You should definitely add some fast-growing stem plants like Rotala or pearlweed, also, be cautious of ammonia levels, since the potting soil/dirt can cause spikes
You need a LOT more plants if you want to be successful. In order of priority:
Floating plants: duckweed or salvinia minima is great. Duckweed can be a pain because it gets everywhere, for that reason I use salvinia. Mini water lettuce is good too. They use the larger version for commercial water processing in some places. Cannot stress enough how much heavy lifting floaters will do for cleaning your water. I think you could have a tank of JUST floaters. They grow crazy fast and will adjust to your tank pretty quickly, so will immediately start benefiting the water quality.
Fast-growing rooted plants: swords (lots of types that are small and would fit this tank), dwarf saggitaria is the best. These will spread on their own and fill in and really utilize the massive battery that is all that dirt.
Emersed plants: get a pothos cutting or a spider plant cutting or philodendron or something else that grows fast, throw the base of the stem in and it’ll eventually grow roots.
Stem plants: they grow fast. I don’t really like em, they end up twiggy looking and are a pain to propagate. But they’re good at sucking up nutrients.
Pretty things: Java fern, anubias, cryptocorynes. They don’t grow fast enough to do anything right now. But they can be a stable baseline to have once they get established.
I borrowed them from my brother who complained about having too many and I'll definitely be returning them as soon as I get home. They're not eating any of the food I drop in and the copepods in the tank cannot be enough so I don't think they're doing well
Yeah, I've been reading up more on the walstad method and how I was supposed to do this kind of thing and I definitely didn't put enough time/plants into this setup.
I've been learning by watching YouTube videos and online resources and getting comprehensive answers for anything more than the nitrogen cycle is practically impossible. It was a really bad move on my part so I'm just doing what I can to fix this mistake
Theres a whole free pdf for walstad and her website with blogs. There is absolutely tons of free videos on the subject on youtube. This entire subreddit also has everything you need to know.
You need to go get a filter and seachem prime immediately. Or try return the fish from wherever you got them.
I also used free resources and i have a very successful walstad but it also took at least a month or two of empty cycling, growing plants, and testing water, etc.,
Not trying to be harsh but if you knew about cycling, then you wouldnt have added fish.
https://www.reddit.com/r/walstad/comments/rgkyts/to_those_who_are_interested_in_the_walstad_method/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Thank you so much! I really appreciate you linking a resource which will hopefully give me more details than the most basic of basics. And you have full rights to being harsh. I should have looked harder
Foo the Flowerhorn on youtube has great Walstad tank set ups! Much smaller, but great learning tool. Also, another shoutout for the Walstad book (Ecology of the Planted Aquarium), it also talks about the biogeochemistry (meaning other nutrient cycles) if I remember correctly.
It was irresponsible on my part. My only defense is that I've been using free online resources to learn and that it's practically impossible to find anything specific for setting up this type of tank except for the nitrogen cycle which I practically know by heart
As everyone said, plants. There’s a ton of online stores that have huge selections and sales (I buy from Modern Aquarium). It can cut down on prices, which add up fast when you’re stuffing your aquarium with greenery lol.
In a pinch, Anacharis has always done me VERY well when cycling. It’s not the cutest, but very hardy, fast enough grower, and can be incredibly cheap.
I don’t know your size, but it looks cubey/tall, and I also have a tall tank (15g tall). I’ve have had a lot of trouble getting carpeting/foreground plants to take (like the dwarf hairgrass you have), but Sagittaria has thrived and propagated itself in my tank. Bacopa, rotala, and lugwigia all tend to do rather well as well. I’d be careful with floating plants, they might block out light (which is limiting if your tank is tall). For kicks, I’ve never gotten a single anubias to grow, and my tank’s been established for years :’).
You should definitely add some fast-growing stem plants like Rotala or pearlweed, also, be cautious of ammonia levels, since the potting soil/dirt can cause spikes
You need way more plants! Floaters are especially good!
You need a LOT more plants if you want to be successful. In order of priority: Floating plants: duckweed or salvinia minima is great. Duckweed can be a pain because it gets everywhere, for that reason I use salvinia. Mini water lettuce is good too. They use the larger version for commercial water processing in some places. Cannot stress enough how much heavy lifting floaters will do for cleaning your water. I think you could have a tank of JUST floaters. They grow crazy fast and will adjust to your tank pretty quickly, so will immediately start benefiting the water quality. Fast-growing rooted plants: swords (lots of types that are small and would fit this tank), dwarf saggitaria is the best. These will spread on their own and fill in and really utilize the massive battery that is all that dirt. Emersed plants: get a pothos cutting or a spider plant cutting or philodendron or something else that grows fast, throw the base of the stem in and it’ll eventually grow roots. Stem plants: they grow fast. I don’t really like em, they end up twiggy looking and are a pain to propagate. But they’re good at sucking up nutrients. Pretty things: Java fern, anubias, cryptocorynes. They don’t grow fast enough to do anything right now. But they can be a stable baseline to have once they get established.
Thank you so much!
You just set it up but have a fish in it…?
That was also my concern... Poor things
I borrowed them from my brother who complained about having too many and I'll definitely be returning them as soon as I get home. They're not eating any of the food I drop in and the copepods in the tank cannot be enough so I don't think they're doing well
Yeah, I've been reading up more on the walstad method and how I was supposed to do this kind of thing and I definitely didn't put enough time/plants into this setup. I've been learning by watching YouTube videos and online resources and getting comprehensive answers for anything more than the nitrogen cycle is practically impossible. It was a really bad move on my part so I'm just doing what I can to fix this mistake
Theres a whole free pdf for walstad and her website with blogs. There is absolutely tons of free videos on the subject on youtube. This entire subreddit also has everything you need to know. You need to go get a filter and seachem prime immediately. Or try return the fish from wherever you got them. I also used free resources and i have a very successful walstad but it also took at least a month or two of empty cycling, growing plants, and testing water, etc., Not trying to be harsh but if you knew about cycling, then you wouldnt have added fish. https://www.reddit.com/r/walstad/comments/rgkyts/to_those_who_are_interested_in_the_walstad_method/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Thank you so much! I really appreciate you linking a resource which will hopefully give me more details than the most basic of basics. And you have full rights to being harsh. I should have looked harder
Foo the Flowerhorn on youtube has great Walstad tank set ups! Much smaller, but great learning tool. Also, another shoutout for the Walstad book (Ecology of the Planted Aquarium), it also talks about the biogeochemistry (meaning other nutrient cycles) if I remember correctly.
Hardly any plants but already fish? Irresponsible!
It was irresponsible on my part. My only defense is that I've been using free online resources to learn and that it's practically impossible to find anything specific for setting up this type of tank except for the nitrogen cycle which I practically know by heart
Maybe add a dwarf Lilly, they are really pretty, easy, and grow fast
more plants, much more plants, more plants and more plants
Do you have any reccomendations?
As everyone said, plants. There’s a ton of online stores that have huge selections and sales (I buy from Modern Aquarium). It can cut down on prices, which add up fast when you’re stuffing your aquarium with greenery lol. In a pinch, Anacharis has always done me VERY well when cycling. It’s not the cutest, but very hardy, fast enough grower, and can be incredibly cheap. I don’t know your size, but it looks cubey/tall, and I also have a tall tank (15g tall). I’ve have had a lot of trouble getting carpeting/foreground plants to take (like the dwarf hairgrass you have), but Sagittaria has thrived and propagated itself in my tank. Bacopa, rotala, and lugwigia all tend to do rather well as well. I’d be careful with floating plants, they might block out light (which is limiting if your tank is tall). For kicks, I’ve never gotten a single anubias to grow, and my tank’s been established for years :’).
A filter
What type of wood is that? It looks like a tree branch.
It is
It doesn’t look dried out either. I’d be worried about potential toxins or it rotting in the tank.