# looking for low tech pictures!



## qwe123 (Jun 15, 2011)

Hello, I am doing a speech on how to set up a Walstad-style/low tech planted aquarium. As part of the presentation, I would love to have some pictures of people's tanks that follow this method. Anyone willing to share their pictures for education?

Thanks!


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## s2man (Nov 8, 2016)

Will do. I only put reduced-size pics on APC. I'll upload some full-size shots to a server for you and send you some links. 

s2


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## qwe123 (Jun 15, 2011)

Thanks s2man!


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## s2man (Nov 8, 2016)

You have a PM. 

The tank is now at day 120. I still have to prune every two weeks, but not as heavily as when I had the fast-growing stems. I do have to remove 2/3 of the floating plants each time, though, as they have the emerged advantage. 

The good side of all that trimming is, I sell them to the LFSs for store credit.


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## deutschlandiesel (Feb 11, 2017)

My low tech 37 4 bulb T5HO tank.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi qwe123,

Here is a 10 gallon, low light (PAR=30); no CO2 tank with calcined clay substrate


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## s2man (Nov 8, 2016)

DLD, welcome to ApC! Is that water sprite going crazy in your tank? 

SA, that is a great looking 10g.


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## deutschlandiesel (Feb 11, 2017)

s2man said:


> DLD, welcome to ApC! Is that water sprite going crazy in your tank?
> 
> SA, that is a great looking 10g.


Yes it is. Split off 3 times and replanted. The T5HOs make it grow very well at 6500k

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## qwe123 (Jun 15, 2011)

Thank you both for the pictures!

deutschlandiesel, have you not had any algae issues with so much light?


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## deutschlandiesel (Feb 11, 2017)

qwe123 said:


> Thank you both for the pictures!
> 
> deutschlandiesel, have you not had any algae issues with so much light?


I dose Excel to combat it when needed. And to supplement the low tech tank. And add a little extra for outbreaks when they happen. I have 2 Amano shrimp and 5 zebra nerites that do a pretty good job. Occasionally I'll have to clean the glass. The brown algae grew a bit on my micro swords for a while, I just go in there and pull it off. Do an extra water change. Cut back on the light cycle for a week of two and cut the comprehensive to a half dose biweekly. Other than that I think the light helps more than it hurts.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## deutschlandiesel (Feb 11, 2017)

deutschlandiesel said:


> I dose Excel to combat it when needed. And to supplement the low tech tank. And add a little extra for outbreaks when they happen. I have 2 Amano shrimp and 5 zebra nerites that do a pretty good job. Occasionally I'll have to clean the glass. The brown algae grew a bit on my micro swords for a while, I just go in there and pull it off. Do an extra water change. Cut back on the light cycle for a week of two and cut the comprehensive to a half dose biweekly. Other than that I think the light helps more than it hurts.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


























Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

This is a 2009 photo of a 16 gallon NPT tank next to a sunny kitchen window. There's no artificial lighting or filtration. Inhabitants are native fish and invertebrates. The owner did do some weekly algae removal to keep it this pretty.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Here's a larger size picture of the 16 gal showing the window and kitchen. (The original photo had underwear hanging on the radiator!)

The other pictures is of a 12 gal nano tank at 4 years of age. The unplanted areas were constructed using black plastic pieces as retaining walls.

These are hobbyist pictures that I collected for my articles on setting up NPTs (both published in 2009 for _Tropical Fish Hobbyist_ and _Freshwater and Marine Aquarium_ magazines).


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## qwe123 (Jun 15, 2011)

Thank you Ms Walstad! I was planning on using your book and the pictures inside during my presentation, as well. You're okay with that, right?


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

I have no objections to your using the pictures from my book. Indeed, I would be pleased.

Good luck with your presentation!


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

I am lazy about taking photos of my tanks, but I read your post when three of mine are looking pretty good, and I have some spare time. All of these are Walstad tanks. Stump is a 75 gallon, Tributary is 40 gallon breeder, and 15g is a 15 tall--same foot print as a 10, but 50% taller. This is the normal appearance of these tanks, no special grooming and just a little adjustment of contrast in the photos.

Feel free to use them.


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## qwe123 (Jun 15, 2011)

Great tanks Michael!

Thanks again everyone! The presentation went well, not as well as I'd hoped but still got an A.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Michael said:


> I am lazy about taking photos of my tanks, but I read your post when three of mine are looking pretty good, and I have some spare time. All of these are Walstad tanks. Stump is a 75 gallon, Tributary is 40 gallon breeder, and 15g is a 15 tall--same foot print as a 10, but 50% taller. This is the normal appearance of these tanks, no special grooming and just a little adjustment of contrast in the photos.


It was a true pleasure to look at your beautiful tanks this morning. You have packed them with a wide assortment of plants and arranged them so artistically. Very, very nice....


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Thank you! I blush.


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## Pendulum (Oct 13, 2014)




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## Z1234 (Oct 25, 2016)

My indoor aquarium:



















Some details:

Aprox 460 liter, 120 gallon
Picture taken when tank was 4 months old; there is a little haze due to bacteria bloom which later solved itself with time
I avoided putting dirt under the large stones to avoid H2S issues
NPT recommendation on dirt depth / cap size was kept even though the slope
no biological filter

Outdoor "jungel style" aquarium:










Natural sunlight, no heating, no filter

I was very happy with the plant growth in this one, unfortunatelly winter destroyed it:










And lastly my 15 liter small shrimp nano:










There is no bio filter and shrimps seem to enjoy it.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

VERY nice! I love the 120 gal, the slope and the way you have arranged the rocks.
The shrimp tank is just as cute as can be.
Thank you for posting these lovely pictures.


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## s2man (Nov 8, 2016)

Nice looking tanks. Thanks.


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## thepoweranga (Apr 15, 2017)

Michael said:


> I am lazy about taking photos of my tanks, but I read your post when three of mine are looking pretty good, and I have some spare time. All of these are Walstad tanks. Stump is a 75 gallon, Tributary is 40 gallon breeder, and 15g is a 15 tall--same foot print as a 10, but 50% taller. This is the normal appearance of these tanks, no special grooming and just a little adjustment of contrast in the photos.
> 
> Feel free to use them.


I one day hope I can have a tank as beautiful as these 3

Sent from my F3115 using Tapatalk


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## Jolanta JB (Apr 19, 2017)

Hi everyone, here are my two tanks, one 126 and the other 40 litres, no CO2, no nothing basically. Based only on soil. The bigger is almost a year now. The smaller, something like 4-5 months.


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## Pendulum (Oct 13, 2014)




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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

Wow these tanks look good!


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