Low Tech Tank No-Tech 1 gallon office bowl

[Jhardee85]

Picked up a one gallon bowl for $3 at the thrift store next to work. Simple set-and-forget setup.

Tank:
1-gallon bowl

Light:
Chihiros RGB60

Filter:
None

Substrate:
Fluval Stratum

Flora:
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Erio vietnam
Crypt wendtii ‘bronze’
Subwassertang
Ludwigia glandulosa
Rotala ‘blood red SG’
Bacopa colorata
Red root floaters

Fauna:
Ramshorn and bladder snails

First fill was with distilled water. Zero kH, zero gH. Let’s see what happens

 

[hypnogogia]

Zero Kh and zero gH won’t do your snails any good at all. Plants will also suffer as they need nutrients.

 

[Jhardee85]

Zero Kh and zero gH won’t do your snails any good at all. Plants will also suffer as they need nutrients.

 

[Art]

LOL. Ouch. I think the stratum would add something to the water, as will the decaying leaves. Nature will find a way to survive, is my experience.

 

[Jhardee85]

lol. It’s three days old and will consume the stratum nutrients for a while. I also have a tiny bottle of DIY diluted fertilizer solution and some calcium chloride I’ll start supplementing once the red root floaters start showing me it’s gone lean.

The goal is to have this tank run in slow motion. A million thanks to @sudiorca for the inspiration.

 

[Art]

Please keep us posted with pictures!

 

[Jhardee85]

Alright here’s a week. Nothing dead yet. Red root floaters are working out great sucking up whatever the aquasoil is leeching. Cleaned up and trimmed some loose ends that stuck around planting.

 

[Art]

Oh wow, that looks great!

 

[Jhardee85]

Little trimming/reorganizing, 75% water change. Got a little cloudy which is probably a combination of new aquasoil and bacterial bloom(?). Water had a slight green tint to it and wiped a very thin green dust algae film off the glass. So far so good.

 

[Jhardee85]

Water change before the long holiday weekend.

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Lookin sweet! I REALLY may have to try this in my office