Nano desk tank

Hey all,


Well my 3ft is moving into the passage but I still want a tank in my bedroom. I'm thinking of building a nano desk tank, as small a foot print as I can get it at no more than 30x30, if I make the height 30 then that's 27 liters. I'm wanting it planted and as low tech and low cost as possible.


What would you do lighting-wise? Actually, what would you do with everything?? This will be my first planted tank so all advice will be appreciated, also it's going in my bedroom and must be quiet, so would a sponge filter with my quietest 300lph powerhead do the filtration job or do plants need flow and mechanical filtration to do well?
What fish, if any? I can adjust dimentions but it has to be small.


Any input? Plans can be changed Just remember I can't spend lots of money on being fancy, my mom will have a fit

 

Cheapest of the cheap ways of doing this you say? Right - Filtration sounds fine - just remember that with sponge filters,your tank maintenance is paramount... As for lighting - scrounge a desk lamp from somewhere - one of those bendy arm ones.... Replace the incandescent bulb with a Phillips Tornado CFL - 14 W .... Nice colour spectrum and gives good plant growth...

Substrate.... PFS is fine,as it will be cheap and effective to column dose your ferts in a tank that small...

Saving even more bucks? Go for a cold water tank(no heater).... Small school of 6 - 8 white clouds... Stick to easy to grow plants and you can have an awesome little tank....growth will be slow in winter,but its fun having a "seasonal" tank...

 

A 30l tank's maintenance is no problem I'm so stuck with MTS I've accepted my fate... Already have a desk lamp for the desk so will replace the globe and it'll still work for when I study at night Where do I buy pfs I take it that's pool filter sand?

I got a 50w heater given to me by a kind guy who was helping me get started with marine, since I got banned by my mom from starting a marine until after matric I can use the 50w for now Already getting White Clouds for my 3ft so interested in other fish for the nano

 

PFS usually sold in 50kg bags for like R50 to R60 from any swimming pool shop...not that you going to use near as much...lol - Hunt round some LFS's,some pack it down into smaller 1 or 2 kg bags.... Otherwise just beg on the forum - sure a fellow TASA member got 2 or 3kg to spare....

Other fish...Hmmnn - not allways easy telling someone else what to like...but here are a few of my favourite nano tank fishies:

- Neons/Cardinals
- Threadfin Rainbows
- Cherry Barbs
- Endler's livebearers
- Harlequin Rasboras

Rather aim for a single species tank of a small shoal than a mix and match of one or two of a whole bunch of species - the overall effect of a planted nano comes together much better then....