# low light sanchezi tank log



## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

I have a tank in my bedroom, livingroom.. and now. In the bathroom! 
I'm going to post progress here as I go, to share experience with this new approach to running a low light planted tank (to me)
This should be interesting, I have never attempted this before, but I am trying to learn as much as I can about this style planted tank. My goal is a very healthy -virtually no maintenance- low light tank.
The Idea is to get a balance just right in the tank so water changes can be almost eliminated. With 1 Sanchezi in the tank (not yet) this might not be too hard to accomplish, but I guess we will see.

Got step one complete.. Substrate and water.. lol First I added about 1/2 an inch of pre-soaked Canadian sphagnum peat moss.

Next, I capped the Peat with about an inch or so of Soilmaster Select. (stuff is great.. very cheap, looks good, and grows excellent plants!)

Then I added about 2 quarts of filter water (mulm) from my 75g tank in the living room (the soilmaster looks grey when dry, and black when wet)

I added the rest of the Soilmaster to cap off peat/mulm layer.

It took me a while to fill the tank.. Did not want to disturb the peat layer.. what a mess that would be.. lol

Here are some bad pics of the sanchezi that is going into the tank


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

I know this is a repost, but the first thread was so derailed.. the pics above were from 12-11..
Here is an update of what the tank looks like now. 
No water changes as of yet. Added micros, iron, phosphate, and nitrate, because the plants were sucking them up in 5-6 days or so.


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## rbp75 (May 2, 2004)

Sweet man! Are you filtering it? I read from some site (cant remember which one) of a lady who keeps planted tanks with no filtration or water changes and the fish and plants do great. I guess like everything else with live plants you just need to find the right balance.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

rbp75 said:


> Sweet man! Are you filtering it? I read from some site (cant remember which one) of a lady who keeps planted tanks with no filtration or water changes and the fish and plants do great. I guess like everything else with live plants you just need to find the right balance.


sup bro!
Yeah, I have an Aquaclear30 powerhead with a filter attachment, and a Rena XP2 on the tank. Yep, I will only do water changes if the nitrates don't balance out, which would be wierd in a tank with so many plants. Only one more reason to do any water changes.. if the fish doesn't do well in there. He should.
The Sanchezi isn't in the tank yet, the scape is not finished... But I will be putting him in there soon. The only maintenance will be topping the water off, netting rotting plant, and food stuff, cleaning the filters, and taking care of any algea in the tank. Oh yea, trimming the plants
The E tenellus tripled in 3 weeks, and the water sprite is spreading like crazy. The Crypts have almost all lost their emersed leaves, and the hornwart always grows super fast.
There is a small amount of algea in there, but that is to be expected in a new planted tank. I hope to equal things out in there over the next month or 2.


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## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

I think it is looking great! I'm sure the sanchezi will dig it.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

BigChuckP said:


> I think it is looking great! I'm sure the sanchezi will dig it.


thanks BigChuck! 
I just attached the java ferns to some driftwood in there, trimmed the hornwart back, filled the evaporated water, and put a black posterboard background on the tank. I will be putting the sanchezi in there soon!


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## deezdrama (Jul 9, 2005)

WOW- you cant beat the looks of a nicelly planted tank


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

deezdrama said:


> WOW- you cant beat the looks of a nicelly planted tank


Not to mention the health benefits, if maintained properly, to the fish. That really is always my motivation for planting the tank.. The beauty comes 2nd, but it is a close 2nd!


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

well, I trimmed it up a bit and added a black background.. There is a bit of BBA now starting in the tank. I think it came in from me using plants from my other infested tank lol..
I will try and eradicate it over the next several weeks. If it doesn't work, I will use flourish excell for a bit to see if it helps


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## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

DiPpY eGgS said:


> well, I trimmed it up a bit and added a black background.. There is a bit of BBA now starting in the tank. I think it came in from me using plants from my other infested tank lol..
> I will try and eradicate it over the next several weeks. If it doesn't work, I will use flourish excell for a bit to see if it helps


oooo BBA is honestly the bain of my existence, good luck, I have read articles/threads on the miracles that excel can do, I'm sure you'll be able to get rid of it.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

I'm going to try and reduce iron for a while, and remove infected leaves. After that, the bleach dip is a good option








-remember, handfulls of plants at a time lol


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