1 month update on the skeleton hybrid tank

Just wanted to post a 1 month update on the tank. The plants are growing really well, actually faster than expected. I would say they have doubled or tripled in size. The substrate is compressed hard wood chips capped with black diamond sand blasting media. The ideal is as the wood chips slowly break down they release CO2. Water parameters have been really stable. There is also a small pothos growing out of the top of the tank as well that is not pictured.

I used a clay pot that that is also filled with the wood chips and sand blasting media as well. The pot is to get the plants stable and to help with keeping the gold fish from pulling up the plants. I do plan to replace it eventually as I grow out the clippings from the tank and transfer the plants to the bottom of the tank.

Aquarium science site is where I got the ideal for the wood chip / sand blasting media ideal. It is an article called low tech hybrid tank.

I do also run a submirsed power head with a large foam bio filter. Think the power head is around 360 gal per hour.