Walstad method, what am I missing?

2594 Views 5 Replies 6 Participants Last post by OVT, Apr 28, 2014

sharko

Discussion Starter · Apr 28, 2014

I've been reading about the Walstad method, and I think I get the basic idea: soil, a lot of fast growing plants like water sprite and hornwort, no filter. The fast growing plants absorb ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate and reduce the need for filters or water changes.

So why do you need soil for this? Why doesn't this method work with any substrate? I would assume that soil would only benefit rooted plants, but the ones people keep naming get nutrients from the water column, right?

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mistergreen

· #2 · Apr 28, 2014

Soil provides more nutrient than ammonia/nitrogen. There are other Marcos and micro nutrients. The nutrients will leach into the water column.

I've always used a filter with a dirt tank.

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Subtletanks91

· #3 · Apr 28, 2014

Aside from that aspect. Doing water changes is necessary regardless of her method. It replenishes minerals that have been depleted in the water by fish using them and plants using them.

Doing a flirted tank without a filter is a bad idea. Can you say constant cloudiness and no water flow creating a stagnant pool of water for fish to sit in?

Idk I just don't see the real point behind waist ads method when you can create a more healthy environment for fish with a good filter, good plants fast or slow growing. A good light and substrate. IMO

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henrietta

· #4 · Apr 28, 2014

make sure to read the book itself, walstad goes into (almost excruciating) detail.

walstad tanks are closer to biotopes than say, a dutch style show-tank. some also add clay as an expansion of this idea, and I hear it also helps keep the soil in place. and if you dig down into any naturally occurring body of water, what do you find? dirt

some only use a powerhead for water circulation, some use canister/fluidized sand filters. personal preference, I think.

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jrill

· #5 · Apr 28, 2014

Subtletanks91 said:
Aside from that aspect. Doing water changes is necessary regardless of her method. It replenishes minerals that have been depleted in the water by fish using them and plants using them.

Doing a flirted tank without a filter is a bad idea. Can you say constant cloudiness and no water flow creating a stagnant pool of water for fish to sit in?

Idk I just don't see the real point behind waist ads method when you can create a more healthy environment for fish with a good filter, good plants fast or slow growing. A good light and substrate. IMO

To much wrong stated here to mess with.
I like low tech as outlined by walstead. Having said that, skip the book and do research online here and elsewhere. Very little of the book is directly helpful to the average hobbies IMO. Much if it is too technical for most.

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OVT

· #6 · Apr 28, 2014

Almost 1 year with a total of 3 WC, no heater, no filter, no algae, and crystal clear water. One of my 3 same filterless set-ups http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=3721737. The 4th one at 5g is only a month old. Trying is believing.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=3644897

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=5508266

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=5587305

v3

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