Technic-Free Tank

[Ruinenbaumeister]

Hello,

I am running a small tank without any technical stuff except a small light-bulb.
Is anybody here who is experienced in technic-free tanks?
Plants are growing very well, but any other "animals" don't survive apart from few small snails and Asellus aquaticus.
Which minimum is still going in accordance with appropriate keeping of plants and animals?

Which experiences did you make?

Curious about this remains:

Verena :rolleyes:

[Robert]

Hi Verena,
I had such a tank for several years. The main problem is not the plant growth but the lack of filtration. Of course there are bacteria and yes they use the Ammonia to make nitrite and later on nitrate but this cycle is not very stable. The nitrat level was always pretty high, about 40-50mg/l and only a few fishes got used to it. It was my guppy culls tank, so i didn't care much. Try to do regular large water changes of 40-50% but be careful and add the new water only slwoly. Don't add fresh water directly from the tap, better let it stay in bucket for a day or so.

Don't add too many organisms because they produce lots of ammonia, there is un-eaten food etc.. So try to prefend the production of too much biologycal waste (you have only few bacteria in comparison to normal tanks, so ammonia and nitrite are longer available in he water column). Add plants like Lemna trisucla or Lemna minor. BTW, our own native plants and organisms seem to tolerate such conditions much better than most tropcial ones, especially if the tank has only room temperature (should be 16-23°C in your case).

regards
Robert