# My "Walstad" tank.



## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

Not sure if this is a "Walstad" tank, but I did use potting mix as advised by Dustin Wunderlich. I originally had a 10g low tech with a standard fluorescent 15W fixture and was unhappy with the way my plants looked. I ordered a 27W CF fixture and decided I'd go the "dirt" route. I am having some issues, which I will discuss below. My tank has been running for a week as of tomorrow. I dose Flourish twice a week.

Just a little outline of my setup.



















Made it into a mud (although picture shows dry substrate on the right).










For the next few days, I misted it to keep it wet.



















Moved aquarium into my bedroom and got rid of the Jungle Vals. They were in bad shape from the previous tank.










_Crypt. lucens_










Substrate.










Now...since Sunday, my parameters have been showing .25-.5ppm NH3. Nitrites 0, and have not yet tested rAtes and pH (I should get on that!). I've been doing 50% PWC's daily in order to keep NH3 down, as well as to clear up my water. The ammonia levels are disheartening and rather irritating. I moved this filter from an established tank. I had lost a fish in it, and was facing similar ammonia issues that I attributed to a decaying fish. The filter had been established during a 5 week long fishless cycle, and it was the first time I had seen ammonia. I moved the filter/plants/driftwood to the new tank and thought I'd be alright (due to thinking it was because of a decaying fish). Well, I am still seeing ammonia. What could the cause be?

What do you think of my setup?
Also, I have a shipment of plants coming next week...the delay is getting irritating. In another thread, someone mentioned getting more plants. Believe me, I didn't plan on having such a light stock. Will my soil be "harmed" with so little plants currently?


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## fjf888 (Dec 4, 2007)

I think the soil will eventually be fine. A bigger problem you may have if you don't get more fast growing stems and floating plants is that you will have a whole bunch of algae. Also you might have nh3/nh4 problems without the plants to use the ammonia. Cardinal tetras are not the most hardy fish, so I would get as many plants in there as soon as possible, otherwise you might have a bunch of algae and some dead fish.

I like the look of the tank.

Fred


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## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

Fred,

Thanks for the reply. Thing is, the LFS by me aren't too stocked with low light plants. Could you recommend a few fast growing ones? I'll take the list with me tomorrow to the store and have a look.


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## fjf888 (Dec 4, 2007)

Marconis said:


> Fred,
> 
> Thanks for the reply. Thing is, the LFS by me aren't too stocked with low light plants. Could you recommend a few fast growing ones? I'll take the list with me tomorrow to the store and have a look.


Hygrophila Polysperma, Rotala Indica or rotundifolia, hornwort, water sprite, valisneria, most crypts are good (not fast growers, but once established do well) and dwarf sagittaria.

Happy hunting

Fred


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## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

Have water sprite and a crypt coming in with my order. I've had Dwarf Sag and didn't like it, but am willing to give it another go.

Thanks! I'll report back.


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## psusaxman2000 (Dec 22, 2009)

One thing to think about, even though the plants may not look great, sometimes adding fast growers are more beneficial up front and then can be removed or passed on. They help establish the tank faster, combat algae and control harmful chemical levels. Once they've served their purpose and the rest of your plants are in and established, you can remove the unwanted plants. 

This is what I've done in the past, just a thought.

Kenny


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## vicky (Feb 18, 2010)

Water sprite is great, as well as any floaters you can find (duckweed, frogs bit, water lettuce, etc.). Also hornwort and anacharis. The ammonia won't hurt your soil, but it may hurt any critters you add before it is under control. Low pH and water changes will help. You're off to a good start. Good luck and keep posting.


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## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

You guys are very helpful, I appreciate it.
Added duckweed to my list to check at the store. Going after class...I'll let you guys know what I can grab.


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## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

Got some Rotala Indica. Lovin' it. There is still plenty of room behind them to put taller plants.










Aside from adding more plants, I'd love to know what I could be doing differently to benefit. I am sure I will gain more insight on this as I read Walstad's book, but any information I can get from you guys is great. Reading through some threads, I can tell this community is very devoted to having top-notch planted aquariums, and I hope to be on that level some day. Having plain-ole' aquariums got boring...time to really floor it!

I keep my light on 8.5 hours a day (27W CF)
Dose Flourish 2 times a week
Weekly water changes (although since setting this up I've done 50% a day to keep ammonia down)
Used PFS over my MiracleGro Organic Choice Potting Mix
No source of carbon other than metabolic biproducts.

That's about all. Thanks everyone.


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## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

I have another question...do I have too much lighting for this type of setup? The light is small in diameter; it only hangs over the middle portion of the aquarium and is raised pretty high.


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## fjf888 (Dec 4, 2007)

Its hard to know, but from the pictures it looks ok, unless there is addtional sunlight.

Fred


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## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

Nope, it's in a dark room.


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## vicky (Feb 18, 2010)

Planted tanks are about finding balance. Enough food to feed fish and plants, but not too much to foul the water or cause an explosion of snails or algae. Enough oxygen to keep the fish alive. Enough CO2 to keep the plants alive. And enough, but not too much, light. There is a certain amount of trial and error to be expected. Watch for signs of a problem and try to determine the cause, and therefore the cure, as soon as possible. Again, you are off to a great start. Got any more plants yet?


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## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

Thanks Vicky.

No more plants yet; just the Rotala that I got on Friday. My shipment should HOPEFULLY arrive this Thursday with a bunch of plants. They are all backed up from damage to their warehouse in February.


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## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

Emailed Sweet Aquatics and they responded with this:

Nicholas,
Your order will ship next week. I am short the water sprite. We will ship
as soon as our new shipment of plants come in. Sorry for the delay in
shipping.
Thanks
Mary

Grrrr. What sorts of issues now should I be looking out for that I am so light on plants for another whole week? This stinks! I placed that order on March 10.

**Edit: She is going to ship everything except the water sprite tomorrow. Cool. While not much, the plants include:

2 ea. Lilaeopsis Mauritiana POT 
1 ea. Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green 

I had 4 water sprite coming. While that may seem like a lot of water sprite for a 10g, it's such a nice plant!


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## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

Hi guys, got two pots of Lilaeopsis Mauritiana today. Boy they were a pain to plant...it was really tough to get the roots down to the soil all the way. Some of the parts where the root meets the actual plant are a tad exposed, but it's okay I feel. I caused a "soil breach" when I was planting them. Made such a mess, hopefully none will leech through anymore as I covered it with sand. Looking forward to my water sprites coming this week so I can plant along the back.


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## fjf888 (Dec 4, 2007)

You might want to watch the Lilaeopsis for algae. Typically the best way to plant these is to spread them out and plant them in small patches. However carpeting plants are not usually the best for an NPT because they tend to get outcompeted for CO2 by fast growing stem plants. I had a good patch growing in a NPT for awhile until the stems took over. Then they died back. 

However, without a lot of plants initially they might establish themselves.


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## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

fjf888 said:


> You might want to watch the Lilaeopsis for algae. Typically the best way to plant these is to spread them out and plant them in small patches. However carpeting plants are not usually the best for an NPT because they tend to get outcompeted for CO2 by fast growing stem plants. I had a good patch growing in a NPT for awhile until the stems took over. Then they died back.
> 
> However, without a lot of plants initially they might establish themselves.


Thanks for that advice. It's experiencing some die off and is actually doing quite well with new bits popping up. Kind of a shame that the future existence in an NPT tank is slim, because it's such a nice plant in my opinion.


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## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

After only 1 week. Pleased to see this.


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## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

Added water sprite:










Here's a video as well:






That's about all I'm doing in terms of planting...have 5 different species of plant. I'm going to see this tank take shape without anymore additions. So far everything is growing beautifully.


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## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

Did a rescape:


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## demonr6 (Feb 24, 2011)

Looks really nice.. how have the tank parameters been? I just set up a npt over the weekend as well and hoping it goes as smooth as yours has. Please keep the pictures and progress reports coming along.


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## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

I'm still seeing ammonia levels rise every other day, it's really annoying. Quite sick of doing water changes. I didn't anticipate this happening, I thought at most I'd see a mini-cycle, but man...


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## vicky (Feb 18, 2010)

Got any floaters? If the plants aren't growing rapidly, you might need more light. I notice your light is not as wide as the tank and it is perhaps a bit high. But odds are that the need for frequent water changes will soon be a thing of the past. It looks great.


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## Marconis (Mar 17, 2011)

vicky said:


> Got any floaters? If the plants aren't growing rapidly, you might need more light. I notice your light is not as wide as the tank and it is perhaps a bit high. But odds are that the need for frequent water changes will soon be a thing of the past. It looks great.


Oh, the plants are indeed growing rapidly. I STILL need to get a hold of some floaters. I have already trimmed a bunch of Water Sprite, and my Rotala is a lot taller than when I bought it. Everything is a nice green, so I think my light is just right. It's 27W of CF, so even though it doesn't span the whole tank and is raised, it keeps me in a good spectrum.

Thanks for the words!


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