#lowtechtank

125-Day Planted Aquarium Update (Inert Sand, No CO₂, No Root Tabs)

This is the latest update on my 70-litre (18 US gallon) planted aquarium, now 125 days old, and I'm really happy with the progress it's made so far. The tank is home to two honey gouramis, nine lambchop rasboras, and a mixed-line "Skittles" colony of Neocaridina shrimp. Despite using inert sand with no root tabs, the aquarium continues to grow a wide variety of plants surprisingly well under a Chihiros B Series light with filtration provided by a Seachem Tidal 35.

The honey gouramis only moved into this aquarium a couple of weeks ago, but they settled in almost immediately. One has claimed the back left corner while the other has taken over the back right, and one has already started building a bubble nest. The lambchop rasboras are thriving too, and I'm considering increasing the size of the school. I originally planned to add Panda Corydoras, but I'm now leaning towards moving my ember tetras and pygmy corydoras into this aquarium instead.

The mixed-line Neocaridina shrimp are still breeding well. The colony originally included red, orange, yellow and blue shrimp, although apart from the reds, many of the other colour lines have gradually faded over time. Even so, they continue to produce some really interesting wild-type shrimp with unique patterns and colours.

One of the newest additions is an Echinodorus 'Aflame', which is often recommended as an easy red sword plant. It'll be interesting to see how it develops over the coming months. The real star of the aquarium, though, has to be the Aponogeton ulvaceus. It's commonly recommended for nutrient-rich substrates, yet it's thriving in plain inert sand, producing long flowing leaves, runners, and even a flower.

Several plants that are usually described as heavy root feeders are also growing far better than many people would expect. The Cryptocoryne species and most of the Echinodorus swords are doing extremely well, although the Echinodorus 'Tricolour' seems to be growing more slowly than the others at the moment.

The emersed houseplants are beginning to fill in nicely too. The spider plants, Epipremnum, and Philodendron have all put on noticeable growth as the warmer summer weather has arrived, helping to create a more natural riparian look above the aquarium.

The biggest challenge right now is algae. I'm fairly sure it's being fuelled by excess organics released from the Centurion wood, which started decomposing much faster than I expected after it was added to the tank. Thankfully, the problem is slowly fading as the aquarium continues to mature.

125-Day Planted Aquarium Update (Inert Sand, No CO₂, No Root Tabs)

This is my 70-litre (18 US gallon) planted aquarium, now 125 days old and home to two honey gouramis, nine lambchop rasboras, and a colony of mixed-line Neocaridina shrimp.

The tank uses inert sand with no root tabs, a Seachem Tidal 35 filter, and a Chihiros B Series light. I moved the honey gouramis over a couple of weeks ago, and they've settled in perfectly. One has claimed the back left corner, the other the back right, and one has already started building a bubble nest.

The lambchop rasboras are doing well too, and I'm thinking about increasing the group soon. I was originally considering adding Panda Corydoras, but I'm now leaning more towards moving my ember tetras and pygmy corydoras over from another aquarium instead.

The "Skittles" Neocaridina colony originally included red, orange, yellow, and blue lines. Apart from the reds, most have gradually lost their colour over time, although they still produce some really interesting wild-type shrimp.

Overall, I'm really happy with how the plants are progressing. I recently added an Echinodorus 'Aflame', which is supposed to be an easy red sword plant, so it'll be interesting to see how it performs over the coming months.

The standout plant has to be the Aponogeton ulvaceus. Most nurseries recommend growing it in a nutrient-rich substrate, yet it's thriving in plain inert sand and has already produced both runners and a flower.

Several other plants that are usually considered heavy root feeders are doing well too, including all of the Cryptocoryne species and most of the Echinodorus swords, although my Echinodorus 'Tricolour' is still taking its time.

The houseplants are starting to fill in nicely as well, with spider plants, Epipremnum, and Philodendron all taking advantage of the warmer summer weather.

The only real challenge at the moment is algae.

I'm fairly sure it's being fuelled by excess organics released as the Centurion wood decomposes, but thankfully it's gradually becoming less of an issue as the tank continues to mature.

PLANT LIST

Why LED Aquarium Lighting Can Be Underrated For Low-Tech Planted Tanks!

White LED lighting is one of the most overlooked options for planted aquariums, but it’s actually a simple and effective way to grow plants in low-tech tanks.

In this video I talk about why plain white LED aquarium lights can work just as well as many of the more expensive lighting options on the market. A lot of hobbyists get caught up in RGB, WRGB, and “full spectrum” marketing, but the truth is that white light already contains the full spectrum of light that aquarium plants need to grow.

Plants primarily use light in the 400–700 nm range for photosynthesis, often referred to as PAR (photosynthetically active radiation). When you look at the spectral distribution of many white LED lights, you’ll see that they already provide strong coverage across this entire range. For example, the spectral graph from my Chihiros AII white LED light clearly shows plenty of usable light for plant growth.

The good news is that you don’t need an expensive aquarium light to take advantage of this. Many aquarists successfully grow plants using simple white shop lights or floodlights connected to a timer. These budget options can still produce great results, especially in low-tech planted aquariums where the plant demand for light is lower.

That said, depending on where you live, buying a shop light and a timer can sometimes end up costing about the same as purchasing a dedicated aquarium light anyway. So it’s always worth comparing the prices before deciding which option works best for you.

Another thing to keep in mind is that white LED lights can sometimes use slightly more power compared to RGB or full spectrum lights that include targeted red and blue LEDs. Those lights can be more energy efficient when emphasising specific peaks in the spectrum.

But despite that, the most important takeaway is simple: white LED lights absolutely can grow aquarium plants.

I personally run white LED lighting on three of my planted tanks, and I know plenty of other hobbyists who use them successfully as well.