How to Build and Setup a Low-Tech Planted Aquarium for Tropical Fish?
Many aquarists also like adding
plants to their freshwater fish aquariums. Plants provide a natural look to the
aquariums & there are tons of photos of natural planted aquariums which
inspire new aquarists to add live plants to their freshwater fish aquariums.
In this tutorial I will share my
experience of building a cheap planted aquarium suitable for tropical species.
Tissue culture plants have been planted in aquariums, then I have trimmed them
because they grew very tall and then I have used the stem plants to set up
another low budget Angelfish planted aquarium.
I am keeping tropical fish in
this aquarium & their numbers are increasing now due to breeding. My tank
seems like a planted forest & in this video I have shared my expertise of
setting up a planted aquarium for keeping fish healthy. Live plants can clean
the water & fish can eat them, & allow fries & stressed fish to
hide in the leaves.
I have used 3 bags of AquaEarth
aquarium soil for this project along with 3 bags of gravel because live plants
need substrate to cover their roots. Also, fish are messy & they dig the
gravel & uproot plants which is a big problem because you might see your
plants floating in the tank. But gravels help in fixing the plants. Fish wastes
act as fertilizers for the plants, which help them in growing well. I have
chosen background, foreground & midground plant species for low price &
they need low maintenance too but add real beauty to the tank.
Tank Plants best suitable for low-tech tropical planted tank:
- Bacopa Monnieri or Moneywort
- Rotala Rotundifolia
- Staurogyne Repens
- Alternanthera Reineckii
- Glossostigma Elatinoides
- Java Fern
- Water Wisteria
- And More
Tropical Fish best suitable
for low-tech tropical planted tank:
- Platy
- Molly
- Endler Guppy
- Assorted Guppy
- Cardinal Tetra
- Clown Loach
- Rasbora
- White Cloud Minnow
- Swordtail
- And More
If you want to create a tropical
planted aquarium for a low price then my advice is to introduce live plants
that do not require high maintenance. They can help in filtration of the water,
adding oxygen & providing hiding spots for the babies. But your tank still
needs a filter for wiping out pollutants & trapping fish waste. I am using
an internal canister filter for this job, & a sponge filter is used at the
filter intake so that small fish like shrimps or babies are not trapped inside
the filter intake. If you have many live plants in an aquarium then babies can
live in the same aquarium with adults.
Benefits of Low-Tech Tropical Planted Aquariums:
Live plants provide natural color
which beautifies the tank. They are safe for the inhabitants & they absorb
fish waste & they encourage fish to breed.
If your tank only has substrate
then your fish will less quickly breed because plants can provide a natural
environment which is best suitable for the fish when they are breeding in the
wild. Fish can lay eggs on plant leaves & can hide their eggs too in the
plants. Also fries can use plants as cover because adult fish eat the young.
When the nitrogen cycle completes
then the only toxic compound left will be nitrates. But the good news is that
nitrates are not that toxic to aquarium inhabitants as compared to ammonia
& nitrites. The bad news is if there are lots of nitrates in the tank then
it is still toxic for the life of the aquarium inhabitants. However, you can
wipe out nitrates from the aquarium with frequent partial water changes or
introduce live plants to the aquarium which can absorb nitrates. Nitrates can
help fertilize the plants & there is no need for extra fertilizers. Still,
you need to do partial water changes but not very frequently because fresh
water contains lots of minerals that can keep your fish & plants healthy.
Live plants make the tank look
natural. Artificial plants can add beauty, but aquariums look more natural with
live plants.
Fish need hiding places &
they hide in the plants, rest on the leaves & eat them. Stressed fish can
find some relief when they are hiding. Also fries can hide from adult fish in
plants, & you can keep fries & adults in one tank if there are an
abundance of plants.
Low tech planted aquariums need
low maintenance & plants can propagate easily. You don’t need extra
fertilizers & these plants grow well when fully submerged in the presence
of tank lights. You can cut the stems of the plants & replant them which
reproduces these plants from cuttings.
Live plants add oxygen to the
water which allows fish to breathe it. High levels of oxygen can help in
keeping fish healthy.
How to set up a cheap tropical planted aquarium:
Setting up an inexpensive
tropical fish tank is easy because you need to add cheap plants & fish.
Your fish numbers will increase due to breeding & if your plants are
overgrown then cut down the stems & use these cuttings for propagation. In
several months, your aquarium will contain lots of fish & your tank will be
full of mature plants. I have introduced baby plants to my aquarium & introduced
a few fish species but now my aquarium has too many fish & it seems full of
plants.
In below video I will show you how to setup a low-tech tropical planted tank:
Planted Aquarium Substrate and Rocks:
Aquascaping:
Adding some water is important
before introducing live plants. Plants have their own requirements but for this
tutorial I am using low budget & low maintenance plants that only need
artificial lights & fish waste are enough for fertilizing them. They
provide a natural look to the overall tank. They keep water clean & can
help in cleaning water. Also, a filter is required for collecting dead leaves
of plants & fish waste, & for aerating the tank. Check out the list of
plants that I am growing in my aquarium:
- Rotala Rotundifolia
- Bacopa Monnieri or Moneywort
- Alternanthera Reineckii
- Staurogyne Repens
- Water Wisteria
- Java Fern
- Glossostigma Elatinoides
Rotala Rotundifolia:
This plant can produce red
leaves, they are bushy & very easy to keep in aquariums. It is a hardy
plant which does not need high maintenance. Fish waste is enough to fertilize
this plant & use artificial lights for photosynthesis of the plant. I am
keeping it in the mid-background of the tank. I am keeping this plant on the
left & right side of the aquarium.
Bacopa Monnieri:
Bacopa Monnieri is a bright green plant. It is durable & hardy so needs low maintenance. No need for
extra fertilizers if you have fish in the tank. They need tank lights for
photosynthesis. It is a beautiful plant & I am keeping it in the
mid-background of the tank. I am keeping Bacopa Monnieri on the left &
right side of the aquarium.
Alternanthera Reineckii:
Alternanthera Reineckii is a
purple plant that changes the overall appearance of the tank with its bright
purple coloration. It is a compact plant & grows slowly in water. The
requirements for this plant are very simple because it can absorb fertilizers
from water & this food can help the plant grow well. For photosynthesis of
plants, artificial light is required. Plants release oxygen in the presence of
light & carbon dioxide when it's dark. I am keeping Alternanthera Reineckii
in the middle of the tank. This plant is used on the left & right side of
the tank.
Staurogyne Repens:
Staurogyne Repens offers green
coloration, & they are compact & need simple care. They are hardy &
don’t need additional fertilizers if you are keeping fish in an aquarium. It
provides a greenish color to the aquarium & I am keeping this plant in the
foreground to enhance the overall appearance of my tank. I am keeping
Staurogyne Repens on the left & right side of the aquarium.
Water Wisteria:
Water Wisteria is a beginner’s plant because it grows very easily. I am keeping it in the aquarium background. It grows fast in aquariums & has beautiful greenish leaves. No fertilizers are required if you have fish in water. It can help absorb toxic byproducts of ammonia. Tank light is enough for its growth.
Glossostigma Elatinoides:
Glossostigma Elatinoides is a
slow growing & a small creeping live plant. Like other tropical plants I
have added, this plant also absorbs fish waste as fertilizers & needs
artificial lights for photosynthesis. It can keep your tank water clean. Aquarium
lights are enough for the growth of this plant. During the day or in the
presence of light, plants release oxygen while at night or in the dark, they
release carbon dioxide. I am using this plant in the foreground & center of
the aquarium. It originates in New Zealand & Australia. Takashi Amona
imported Glossostigma Elatinoides to Japan in the late 1980s.
Planted Aquarium Filter:
I am using a cheap internal
filter for cleaning the aquarium. The main part of the filter is biological
filtration & plants can make this job easier. I am using filters to trap
fish waste, & breakdown ammonia into nitrites & nitrates. Plants can
absorb the byproducts of ammonia & clean the tank. I have too many plants
that can provide better filtration. Filters are also used for water circulation
& oxygenation.
I am using a canister filter
which has a sponge filter on the inlet to avoid sucking small fish.
Fish:
After 3 months of running the
aquarium, my plants are mature & they are growing well in the aquarium
& my tank is cycled so now it is time to add fish to my aquarium.
Molly, Platy & Swordtail:
I am adding tropical fish such as
Molly, Platy & Swordtail. They are livebearers which means they don’t lay
eggs & give birth to babies. They are hardy which means they can survive in
harsh conditions. They are cheap & need low maintenance. They are living
healthy in my planted tank. Molly, Platy & Swordtail are small fish so they
need a small tank. You can keep them with other fish because they are peaceful.
Clown Loach:
I have added a couple of Clown
Loaches because they are very social & peaceful mates. They can survive in
the community aquariums with other fish. They like their mates, & enjoy the clean & beautiful aquarium. They are hardy & cheap. They are
smaller in size so you can keep them in small aquariums.
Endler Guppy:
Endler Guppy is a little &
extremely colorful fish. They like living in the community aquarium. They live
peacefully with mates. They offer multiple colors & are a great addition to
the planted aquarium. They like plants in the aquarium. They are hardy &
due to their small size; they are able to survive in small tanks.
White Cloud Mountain Minnow:
White Cloud Mountain Minnow are
also called Poor Man Tetra & Eggs Scatterers. It is a hard fish that aquarists
keep in fresh cold water. They can survive in small tanks due to their small
size. They don’t need a tank heater because they are cold water fish.
Molly & Dalmation Molly Fish:
I have added multiple white &
Dalmation Mollies. Dalmation Molly is a hybrid color variation of sailfin
molly. They are hardy & don’t need high maintenance. They are popular
because their care level is easy. Many beginners start with Mollies. They are
available for a low price & you can breed them in aquariums.
Tropical Fish:
Guppy, Cardinal Tetra & Red
Rasbora are tropical fish that I have introduced to my tank. Tropical fish
means fish that live in aquatic tropical environments worldwide. They are
pretty hardy & can live happily in aquariums. Many aquarists keep tropical
fish in tanks. Tropical fish can breed in captivity.
Trimming Plants:
Rotala & Bacopa are growing very tall so they need trimming. You can use these cuttings for propagation. I have replanted these cuttings in my low budget Planted Angelfish aquarium. They are very hardy & have higher chances of regrowing from cuttings.
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