sirval
Xiphophorus
seller
Posts: 18
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Post by sirval on Sept 13, 2012 23:11:00 GMT 11
Just wondering if anyone has read this book. If so have you found it useful. Would you recommend it?
Cheers!
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Post by petem8 on Feb 20, 2013 15:25:40 GMT 11
I have a copy. It's definitely worthwhile if you're thinking of going down the NPT route. Very heavy on the chemistry, I found myself looking for my uni textbooks once or twice but I don't think you really need an advanced knowledge of chemistry to get a lot out of the book. So, yeah, I'd recommend it if you're going to set up a Walstad tank.
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Post by bardus71 on May 5, 2013 23:15:26 GMT 11
Hey sirval & all, I started off with a NPT/Walstad tank & it (and the book) have influenced my whole perpective on what a fish tank is, and what is a desirable goal to reach. IMO, the ideals behind a Walstad tank are about as wholistic as it comes, that you are (in the words of a good friend) building an ecology, not an enclosure. All things should be in balance. The bioload feeds the plants, the plants filter the water, and a balance is achieved to the point that some tanks do not need a water change for 6 months. It's a different mindset, like you are brewing up a fine distillery, and that the water becomes richer as the tank matures and gets older. I haven't been on the forum here for a while, but happy to encourage anyone to try out this style of tank. Here are a few pics of mine during its 12 months of operation.
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Post by bardus71 on May 6, 2013 11:17:53 GMT 11
Here is an intro I did for a few vids that explained the Walstad style that began with the book Ecology of the Planted Aquarium from another forum: It was a single look at a planted tank by the guru Takashi Amano that drew me into the hobby 2 years ago, but after researching, I went with the low tech Walstad approach, which worked out quite successfully in my first tank. The appeal was the low intervention/ low maintenence, and that to reach an equilibrium in the tank, less intervention meant a more stable environment and as close to a self contained ecosystem as you will get given that the plant growth and the fish waste balanced each other out. It also meant less water changes. The Walstad approach is probably best known for its use of potting mix as a substrate. Why? The answers will be explained in the videos below. I diverged from the minimal equipment ideal to stock more fish, but overall, I appreciated the notions behind this approach and found that it was popular amongst enthusiasts, though still a minority amongst planted tanks in favour of high tech aquascaping. I have just recently stumbled across these vids below, & thought I would share as a resource. I still find the typical Walstad tank to be quite plain to look at, but the pics of my tank above I thought showed that they can be complex and atmospheric as well. Here are 4 Youtube vids explaining the Walstad approach from the book "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium" by Diana Walstad. www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5A63461AF82A5DDBAnd 10 Youtube vids of the same guy setting up his own 4" Walstad tank. www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB5C76573058BEBC0The pics of my tank from this how-to journal www.aquariumlife.com.au/showthread.php/33860-4-Walstad-Low-Tech-Journal-End-of-an-era?highlight=
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Post by bardus71 on May 6, 2013 11:50:33 GMT 11
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Post by joller on May 6, 2013 19:00:45 GMT 11
i just did my first water change in my 200L heavily planted invert tank in about 4 months, only because i wanted to move the tank, hopefully the water change didn't kill my macroscopic stuff
snails cyclops + other small things non-parasitic leeches cherry shrimp glass shrimp black worms
yewww!! thinking of adding ottos and maybe some dwarf cichlids, and just watch them raise they're own young without any need for special foods
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Post by bardus71 on May 6, 2013 21:45:41 GMT 11
Nice dude! I can imagine watching a tank like that for hours, probably have to sit with your eyes almost up against the glass so that you feel totally immersed, and then watching for microscopic movement. Start a thread on this tank Joel. Would love to hear about a micro-invert NPT!
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Post by fisshy on May 7, 2013 20:21:13 GMT 11
hey bardius an joller ..... one thing i would like to ask you guys is what type of filters your using an what lighting to help us out..
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Post by bardus71 on May 7, 2013 21:41:12 GMT 11
Hey fisshy, on the 4' tank above I added an Eheim 2215, and the lighting was twin T8's. The filter was because I wanted to house more than 50 fish. If following the Walstad ideal, it would have been lightly stocked, and less need for filtration.
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Post by Admin on May 8, 2013 2:18:35 GMT 11
Tried wasted, found the plant growth to be unnatural and somewhat stunted. Uni for horticulture so aquatic hort was a natural step. Wc need to be made and plants flourish. There were some good arguments for her tanks in the book but in a real life situation like every plant, you grow for its requirements. Aquatic hort 101 with alot of BS thrown in for the argument is my opinion and I have grown and cloned plants like Eriios in the lab. ALLlants have a guide line of growth requirements and to lump them all int categories is a bit daft.
On a final note SOIL is not a natural substrate... Clays to a degree with varying parts of organic mater are. Plants of a region sometimes grow in the gravel sometimes in the heavy clay substrate.
Best course is to research as much as you can and grow like types of plants.
Eg.
Heavy clay, silt, and stones and top water etc etc. a combination can be achieved without too much $ involved and a somewhat real ecosystem can be grown.
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Post by joller on May 8, 2013 19:24:46 GMT 11
xy380's and a 150W marine light i got from crebo, since i put the marine light on its growing quicker, i think its on for about 7 hours a day i really want daphnia though!!! luckily the wc didnt kill anything, i'm set for the next 6 months
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Post by bardus71 on May 11, 2013 21:23:44 GMT 11
Admin, I think you're right that not too many aquatic environments look like potting mix in real life! The point I think is it simulates the whole decomposition of organic matter process, & provides a steady source of nutrients and CO2 for plant growth under low light conditions. Certainly not suitable to grow any and every plant. It worked for me anyways. Here is another DIY substrate that might appeal to you. It is more clay based and is proving popular on the Aquariumlife forum. www.aquariumlife.com.au/showthread.php/30650-Cheap-Sand-based-CO2-Generating-Sub2Toned's Cheap Sand-based CO2 Generating Sub: "Here's a recipe I've been using for 4-5yrs for a low cost, long life substrate that suits just about everything I've grown. Propagating Sand (Bunnings $4.95 a bag) Marble Chips/Oyster Shells Blood & Bone Laterite (optional, as the sand has a lot of clay in it) Peat Moss (optional) Cover the base with 1-1.5cm unwashed propagating sand - straight from bag, heaps of clay Sprinkle marble chips - 1 x handful per 30cm square Sprinkle blood & bone - 1 x dessert spoonful per 30cm sq Sprinkle laterite - 1/2 x handful per 30cm sq or lay cut and dried potters clay Cover the lot with 3-4cm well washed propagating sand, don't want all that clay in the water column! Cover with cling wrap and fill to desired level to work with plants. The propagating sand is full of minerals and a fair bit of clay... that's why you can get away without using laterite. Coupled with the B&B for N & Ca, the gross feeding plants love it. The marble chips help maintain ph balance, which is needed for efficient nutrient uptake, and provide an ongoing Ca source. It also acts as the carbon reserve, supplying CO2 as it dissolves. Oyster and other mollusk shells do the same and are the building blocks of aragonite. The sand is fine grained for a substrate, which keeps all the crap from leaching into the water column. But it really encourages micro-organisms, worms, etc... and I find that the spiral (Malaysian) snails keep it really well aerated - not to mention the Corys rooting around. In three years I've never had a problem with fouling or gas build up. I've tried adding a fine layer of peat, but haven't noticed an appreciable difference either way. The substrate in my shrimp tank is full of tubifex, which aerate it constantly and transfer nutrients up and down through it. My CRS/CBS seem to love the free treats they deliver. Give it a go - even in an experimental tank." Here's a bit of aqua chemistry on how this substrate might work. OR
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