Picture of my Hybrid Dutch Aquascaped tank.

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Algae growth, indirect light, not saving because you'll spend more on Co2 preventing the algae, cant think of any pros.
i meant just use natural light how ever is needed , can b in shade etc as desired ? im just wondering .
i dont know but i noticed plants grow fast in pure sunlight , i have one aquarium with few plants under shelter dark shade but its outside , i dont have much issue of algae except on the glass.

i cant have plants /in my pond but they grow 3 times faster in pond , can b direct sunlight or depth or fish waste fertilizer ? my fishes are evil they even ate my water lily lol i will have a portion in pond for plants soon where bigger fishes cant enter , may b by net or rocks .

tell us more about it how u takecare of them .
 
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you know what kind? Also a FTS would be great and helpful!
not sure, I think anubias nana, not sure on the swords.
not sure what you mean by FTS


do 50% a week, also I recommend you read dianna walstads books for more research on no tech tanks.
50% a week probably not going to happen, I have to haul in all my water for drinking and my tank due to a bad well.

clown loaches?
yes, pain in the backside. They have rescaped my substrate, I had to put the in my planted tank as I closed down my turtle tank, should have just sold them

Rehome asap.

I knwo they are a dirty fish, but I've has this booger for almost 20 yrs, like one of my kids can't get rid of it :)
 
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there is this one guy on ebay who is the best seller, and only one ill buy from on ebay if anything. Cant remember his name though? of course... Something along the lines of "Green" (no not greenmachine lol) but idk, anyway in general if you can find him, order from him lol!
The one I like was substratesource and the green habitat, which I think the same one you like?

Do you use heater?

I was fighting with blackbeard algae so I got 4 Siamese algea eater but now since there's no algae for them to eat they've been eating ALL my plants :( I'd come home to the leaves floating or the whole plants floating. I think my goldfish are guilty too but not as much as those 4 algae eater! they are too fast, I couldnt catch them so I could put them outside :(
 

DutchMuch

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FTS: full tank shot, I was thinking "eh should I say the whole word, NAH IM LAZY" lol!
I understand your water problem there, try at LEAST 25 percent weekly if possible, water changing weekly is needed for usually any tank, only experts who have studied No Tech tanks for years are able to perform no water changes. And that comes with certain skill and trade offs. Why I recommend Diana walstad.
If you have a pond, put the pleco in there. In that size of a tank it is way to large (since you said large I take it its about a foot and a half by now) and usually require about a 100 gallon tank.
Clown loaches also require a 100 gallon tank or more, so I recommend returning them or giving them to someone you know can care for them, they school and need a good group of usually six plus.
Definitely for the pleco though since I think you joined this forum because you have a pond (lol) put him in there, hell be fine with temp swings as well. Just acclimate him beforehand in a bucket. (make sure the pond is long enough though, at least 6x the length of the fish.)
 

DutchMuch

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The one I like was substratesource and the green habitat, which I think the same one you like?

Do you use heater?

I was fighting with blackbeard algae so I got 4 Siamese algea eater but now since there's no algae for them to eat they've been eating ALL my plants :( I'd come home to the leaves floating or the whole plants floating. I think my goldfish are guilty too but not as much as those 4 algae eater! they are too fast, I couldnt catch them so I could put them outside :(
Heaters are needed in all tropical tanks, and in order for plants to grow. Generally "aquarium plants" ( I hate that name because that's not what they are ) require temperatures above seventy five degrees F* as in nature they are mostly found in brazil, Such as buce and crypts. Siamese algae eaters require (ik, I love giving people proper information and I know I sound like a big nerd who SUCKS AT LIFE lmao) a school of six or more, in a tank above 25 u.s. Gallons. And they are tropical fish so they need at least 75 degrees F* I personally have never kept them as algae issues are not a problem with me, I recommend Nepen you join a forum called "The Planted Tank" and ask any further questions on this subject on there. But as for plants you can ask me Or a forum called TheBarrreport (. which I am also on.
 
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FTS: full tank shot, I was thinking "eh should I say the whole word, NAH IM LAZY" lol!
I understand your water problem there, try at LEAST 25 percent weekly if possible, water changing weekly is needed for usually any tank, only experts who have studied No Tech tanks for years are able to perform no water changes. And that comes with certain skill and trade offs. Why I recommend Diana walstad.
If you have a pond, put the pleco in there. In that size of a tank it is way to large (since you said large I take it its about a foot and a half by now) and usually require about a 100 gallon tank.
Clown loaches also require a 100 gallon tank or more, so I recommend returning them or giving them to someone you know can care for them, they school and need a good group of usually six plus.
Definitely for the pleco though since I think you joined this forum because you have a pond (lol) put him in there, hell be fine with temp swings as well. Just acclimate him beforehand in a bucket. (make sure the pond is long enough though, at least 6x the length of the fish.)


Well, that was the point of a low maintenance/low tech tank so I didn't have to do weekly water changes and such. In my 35 yrs of keeping aquariums, I've never done weekly changes, monthly at best. I know that's what every recommends now and I see the benefits, but I've always done fine without doing it.
My plants did save my tank last August during a long power outage, I lost over a dozen large goldfish in the pond, but my planted tank was fine. I attribute that to the plants...and the lighter fish load, I had less fish back then. I now have a generator.
The pleco is about 8-9" long so I guess no a huge one. I had thought about putting it in with the gold fish just never have done it.
The clowns are maybe 3" long so they haven't gotten to the monster status yet. They do well as a pair, but just dig up a lot. I had them in my turtle tank for a while, they did well, but got rid of the turtles and thought they would be fine in this tank. Now that they've gotten the tank dug out how they like, they have calmed down some. I rarely see them out, but I still may get rid of them.
 

DutchMuch

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I know that's what every recommends now and I see the benefits, but I've always done fine without doing it.
usually this way If you pay attention to your parameters, GH/KH they will fluctuate doing this, (this being keeping the same water) people tend to see ammonia build up leading to fish loss, leading to other illnesses spreading in the tank. Would like to add though and idk if you meant it, its about the fish and plants not so much ourselves, if someone is not committed (not saying you I mean in general, its a common thing thanks to commercial advertising) to keeping fish or plants properly they shouldn't start doing so at all. I always tell people do Loads and loads of background research before buying anything or doing anything, as it usually ends up in a waste of time, a mistake, an outbreak of something, or a waste of money and effort.
 

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Can I make a journal on this tank within' the indoor tanks thread?
 

DutchMuch

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Well I just got done going through a huge adrenaline rush...
My mom was spraying (basically deet) her insect repellent on herself about a foot away from my tanks, and she sprayed A LOT of it to.
So I didn't think anything of it I was like "next time don't do that next to my tanks please" So I keep going through my day, get ready to do my weekly water change and then I see 7 shrimp laying on the table.
I immediately go into "wt*?" mode and question why they would jump
Then I hear my filter
"GURGLE GURGLE GURGLE" as it overflows with foam
Then I go into "WT* IS GOING ON" mode
Then (x3) i do a 97 percent water change and clean out all my filter media (some is inaccessible) then refill with the usual DI water...
and now im typing this, my hands are still shaky...
 
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46 gal bowfront
Dirt with black sand cap
2xT5 36" lights 6500k, on timer for 8 hrs.
Annubias, Amazon swords, ancharis, and another I can't remember.
Water change very rarely, maybe every 2 months, use Osmocote pellets pushes down
in sand with water change.
Canister filter Fluval 305
2 Lg Angels, 2 clowns, 2 yoyo coaches, 2 small bristlenose,1 large common pleco, 2 parties.
Tank has been set up 2 yrs this July.
Things were doing well then I had a bad black algae outbreak about 8-9 months ago, all my plants got covered with algae. They really haven't recovered. I did change the bulbs just a few months ago, did a good cleaning, Osmocote pellets and the bulbs and new growth started, but things still don't look that great.
I did a lot of research and watch a bunch of videos on the low maintenance tanks, I guess they do more work than they show.

The dirt choice is really important. Some soils contain herbicides that will make plant growth very difficult.
I did a Walstad type tank setup and made sure to use organic garden soil. No water changes and it really was maintenance free, other than trimming plants. I'm not sure if your sand cap was a good idea, sand can pack pretty tightly and perhaps prevent sufficient gas/nutrient exchange. I used 7 mm gravel for my cap.
 
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Well I just got done going through a huge adrenaline rush...
My mom was spraying (basically deet) her insect repellent on herself about a foot away from my tanks, and she sprayed A LOT of it to.
So I didn't think anything of it I was like "next time don't do that next to my tanks please" So I keep going through my day, get ready to do my weekly water change and then I see 7 shrimp laying on the table.
I immediately go into "wt*?" mode and question why they would jump
Then I hear my filter
"GURGLE GURGLE GURGLE" as it overflows with foam
Then I go into "WT* IS GOING ON" mode
Then (x3) i do a 97 percent water change and clean out all my filter media (some is inaccessible) then refill with the usual DI water...
and now im typing this, my hands are still shaky...

Are you running carbon to help detoxify the tank?

What are you doing for dosing ferts? (nothing to do with the deet issue, just asking)
 

DutchMuch

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Are you running carbon to help detoxify the tank?
Didn't even think about this, thanks for the heads up!

Are you running carbon to help detoxify the tank?

What are you doing for dosing ferts? (nothing to do with the deet issue, just asking)
Micro-
B- 0.09ppm
Cu 0.01ppm
Fe 0.50 ppm
Mg 0.11 ppm
Mn 0.14 ppm
Mo 0.0038 ppm
Zn 0.03 ppm
dGH 0.02


Macros:
N- 7.5ppm
P- 1.3ppm
K- 4.27ppm
 

DutchMuch

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Manual @MitchM
tank isn't large enough for me to invest in an AD, would be nice though if I had that money. on the 65 im going to get one
 

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