Planted Aquarium
I have always been fascinated by planted tanks but I never knew enough to really get into it. Then one day I decided to give it a shot. Being of a scientific background and not having a clue about the logic/rationale behind planted tanks I spent many months reading through internet forums, websites and books on planted tanks, trying to separate fact from fiction and putting together a rough understanding of the needs and demands of planted tanks.
I have put together two guides on setting up low tech planted tanks. One guide covers the basics of low tech planted tanks without any supplements (except minor fertilization) while the second guidecovers the use of Seachem’s Excel product as a Carbon supplement for the plants to increase plant growth rates. Feel free to click on the links below to read the guides. You might learn a thing or two 
.
- Guide to setting up a Low Tech Planted Aquarium
- Guide to setting up a Low Tech Planted Aquarium using Seachem’s Excel
Here are some pictures of my planted aquarium. It currently houses 9 female betta fish and 3 otos. I have used the Excel method to setup this tank.
Hi Sudeep,
What a beautiful aquarium! The plants make it look so colorful.
– ralph
Hi Sudeep,
Nice summary of Tom Barr’s approach to low-tech low light planted tank. Did you post these tank pictures to another web forum where you write under a different pen name?
Beautiful aquarium!!
Tomar nam dekhe mone hoie tumi bangalee. Am I correct?
I am in this hobby for a long time and I have my struggles….
Thank you for nice post.
-Enayet
Hi Enayet,
Thanks. And haan, aami bangalee. I have indeed posted my tank pics on a couple of forums on the net. When I setup this website I decided to add this stuff in as it might be more easily available/viewable.
Cheers,
Sudeep
Lovely tank there. Did you have to go the liquid carbon route on it to maintain the dwarf hairgrass carpet?
Cheers,
Kosh
Hi Kosh,
Thanks a lot. Yup, I used Seachem’s Excel to maintain the dwarf hairgrass. As I found out the hard way, DHG does need some form of carbon supplementation to survive in a tank. When I switched to a completely low-tech setup (no Excel), they started to die out. I have confirmed this with another low tech planted tank owner who lost his DHG foreground once he decided to stop using Excel.
Wow! I’m impressed… that is a good looking planted tank. I’m going to read your guides now. Thanks for posting this.
hello sudeep thanx for the easy to read methods that made my approch to the non co2 planted world possible, there is so much confusion on the net as i spent many months looking for answers but all this talk and mumbo jumbo like tomms excess phospate dosnt couse algea?? and less light couses algea to? WTF and crap like that makes it hard. but your guide is spot on and no bull, kudos to you
ill send some pics of my 75gall 8mth old planted tank to show the proof
Hi Sudeep,
Nice tank and information. I’d like to know what lighting you think I should use for my custom tank? I have a 20 gallon custom tank: 48”L x 12”H x 9.5 W (no CO2). Currently I have a Current USA double T5 light and think that is too much light for the depth of my tank. I really like the Marineland single LED strip light but wonder if that’s still too much light for my tank?
Thanks!
Dear Dudeep!
I have translated your low-tach planted aquarium guide to hebrew so people that do not read english as well as i do can still enjoy your wonderful guide.
But in order to post it in the Israeli forum i’m writing in i would like to recive your agreement for posting the translation version.
Thank you!
Eyal