I have a small heater which keeps water at 23 °C, a led aquarium lamp (nicrew) with a timer (from 8 to 11 and from 13 to 19 hs) and that's it; no filters, no ferts, no CO2.
Plants are the following:
- Rotala rotundifolia 
- Micranthemum "Monte Carlo"
- Cryptocoryne parva
- Hygrophila salicifolia
- Hygrophila polysperma
- Myriophillum spicatum
- Java moss
- Java ferns
- Hydrocotile tripartita
- Alternanthera reineckii
- Pogostemon helferi

There's also some duckweed and characeae algae. The latter grew spontaneously but I find it quite pretty.

Regarding the animal world, I've got six Otocinclus, 20 something Red cherry shrimp, two amano shrimp and some Asellus (aquatic sowbugs). Strangely enough, there's also a large earthworm which inhabits my substrate. I guess he's helpful with the oxygenation and "mixing" of the soil.

The tank' s main problem is a persistent invasion of green filamentous algae on my carpet plants, that I have to constantly remove with a toothbrush.

I thank this community for the beautiful and interesting forum! And if you have any comments regarding the tank, my algae problem or anything else, I'll be glad to read them.

Best regards,

Juan









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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Welcome to APC!

You have quite a lot of algae, which always suggests you might have too much light. I can't find a good review of that light, which gives the PAR readings needed to evaluate how bright it is. It does seem to be aimed at reef tanks, which use a lot more light than a planted tank, so my best guess is that you just have too much light intensity. The fact that your Pogostemon helferi looks good also suggests that you have too much light for what you are trying.

One of the reviews I read mentioned using a dimmer with the light. That would be one way to reduce the intensity. Another way is to raise the light higher above the top of the tank. You could try to make your own extensions for the feet to raise it a couple of inches.

In any case, it is a beautiful tank!!


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## Bwooster (Apr 4, 2018)

Thanks a lot for the answer! I had seen dimmers on the internet... I'll try to get me one. In the meantime, maybe adding some tannins in the water will dim the light enough to prevent algae growth? Since I've got quite some detritivores, I was considering to add some more oak leaves.

So P. helferi should not grow well in this kind of setup? Is it a high-tech only plant?

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## zolteeC (Dec 26, 2017)

Bwooster said:


> Thanks a lot for the answer! I had seen dimmers on the internet... I'll try to get me one. In the meantime, maybe adding some tannins in the water will dim the light enough to prevent algae growth? Since I've got quite some detritivores, I was considering to add some more oak leaves.
> 
> So P. helferi should not grow well in this kind of setup? Is it a high-tech only plant?
> 
> Enviado desde mi SM-T813 mediante Tapatalk


P. Helferi grew in my NPT, but of course a lot depends on your conditions. What other plants you have etc...

However, my rainbow fish eat the new growth of P Helferi all the time. I don't know why they liked this plant, they do not touch others (rarely they pick on heteranthera zosterifolia, but not too badly)


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

You've got a lot of pretty, but poor-growing plants. You have no strong _rooted_ plants at all. Monte Carlo is the worst. These plants grow okay in tanks with CO2 injection and fertilizer dosing, but in an NPT they need continual coddling.

I guess that the good old and dependable rooted plants (_Echinodorus tenellus_, _Sagittaria subulata_, _Vallisneria_) have gone "out of style." So beginners are now trying to set up NPTs with aquascaping plants and having problems.

Monte Carlo is non-competitive with other plants, not to mention algae. I would keep up the manual removal. I doubt that Monte Carlo would last long without your help.

Folks, there's more to an NPT than using a soil underlayer.


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## Bwooster (Apr 4, 2018)

zolteeC said:


> P. Helferi grew in my NPT, but of course a lot depends on your conditions. What other plants you have etc...
> 
> However, my rainbow fish eat the new growth of P Helferi all the time. I don't know why they liked this plant, they do not touch others (rarely they pick on heteranthera zosterifolia, but not too badly)


Thank you for the answer and the anecdote! it is true that helferi kind of looks like a salad..

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## Bwooster (Apr 4, 2018)

dwalstad said:


> You've got a lot of pretty, but poor-growing plants. You have no strong _rooted_ plants at all. Monte Carlo is the worst. These plants grow okay in tanks with CO2 injection and fertilizer dosing, but in an NPT they need continual coddling.
> 
> I guess that the good old and dependable rooted plants (_Echinodorus tenellus_, _Sagittaria subulata_, _Vallisneria_) have gone "out of style." So beginners are now trying to set up NPTs with aquascaping plants and having problems.
> 
> ...


Thanks a lot for your advice! I must confess that my choice of plants was not very active, as I mainly received them as cuttings from a friend, and I'm still poorly informed on the technique.

Out of style or not, the plants you recommended are very beautiful and I will try to get some of them as soon as I can! Would it be possible to add, let's say, Echinodorus tenellus in the front and just let it outcompete Monte Carlo?

All the best,

Juan

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## kendall.j.boykin (Mar 12, 2015)

That looks FANTASTIC Juan! You did a good job on the layout of the plants. I'm going to have to agree with other posters that you went a little heavy on the stems. Anyways see what grows and what doesn't and replace the dead ones with heavy root feeders. Best of luck!


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

kendall.j.boykin said:


> That looks FANTASTIC Juan! You did a good job on the layout of the plants. I'm going to have to agree with other posters that you went a little heavy on the stems. Anyways see what grows and what doesn't and replace the dead ones with heavy root feeders. Best of luck!


+1

i think the plants you have are fine, kendall put it beast. _Use what works for you_, following a list of rules isn't always the best thing to do as they all come out the same.

Im with hoppy though on the algae problem, most likely light. Dirt also leaches some extra nutrients, usually goes away in the long run.


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## Bwooster (Apr 4, 2018)

kendall.j.boykin said:


> That looks FANTASTIC Juan! You did a good job on the layout of the plants. I'm going to have to agree with other posters that you went a little heavy on the stems. Anyways see what grows and what doesn't and replace the dead ones with heavy root feeders. Best of luck!


Thank you so much! So far most plants are doing well. I've added new ones recently. Now there's also some water wisteria, a red tiger lotus, Helianthum tenellum and vallisneria. I'll post a picture soon!


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## Bwooster (Apr 4, 2018)

DutchMuch said:


> +1
> 
> i think the plants you have are fine, kendall put it beast. _Use what works for you_, following a list of rules isn't always the best thing to do as they all come out the same.
> 
> Im with hoppy though on the algae problem, most likely light. Dirt also leaches some extra nutrients, usually goes away in the long run.


Thank you for the advice! I really have to get a LED dimmer...


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Good to hear that you've gotten some dependable growers. Your chances for success are much better with good growing plants. AND if you get good plant growth, you may not need a dimmer on your LED.


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## Bwooster (Apr 4, 2018)

dwalstad said:


> Good to hear that you've gotten some dependable growers. Your chances for success are much better with good growing plants. AND if you get good plant growth, you may not need a dimmer on your LED.


Thank you! I hope I won't have to get them, but we'll see..

In the meantime, this is how my aquarium looks like now! A little more heterogeneous than before.

The red tiger lotus seems to like it, it grows leaves almost daily.









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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Looks much better! Notice how some plants just sit there--fine for aquascapers but not for an NPT. Those "high-maintenance" species simply cannot compete with good growers like your Red Tiger Lotus and that orange-colored Rotala stem plant. 

If you can, I would shift your LED lamp slightly to the left so that the Tiger Lotus gets a bit more light.


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## Bwooster (Apr 4, 2018)

dwalstad said:


> Looks much better! Notice how some plants just sit there--fine for aquascapers but not for an NPT. Those "high-maintenance" species simply cannot compete with good growers like your Red Tiger Lotus and that orange-colored Rotala stem plant.
> 
> If you can, I would shift your LED lamp slightly to the left so that the Tiger Lotus gets a bit more light.


Curiously, The lamp is already tilted to the left.. I think some effect from the photo made the lotus look darker. Just in case, I tilted the lamp even more.

I think the green filamentous algae are slowly disappearing. Many of them are becoming whitish/brownish, which I guess is a bad sign for them (and a good one for my aquarium).

With the good growing plants I had left, I also made a small shrimp bowl (following the instructions of your article). At first it had some kind of rot (which mainly decimated the Vallisnerias) but now it looks healthier. Will post photos soon.


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## pvatine (Apr 24, 2018)

Hello everyone! I have just set up my tank too and planted some little plants that looked very healthy until last month. I have attached pictures of what they looked like last month, and now.
My tank is 96Litres, I have 4 angels. pretty small, startup tank.

My Tropica Hygrophila 'Siamensis 53B' Aquarium Plant has gone brown and "sick" looking.
any ideas?


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

pvatine said:


> Hello everyone! I have just set up my tank too and planted some little plants that looked very healthy until last month. I have attached pictures of what they looked like last month, and now.
> My tank is 96Litres, I have 4 angels. pretty small, startup tank.
> 
> My Tropica Hygrophila 'Siamensis 53B' Aquarium Plant has gone brown and "sick" looking.
> ...


Welcome to the APC.

Polite suggestion: I would start your own thread where you can keep what's going on in your tank separate form Bwooster's. That way, you'll get people's undivided attention.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Bwooster said:


> Curiously, The lamp is already tilted to the left.. I think some effect from the photo made the lotus look darker. Just in case, I tilted the lamp even more.
> 
> I think the green filamentous algae are slowly disappearing. Many of them are becoming whitish/brownish, which I guess is a bad sign for them (and a good one for my aquarium).
> 
> With the good growing plants I had left, I also made a small shrimp bowl (following the instructions of your article). At first it had some kind of rot (which mainly decimated the Vallisnerias) but now it looks healthier. Will post photos soon.


If algae is dying and your plants are growing, it looks like the plants have gained the upper hand. Very good!

Look forward to the photos of your new shrimp bowl.


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## Bwooster (Apr 4, 2018)

dwalstad said:


> If algae is dying and your plants are growing, it looks like the plants have gained the upper hand. Very good!
> 
> Look forward to the photos of your new shrimp bowl.


Yes! I scratched many of the remaining algae yesterday and they look very whitish and (paradoxally) dry.

Here's a photo of the bowl!









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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Very nice!


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## Bwooster (Apr 4, 2018)

dwalstad said:


> Very nice!


Thank you! For the bigger tank, how often should I do water changes? I haven't been very regular so far.. but I now added a small school of tetras, so it might become more necessary.

Also, unrelated to this topic, I have tried to find your book in a digital format without success, is that still available?

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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

If you're not measuring any ammonia, it's probably safe to add the fish. You've had this tank going awhile and its starting to look good, that is, clear water and a good mass of growing plants--enough to beat back algae! If you haven't done any water changes, you could do at least a 30% one the first two weeks.

I would add the fish and carefully monitor fish behavior. They'll tell you if the water is healthy better than any test kit. If they're up at the surface and not eating, then do a water change and increase aeration. Otherwise, relax and enjoy your tank.

As to _Ecology of the Planted Aquarium_, it will be available as long as I am alive. You can get the eBook from multiple vendors:

Apple iTunes
 Amazon 
A PDF version is available for $14.50 from: http://www.bookmasters.com/Shop/Title/9780963737738


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## Bwooster (Apr 4, 2018)

dwalstad said:


> If you're not measuring any ammonia, it's probably safe to add the fish. You've had this tank going awhile and its starting to look good, that is, clear water and a good mass of growing plants--enough to beat back algae! If you haven't done any water changes, you could do at least a 30% one the first two weeks.
> 
> I would add the fish and carefully monitor fish behavior. They'll tell you if the water is healthy better than any test kit. If they're up at the surface and not eating, then do a water change and increase aeration. Otherwise, relax and enjoy your tank.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the links! I'll get the .PDF then. The fish look active and swim everywhere... But I'm afraid these last few days water is getting whitish and cloudy. A bacterial outbreak, maybe? I don't know whether to do a water change or to let that settle by itself.

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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

It could also be green water algae starting up, which will not harm fish at all. Keep watching the fish. I don't know whether a water change would help or not. The first 8 weeks are the toughest. The main thing is to get those plants growing!


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/library/136458-how-get-rid-dreaded-green-water.html


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## tomloebl!8 (Jan 24, 2018)

I have a relatively heavily planted tank with floating duckweed. I discard duckweed regularly as it cuts the light for the other plants. May not be you issue, but occasionally, if I remove a significant portion of the duckweed or other plants at once, I will get cloudy water. Very delicate balance. I have learned to move slowly when making changes. The cloudiness usually clears up for me in a day or two.


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## Bwooster (Apr 4, 2018)

Thank you all for the advice! Fish are still doing well.. and the white cloudiness is reduced now, although not completely gone. I'll wait a few more days and see if it gets better..

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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

tomloebl!8 said:


> Occasionally, if I remove a significant portion of the duckweed or other plants at once, I will get cloudy water. Very delicate balance. I have learned to move slowly when making changes.


Helpful input:


Duckweed is not a curse but a friend. (If duckweed grows "out-of-control," that means it is pulling excess, algae-stimulating nutrients out of contaminated water.)

There is a delicate balance between plants and algae.

I've also noticed that too much plant pruning can lead to algae problems.


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## tomloebl!8 (Jan 24, 2018)

I remove a portion of the duckweed every few days so that the plants underneath receive more light. It does grow very fast. I found I had to remove it in smaller amounts to minimize the imbalance that gives algae the edge. My phosphate level has always been high at over 10. I attribute that to the mulm collecting on the bottom. As per your book recommendation I usually leave that alone till it becomes excessive in order to feed the plants.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

It sounds like you have a good understanding of your particular tank and that you are using a realistic approach--not expecting instant perfection. 

Out of my 7 tanks, I have 2 that are just a wee bit cloudy. Meanwhile, the fish and plants in these two tanks are growing like crazy. 

Every tank has its own ecosystem, one that will change over time.


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## Bwooster (Apr 4, 2018)

Hy everyone! Small update on my tank.

Water is getting clearer, which makes me quite happy. And I added some lovely green tetras, slightly distinguishable in the picture.

Plants grow a lot, especially the red water lily. It has 2 floating leaves, so I guess I'll prune it soon.

I will soon be setting up a similarly sized NPT, that will harbour endler livebearers.. So more on that later!

Bests,

Juan









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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Absolutely lovely! Love the jungle effect. 

I'm going to get some Nymphaea bulbs today. Petco is selling an assortment of 4 bulbs in a bag for about $4. I'm hoping that at least one of them is a Red Tiger Lotus and that they all "hatch."


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## Bwooster (Apr 4, 2018)

Thank you! I'm quite happy with its current state, and fish are very active, interesting to watch.

Oh! That's a nice price, let's hope one is a red tiger! I believe the one I have is not "zenkeri", the classical red tiger but Nymphaea rubra.. at least it would seem that way morphologically.

For the future tank I'm also planning to get a green water lily, it'll be nice to be able to compare them.

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