I am very tempted. I'd like to have it in a very sunny room and wonder if this might be the way to go.
I'm about to start a 10 gallon... SHOULD I GO WALSTAD?
- Thread starter mellowvision
- Start date
Its not a bad idea to try as long as you don't get your hopes up and don't get too frustrated with problems. Start with easy plants. Does that window get good sun all year round?
My 10g I use to let my cherry shrimp do it and make more, but I also use it to grow moss walls, moss bushes clipped stem plants and store plants that I want to trade. This tank was low tech with a regular fluorescent fixture that I turned on when ever I didn't forget. But it was in a window. Plants grew FAST and rooted quick. I never cleaned the glass bc there was no algae, and I never vacuumed the gravel bc there was baby shrimp in there. water change every couple of weeks, a hob filter with just 1 piece of floss no carbon or anything.
Walstad works, but keep it low tech. No ferts, no excessive light and no co2 or excel.
Use that if it helps.
My 10g I use to let my cherry shrimp do it and make more, but I also use it to grow moss walls, moss bushes clipped stem plants and store plants that I want to trade. This tank was low tech with a regular fluorescent fixture that I turned on when ever I didn't forget. But it was in a window. Plants grew FAST and rooted quick. I never cleaned the glass bc there was no algae, and I never vacuumed the gravel bc there was baby shrimp in there. water change every couple of weeks, a hob filter with just 1 piece of floss no carbon or anything.
Walstad works, but keep it low tech. No ferts, no excessive light and no co2 or excel.
Use that if it helps.
MAke sure to add regular soil to the bottom of the tank, not a premix potting soil as they often have decomposed organics and ferts in them, plus that silly vermiculite.
go to aquatic plant central..they hav a forum topic El Natural
you can learn a lot from there Dwalstad posts there and I'm sure can answer your questions.
I didn't set mine up exactly like her suggestions..but the tank does very well. and it is one of the tanks I have the least problems with .
you can learn a lot from there Dwalstad posts there and I'm sure can answer your questions.
I didn't set mine up exactly like her suggestions..but the tank does very well. and it is one of the tanks I have the least problems with .
Why not? If it fails miserably buy lights, ferts, CO2. If it goes well, you save $$ but have to worry about "hitting the wall" - what may happen if a critical nutrient gets depleted...
I've got a N facing window at work and have a 1g RCS tank w/ a 4W night light bulb supplementing light/ambient heat. It has java moss in it, just started growing a bunch of hair algae. I only add a few drops of my fert mix to it per week, 50% PWC weekly.
I also have a few snails in it. I feed an occasional flake & algae wafer (more often). I have a couple of well berried females, but I lost a big, nicely colored female this week. I think she got tangled up in the heir algae
I've got a N facing window at work and have a 1g RCS tank w/ a 4W night light bulb supplementing light/ambient heat. It has java moss in it, just started growing a bunch of hair algae. I only add a few drops of my fert mix to it per week, 50% PWC weekly.
I also have a few snails in it. I feed an occasional flake & algae wafer (more often). I have a couple of well berried females, but I lost a big, nicely colored female this week. I think she got tangled up in the heir algae
I haven't gotten a copy of her book yet no...
I already ordered lights and bought eco-complete... so I can go either way..
one concern is the winter. the window I would use gets pretty cold, AND is directly above the hottest radiator in my house, so the temperature may fluxuate during winter months. I'm not sure if a heater would do the trick or not.
I already ordered lights and bought eco-complete... so I can go either way..
one concern is the winter. the window I would use gets pretty cold, AND is directly above the hottest radiator in my house, so the temperature may fluxuate during winter months. I'm not sure if a heater would do the trick or not.
if you get a good heater it should keep up with the cold. there are things you can do to make it cool down. have you got the 10 gal yet? thought about a 20 gal long? more water will give you a more stable tank.