What low-tech means
A low-tech tank skips CO₂ injection and runs moderate light. Plants grow slowly, so there is less trimming, less fertiliser and far less algae when the balance is right. The approach owes a lot to Diana Walstad's work on soil-based planted tanks, where a nutrient-rich soil under a cap feeds rooted plants without injected CO₂.
The rules the planner checks
- No plants that need CO₂. The planner names any that slipped in.
- Low and medium-light plants only.
- Mostly slow and medium growers, so you are not trimming every week.
- Floating plants, which soak up spare nutrients and shade out algae.
- A soil substrate to feed rooted plants.
Plants that thrive without CO₂
Java fern, anubias and bucephalandra on wood, cryptocorynes and Amazon sword compacta rooted in the soil, vallisneria and hornwort behind, Java moss on the hardscape, and Amazon frogbit or duckweed on top. Turn on Only plants that suit this tank in the plant list with CO₂ set to none, and the planner shows only plants that will grow in your tank.
Other styles
- Nature aquascape planner
- Iwagumi aquascape planner
- Dutch aquascape planner
- Jungle aquascape planner
- Biotope aquascape planner
New to the styles? Read Iwagumi vs Nature vs Dutch, or start from the main aquascape planner.
Questions
Can you have a carpet without CO₂?
Some carpets grow without it, such as Marsilea crenata and dwarf four-leaf clover, but slowly. High-light carpets like HC Cuba usually fail without CO₂.
How much light does a low-tech tank need?
Low to medium light for six to eight hours a day. More light without CO₂ tends to grow algae rather than plants.
The aquascape planner is in beta. If something looks wrong or you would like a plant added, tell us.