UNS 45L low-tech iwagumi, no CO2. Planted with monte carlo and a “moss ball” torn up to decorate the seiryu stone. It was dry-started in January 2025, and has grown in a little bit but not as quickly as I’d like it. Stocked with 7 medaka rice fish, a massive amount of ramshorns, and 5 orange neocaridinas (which are showing cherries now). I have done only 1 water change on it since leaving the dry start, and weirdly has zero algae and is the least demanding tank I have.

The vastly oversized filter you see doesn’t have filter media, but instead houses several terrestrial plants including some pothos (marble queen), some ficus variety, and a variegated syngonium. I picked a giant filter (made for 15 gallon setups) in order to create a “sump” to increase the water volume in the overall ecosystem to ensure everything stays stable.