Yo, what's up SerpaSquad! Tanner here. In this one, I'll make another patio pond
of sorts. Sure, I've made them before, but the previous
iterations were complicated, to say the least. Successful, but complicated. I wanted to keep it simple for this one with
a low-tech approach. The vessel or basin for the pond will be this
incredible Planter I found the other day. I ran a few calculations and estimate that
it has a volume of roughly 25 gallons. I also have two 8 Inch Terracotta Pots. Stacking them up will make it easy to create
a planting area. To best utilize the space and for optimal
performance, I'll drill a few holes with a Diamond-Tipped Hole Saw. I sprayed down the pot and drill. This will cut back on debris and keep the
pieces from overheating. I used my hand as a guide to get the holes
started. After an indentation is made, it's just rinse
and repeat until it goes through. I cleaned them off to remove debris. Here's a closer look. I put several holes in this one, so the plant's
roots aren't isolated to the pot. I made them in the other one to maximize the
space within the water column. Fish can swim through the holes and use it
as an area of refuge. For it all to work properly, I'll cover the
holes in the top pot with Knitting Mesh. I cut it out into squares. I let the piece sit overnight while it cured. Here they are now. Looking clean and ready for plants. It's best to have bare-root plants for something
like this, so I'll prep them accordingly. I remove them from the planters and gently
pull away any substrate I can. I often cut the roots as well, to stimulate
new growth. Then, I spray them off to maximize substrate
removal. If a little remains, it's alright. You just want the majority of it gone. I'll plant these using a mix of Planted Tank
Substrates. I put a base layer into the pot. Then, I got to planting. I stared with the Philodendron bipinnatifidum,
which is the largest one. I put some substrate around the roots to keep
it situated. Next up is a Syngonium podophyllum 'Maria'. I chose this one for the pop of color. With a setup like this, I typically include
Hemigraphis repanda. It grows incredibly well in a riparian setting
and adds a lot of great texture. I also had to add a Oenanthe javonica 'Flamingo'. To finish it off I have a few rhizomes of
Acorus graminius 'Oborozuki'. The nice thing about how I planted this, is
that the entire planter can be removed for ease of maintenance. I took it out, so I can add substrate to the
bottom. I began with a base of the planted mix, in
case I decide to add aquatic plants. I'll cap it off with Pea Pebbles, which I
thoroughly rinsed to remove debris. I put in a decent layer, since a lot of the
beneficial bacteria will reside here. I put the plants back in place and filled
it up. I think it's a disservice to make something
like this without adding floating plants. They look cool and will eventually hide the
terracotta pot. First, were a few handfuls of Salvinia minima. I also added some Phyllanthus fluitans. Finally, were a few stems of Hygrophila difformis. A quick look at the pond before we add fish. In my opinion, the low-tech route is only
possible with plants. Sure, bacteria plays a role, but as far as
nutrient export is concerned, plants are king. On that, terrestrial plant growth will always
be more effective than aquatic plants. So, if you can get riparian plant growth,
like this, you'll likely never have to do water changes once the system is established. The plant roots will also create territorial
barriers for livestock as they fill in the water column. You'll notice that the waterline is above
the top of the terracotta pot. This is ideal because the fish can swim in
the shallows. Additionally, this will allow the floaters
to grow over and hide the edge of the pot. I suppose you're probably also wondering about
the light. What I have is a Pendant Light Fixture, that's
outfitted with a Wicker Basket. As for the light, it's a Deformable LED Bulb. It's pretty bright and perfect for a setup
like this. Enough on that though, let's add the guppies. There you have it, my take on a low-tech,
no filter guppy pond. It should establish to become an excellent
low-maintenance home and breeding ground for these fish. Plus it was really easy to make. I think that does it for this one though. I hope you all enjoyed the video and learned
something new. Let me know what you think about it down in
the comments. Until next SerpaSquad, take care and peace!
