My first adventure into aquascaping - Aquael 125L Walstad

[Katharine]

Years ago as a teenager I had a small 30 litre fish tank which a red Betta called Yossarian. Since then a fish tank has been off the cards, as I've moved around a lot and not had much space. Now I have a home of my own, I'm happy to be returning to this wonderful hobby.

I am planning a Walstad aquarium as creating a stable eco system appeals to me, as does the lower maintenance and cost!

Last weekend I assembled the aquarium and stand - the Aquael 125 litre optiset aquarium. It seems like a great value aquarium with bright lights (though no dimming functionality), a cover to minimise evaporation, and a relatively shallow depth, meaning it doesn't impose too much in my living room.

I've also chosen the gravel (Dennerle natural quartz gravel), and have some top soil and pond soil I'm planning to use as the substrate.

This evening I ordered plants online so the race is on to make sure I have everything ready to go by the time they arrive.

There's no planting plan yet but hopefully this will give a nice mix of textures, shapes and sizes of plants to the tank, and at least some will be well suited to the conditions.

That's all for now, photos to follow when there's more to see!

Current plant list:

• Ludwigia Repens "Diamond Red"
• Vallisneria asiatica
• Staurogyne repens
• Hydrocotyle leucocephala
• Micranthemum monte carlo
• Hygrophila pinnatifida
• Anubias barteri
• Cryptocoryne wendtii "green"
• Green tiger lotus
• Limnobium laevigatum
• Hydrocotyle tripartita (Japan)
• Ceratopteris Siliquosa (Water Sprite)
• Red root floaters

Current livestock:

• 4 red cherry shrimp
• 1 zebra nerite snail
• 3 black panther snails
• 6 otocinclus
• 6 celestial pearl danios

 

[Katharine]

Mini update: I've cut a cheap fitness mat to size to go between the tank and the stand (this was a tip I saw someone make but I'm not sure who!). For anyone trying this, I recommend using a long knife and a ruler (as craft knife caught the mat and made a really messy cut and scissors are hard to get exactly straight), and taking a few millimeters off your measurements as the mat is slightly stretchy.

 

[_Maq_]

I am planning a Walstad aquarium as creating a stable eco system appeals to me, as does the lower maintenance and cost!

If you're an adventurer, follow Mrs. Walstad's guide. If not - esp. if your aim is lower maintenance and cost - then don't.

 

[Tim Harrison]

This may also be of help

Soil Substrate or Dirted Tank - A How to Guide

The Soil Substrate Planted Tank - a How to Guide... ...or Zen and an Introduction to the Art of Underwater Gardening with Soil or Dirt... ...or The Hybrid-Energy Approach. Introduction In writing this I hope to illustrate that using soil substrate offers a range of possibilities and that it's...

www.ukaps.org

 

[Katharine]

This may also be of help

Soil Substrate or Dirted Tank - A How to Guide

The Soil Substrate Planted Tank - a How to Guide... ...or Zen and an Introduction to the Art of Underwater Gardening with Soil or Dirt... ...or The Hybrid-Energy Approach. Introduction In writing this I hope to illustrate that using soil substrate offers a range of possibilities and that it's...

www.ukaps.org

This looks like a really useful resource, thank you for sharing (and for writing it!).

Reassuringly according to your guide I will have roughly the right lighting levels and filter turnover.

One thing I'm not sure sure of yet is soil mix - I've got some (old!) aquatic compost, some very clay rich top soil and sylvagrow farmyard, a soil improver. I'm thinking a mix of the Aquatic compost and top soil should work well but I kind of want to add some of the sylvagrow farmyard as well as I think it might help the soil to continue releasing nutrients as it breaks down over a longer time period.

 

[Katharine]

If you're an adventurer, follow Mrs. Walstad's guide. If not - esp. if your aim is lower maintenance and cost - then don't.

I've seen some scepticism about the Walstad method but I don't fully understand which parts of it are causing controversy, as using soil as a substrate appears quite established. Would you be able to elaborate?

 

[John q]

If you're an adventurer, follow Mrs. Walstad's guide.

Maybe include this ideology in your current substrate test. Who knows, it might work or fail.

 

[John q]

I've seen some scepticism about the Walstad method but I don't fully understand which parts of it are causing controversy,

Unfortunately anybody that puts themselves on a pedestal takes the slings and arrows. Walstad's ideas worked, as did Mr Barrs.
Is there another path to successfully growing aquatic plants? I'm sure there is, step forward the next target.

Give your idea a go @Katharine 👍

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I've seen some scepticism about the Walstad method but I don't fully understand which parts of it are causing controversy, as using soil as a substrate appears quite established. Would you be able to elaborate?

I'll nail my colour's to the mast and say <"I think it is a wonderful book"> and I have the greatest respect for her, but there are a few areas where I think she was mistaken and where, subsequently, she changed some of her advice.

I'll be back home later this evening and I'll link in some threads.

Cheers Darrel

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I'll be back home later this evening and I'll link in some threads.

@Katharine have a look at:

• <"Walstad revises">
• <"Aqua Noob">
• <"260 L planted tank, minimum maintenance>.

This next one is a bit of a rant, so I have to apologise to @Miss-Pepper

• <"Bedside Aquarium">

cheers Darrel

 

[_Maq_]

using soil as a substrate appears quite established. Would you be able to elaborate?

Let's ask and reply this question: Do you know which compounds in what quantity and how quickly your substrate will release?
a) If you use something like your blend of soils, or, like Diana Walstad, "the soil from my garden", the answer is "NO, I don't know." Therefore you seem to be a risk-seeking person.
b) If you use clean silica sand, the answer is "YES, it will release nothing." You're on the safe side.

 

[Katharine]

Hi all,

@Katharine have a look at:

• <"Walstad revises">
• <"Aqua Noob">
• <"260 L planted tank, minimum maintenance>.

This next one is a bit of a rant, so I have to apologise to @Miss-Pepper

• <"Bedside Aquarium">

cheers Darrel

Thank you!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Do you know which compounds in what quantity and how quickly your substrate will release?
a) If you use something like your blend of soils, or, like Diana Walstad, "the soil from my garden", the answer is "NO, I don't know." Therefore you seem to be a risk-seeking person.
b) If you use clean silica sand, the answer is "YES, it will release nothing." You're on the safe side.

I'm (<"mainly">) a sand user as well.

In my case I'm less worried about <"unknown unknowns">, but I want to keep <"nutrients fairly low"> and I don't tend to do anything with the tanks (other than <"extremely limited maintenance">) once they are set-up. I'm <"not after optimal growth">.

I use plants that will are happy on <"petrol fumes">, with the exception of my floating plant, which I want to persist at low nutrient levels, but have the capacity to grow much more quickly as a response to elevated nutrients - <"The scientific background to the "Leaf Colour Chart"">.

If I wanted more bang for my buck? In a shorter term set-up? I'd probably go <"down the soil route">.

cheers Darrel

 

[_Maq_]

creating a stable eco system appeals to me, as does the lower maintenance and cost!

I don't tend to do anything with the tanks (other than <"extremely limited maintenance">)

Here we have two statements aiming at easy maintenance - the first thanks to using soil, the second thanks to not using soil. In my opinion, @dw1305 's way is correct. Sand is THE substrate for us lazy hobbyists, or more precisely, for those who are not in a hurry.

I think a great misunderstanding is prevailing among the hobbyists because they believe that the advantage of soils is that they contain a lot of nutrients, and as a result, they don't have to fertilize such tanks. Such a belief is wrong in two independent points:
1) Handling excess of nutrients requires much more effort than fertilizing nutrient-poor tank.
2) What matters is not initial reserve of nutrients but the ability of the substrate to host proper cycling of nutrients.

 

[Katharine]

Here we have two statements aiming at easy maintenance - the first thanks to using soil, the second thanks to not using soil. In my opinion, @dw1305 's way is correct. Sand is THE substrate for us lazy hobbyists, or more precisely, for those who are not in a hurry.

I think a great misunderstanding is prevailing among the hobbyists because they believe that the advantage of soils is that they contain a lot of nutrients, and as a result, they don't have to fertilize such tanks. Such a belief is wrong in two independent points:
1) Handling excess of nutrients requires much more effort than fertilizing nutrient-poor tank.
2) What matters is not initial reserve of nutrients but the ability of the substrate to host proper cycling of nutrients.

I appreciate what you're saying, and it makes a lot of sense that the soil is likely to release too many nutrients at first, so thank you for flagging that risk. I do still want to try a dirted tank however. To some extent I it seems the plants may be able to correct for an over abundance of nutrients, and if they aren't I will need to do water changes.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Sand is THE substrate for us lazy hobbyists, or more precisely, for those who are not in a hurry

That is <"definitely me">.

To some extent I it seems the plants may be able to correct for an over abundance of nutrients,

They do <"Questions about new tank">, most traditional aquarium based literature (books, LFS, most forums) grossly under-estimate just how effective plants are at reducing nutrient levels <"Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) phytoremediation references">.

and if they aren't I will need to do water changes.

I would still regard <"water changes as non-negotiable">. You don't have to change a <"large volume of water in one go">, but you definitely need to change some water.

cheers Darrel

 

[Katharine]

What I mean is do more frequent water changes to remove the excess nutrients.

 

[Malarky]

On the sand v soil question something that doesn't seem to get discussed is the structure of both in terms of encouraging root development and allowing water/air circulation. Aquasoils such as Tropica clearly have a much bigger grain structure than plain sand, particularly if that sand is fairly fine. As it happens I am planning a sand based tank but still intend to grow plants that put down significant roots, so am I better off with aquasoil topped with sand in this kind of scenario?

 

[AlecF]

Dirt and sand on top is The Third Way and I commend it to anyone.

 

[_Maq_]

the structure of both in terms of encouraging root development and allowing water/air circulation.

No water-air circulation occurs in the substrate. There's no reason, no force to make the mass flow. The only force is diffusion. It does not make moving the liquid, but the dissolved species within it according to concentration gradient. Par example, carbon dioxide moves up, while oxygen moves down.

I'd like to stress that I do not insist that pure silica sand is the best substrate imaginable. I hypothesize that silica sand with minor additions of some substances may actually work better than pure sand. Namely, I believe clean powdered clay is beneficial. For roots to attach to, for hosting bacteria, for buffering pH value, for adsorption and CEC capability. I often add some powdered ferric oxide in lower parts of the substrate. Trivalent iron serves as a nutrient stock (iron is very special in its behaviour) and a neutralizer of hydrogen sulfide spikes. In selected cases, some zeolites or peat or possibly yet other substances may prove beneficial. In general, though, they are not meant to increase the amount of nutrients, but to improve physico-chemical-biological attributes of the substrate.
Still, if none of these are used, sandy substrate quickly gets full of detritus which is perhaps the most valuable component of the substrate (together with developed microbial community inhabiting it).

Also, I do not reject commercial aquasoils. The difference between them and "the soil from my garden" is that the former are carefully blended and then extensively tested. Thousands of hobbyists use them, so the next one knows what to expect. Garden soil is unpredictable because there are at least as many soils as gardens. It may work perfectly, or it may bring a tank to collapse in no time.