Title says it all, I've got a blank slate here. Never had a fish tank before, but gardening's my secondary hobby, so I figured I'd dive into subaquatic plants. To be honest, I'm not really into the fish themselves, but I've got limited space, so I thought, why not give it a shot? The tank's gonna sit on my nightstand, 40cm x 40cm surface space, under a window in my bedroom. It'll get 2-3 hours of direct sunlight daily, from 9am to 12pm. That's the setup.
I started with a jar, just water and a single submerged plant, and now it's turned into a glass box with more plants and water - that's the "no-tech" part. No filters, no heaters, no CO2, just plants and water in an 11L-20L glass box with a lid. My plan is to wait a few months, observe the conditions, and maybe add some live stuff later on - shrimps, snails, or fish, something that'll fit without disrupting the plants. Problem is, I've got zero knowledge about subaquatic fauna, so I'd love some help.
I live in a hot, arid place, temperatures range from 25°C to 35°C daily, and humidity's usually around 25-40%.
A low-tech fully planted nano aquarium project
Re: A low-tech fully planted nano aquarium project
Hi, welcome to the world of aquatic gardening. Going from terrestrial to aquatic, there are a few things to keep in mind. Ambient humidity, for instance, has little effect except on evaporation rates, which your lid should minimize.
Like their terrestrial counterparts, aquatic plants need light, CO2, and nutrients. Depending on the plant, these nutrients are absorbed directly from the water or through the substrate at the bottom.
However, unlike terrestrial plants, the limiting factor in an aquarium setting tends to be CO2. This is something to consider, especially with your planned setup.
Algae control comes to mind, as without fish to introduce CO2 and waste, you might end up with an imbalance of nutrients, leading to an algae bloom. Algae can thrive on the fringes of a balanced equation.
Similar to terrestrial gardening, where salts build up in the soil over time, requiring flushing or repotting at regular intervals, your aquarium water will accumulate unhealthy chemicals and deplete beneficial nutrients. You'll likely need to perform water changes and dose fertilizers periodically, but I'm unsure of the frequency.
I think this project is fascinating. I'd consider adding shrimp sooner rather than later to counterbalance the plants and potentially mitigate algae issues. Although I'm not sure if shrimp would be a foolproof solution, it's worth a try.
Keep in mind that my advice is based on reading and not personal experience, so take it for what it's worth. I'm excited to see how your project unfolds.
Like their terrestrial counterparts, aquatic plants need light, CO2, and nutrients. Depending on the plant, these nutrients are absorbed directly from the water or through the substrate at the bottom.
However, unlike terrestrial plants, the limiting factor in an aquarium setting tends to be CO2. This is something to consider, especially with your planned setup.
Algae control comes to mind, as without fish to introduce CO2 and waste, you might end up with an imbalance of nutrients, leading to an algae bloom. Algae can thrive on the fringes of a balanced equation.
Similar to terrestrial gardening, where salts build up in the soil over time, requiring flushing or repotting at regular intervals, your aquarium water will accumulate unhealthy chemicals and deplete beneficial nutrients. You'll likely need to perform water changes and dose fertilizers periodically, but I'm unsure of the frequency.
I think this project is fascinating. I'd consider adding shrimp sooner rather than later to counterbalance the plants and potentially mitigate algae issues. Although I'm not sure if shrimp would be a foolproof solution, it's worth a try.
Keep in mind that my advice is based on reading and not personal experience, so take it for what it's worth. I'm excited to see how your project unfolds.
Re: A low-tech fully planted nano aquarium project
If you're interested in adding some life to your tank, you might want to consider introducing microfauna. Scuds, also known as gammarus, are particularly fascinating creatures and having a thriving colony in a small planted tank could be quite captivating to observe.
Re: A low-tech fully planted nano aquarium project
I'm on the verge of scrapping this project. After visiting every local pet store, I found an endless supply of beta fish, fish food, gravel, and pebbles, but live plants were nowhere to be found - except in one store. This store had a mediocre tank with about a dozen plants, but the employees had no idea what they were selling. They were all running on CO2, which I don't think would thrive without, and even if they did, it wouldn't be enough. The closest place to get live plants is a massive store in the capital, 170 miles away. I'm not willing to drive that far, and if something goes wrong, I'd have to make the trip again.
Strict laws on transporting live animals and plants in my country make it difficult to get them delivered, with ridiculous fees involved. Collecting wild plants from the local river is out of the question, not only is it dead due to sewage and chemicals, but it's also strictly illegal. I feel I've invested enough in this project, and I still have a lot to explore in land-based plants. I'll keep an eye out for live plants, but until then, I'm stuck. If you guys have a brilliant plan, now's the time to share it.
Strict laws on transporting live animals and plants in my country make it difficult to get them delivered, with ridiculous fees involved. Collecting wild plants from the local river is out of the question, not only is it dead due to sewage and chemicals, but it's also strictly illegal. I feel I've invested enough in this project, and I still have a lot to explore in land-based plants. I'll keep an eye out for live plants, but until then, I'm stuck. If you guys have a brilliant plan, now's the time to share it.
Re: A low-tech fully planted nano aquarium project
Considering your gardening background and the challenges you're facing with aquatic plants, a terrarium might be a more suitable option for you. You already have experience with land-based plants, so it'd be a more familiar and potentially rewarding setup.
Re: A low-tech fully planted nano aquarium project
You might want to consider a paludarium setup, which combines both water and land aspects. This way, you could still explore your interest in subaquatic plants, while also incorporating your experience with land-based gardening. A paludarium offers a unique environment, where you can balance the aquatic and terrestrial elements to create a thriving ecosystem.
Re: A low-tech fully planted nano aquarium project
Considering the massive store in the capital is your closest bet for live plants, I'm wondering if they offer delivery services.
Re: A low-tech fully planted nano aquarium project
I've got this nightstand in my bedroom, 40cm x 40cm of surface space, right under a window that gets 2-3 hours of direct sunlight daily. Thing is, I live in a hot, arid place - temperatures are always between 25°C to 35°C, and the humidity's usually around 25-40%.
This whole project started because I realized that no matter what I put on that nightstand, it dies. I've tried edible plants, cacti, succulents, houseplants - nothing's worked. If it needs direct sunlight, there's not enough; if it needs indirect sunlight, there's too much. So, I figured I'd try aquatic plants since they can survive without sunlight, using artificial lighting and CO2 instead. I'm not really into useless plants, I've always worked with edible ones that have a practical use in the kitchen. But this nightstand's been a challenge, it's the last spot in my house that I want to fill with plants, and it's just not cooperating. It's like it's taunting me, refusing to let me move forward with my greenhouse plan. I'm not giving up, though. I've tried everything else, so now it's down to subaquatic plants or a hermetically closed terrarium. The water plants seem like they might just make it...
This whole project started because I realized that no matter what I put on that nightstand, it dies. I've tried edible plants, cacti, succulents, houseplants - nothing's worked. If it needs direct sunlight, there's not enough; if it needs indirect sunlight, there's too much. So, I figured I'd try aquatic plants since they can survive without sunlight, using artificial lighting and CO2 instead. I'm not really into useless plants, I've always worked with edible ones that have a practical use in the kitchen. But this nightstand's been a challenge, it's the last spot in my house that I want to fill with plants, and it's just not cooperating. It's like it's taunting me, refusing to let me move forward with my greenhouse plan. I'm not giving up, though. I've tried everything else, so now it's down to subaquatic plants or a hermetically closed terrarium. The water plants seem like they might just make it...