new tank planning - extreme low tech chinese bamboo style

[gagaliya]

It's still in the early stages of planning but i am going for:

- amano style setup - super clean (glass intake/output etc)
- house of the flying dagger bamboo forest theme (see below)
- extreme low tech/maintainence(diana walstad method), no co2, no nutrient dosing, no trimming, and monthly water change

Theme:

video: http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/houseofflyingdaggers

here's a concept drawing i did a while back:

Item List:
- ADA 60P Cube Garden (18 gallon)
- ADA decorative sand
- ADA glass intake/outflow
- Regular natural gravel
- Hydor Inline heater

- lucky bamboo - dracaena sanderiana are true "plastic" plants
- moss

- army of cherry red shrimps
- school of 25 glofish (red zebra danio) OR golden white cloud OR harq rasboras. (yes it's overstocked, but should be fine with the type of fish and what i have in mind)

Pending items (all suggestions welcome!)

- need an extremely hardy carpet to match the bamboo, mini(singapore) moss seem to fit the bill but need to find out how hardy they are - can they live healthy in a low light no co2 no nutrient dosing tank

- find a way to place the lighting as it needs to be considerably above the tank due to bamboos leaves sticking out. Might end up hanging it from ceiling (any other method)

- decide on the fish - something extremely hardy. a)Glofish - full red give the pure green tank a nice punch of color. b)golden white cloud - fits the chinese theme perfectly. c)Rasboras - very tranquil

- method to secure the bamboos to the aquarium without using a very thick layer of gravel. hmm...

what you guys think? will it work?

 

[nerdyguy83]

Its a very interesting concept and would be a very beautiful tank. I don't know how I feel about not trimming the bamboo and hanging the light from the cieling thinking that the bamboo will eventually get too tall for a light that is closer. 1-2wpg as you have specified won't be enough if the light is 5 feet above the tank. You might as well not light it if you are going to have the light that far away. Better to trim the bamboo as needed and keep the light close. Either that or get one heck of a powerful flourescent bulb.

 

[dorkfish]

Please do not get any glofish (realy zebra danios that have been injected with jelyfish genes), as you will be suporting the dying, genitical alterations (like glofish) and hybridization of fishes. Some aquarists do not like the idea of most of the fish found in fish shops being all hybrids, dyed, or genetically altered one day - I want the real fish, and would like them to remain redily available for years to come.

Other than that, everything seems OK, so have fun with it.

 

[gagaliya]

nerdyguy, from my experience lucky bamboo does not grow very tall, mine (in glass jar) grew about 1 feet max after i got it 6 months ago.

But definitly i plan to have the light at most 2 feet from the aquarium, the bamboo leave portion should start just out of the water and if it grows too tall (>2 feet) out of water, will trim. By no trimming, i just meant no weekly trimming like i do now. Good point though on the wpg, maybe i will get higher watts due to the distance.

dorkfish, i think you already know glofish is not dyed and the fish wasnt subjected to any abuse, the gene itself was simply injected with jellyfish color strand BEFORE birth and by all means it's a normal healthy zebra danio.

To me it's no different than trying to breed fancy guppies/goldfish etc, you are also doing gene manipulation. Of course i am against dying but have no problem with this whatsoever, it's completely different.

Anyway this been debated many times, no point to go at it again.

 

[magafish18]

wow that will look cool when its done. good luck :thm:

 

[eklikewhoa]

the bamboo will grow as much as you let it!!!

we have on that is about 6' tall coming out of a giant vase.

 

[gagaliya]

the bamboo will grow as much as you let it!!!

we have on that is about 6' tall coming out of a giant vase.

hmm that could be a problem... but at least it will be easier to trim than plants under water.

does anyone know about the mini moss? will it be ok with no co2 and no nutrient dosing?

 

[sumthin fishy]

Im no expert on the bamboo, but I know there is a way to trim down the stalks to stop the stalks from growing, and the leaves will still shoot out the sides.

 

[Toirtis]

'Lucky bamboo', Dracaena sanderiana, is, of course, not bamboo at all, but an SE Asian marginal plant belonging to the Dracaenaceae family, whereas bamboos belong to the Gramineae (Poaceae) family.

 

[misopeenut]

rasbora harq will fit the asian theme perfectly.
id suggest putting a sheet of plexiglass and silicon the pebbles, make like a rock wall.
what decorative are you going to be using?
if youre getting rio negro, and using lily pipes, its not going to be low maintenance....