My Walstad Experience

[@4453cloe]

Father fish and Alexander Williamson have a wealth of knowledge on the planted tanks

[@Erick-th5uh]

Wow is awesome, father fish taught me how to do it, now I have 3 NATURAL AND BALANCED tanks😅 and babys fish all my tanks !!!!bettas, platys, guppy’s

[@yermailmain206]

I like your style. To the point and such a nice organic tank🥰🐠🐡 CORY GANG GANG‼️‼️‼️‼️

[@kinglyzard]

21:20 Keeping your water level a few inches from the top of the tank allows for some stem plants to grow some leaves above the surface of the water. In this ,the plant decreases nitrates more efficiently. Plus, a lower water level is good for Anabantoids like Bettas and Gouramis, awa other air breathing fish. NTM Mystery Snails

[@andrewgoldfish]

Thanks for sharing your experience, I did something similar ten years ago, but with some modifications to keep goldfish. No tiny rooting plants for me.

[@Greenfig85]

Good job, happy fish keeping. Love the music selection, any chance you might be able to advise what music you used.

[@comando8919]

I’m going to try this today it’s been a while I’ve seen this kind of set up 😊

[@SilkMilkJilk]

coming from a gecko/ frog vivarium background the walstad/ dirted tank/ father fish way of doing aquariums was very interesting to me aswell. I am now 13 months in, no water change, only refills after evaporation. chili rasboras look very healthy, bright red. edit: chilis dont seem to mind cold water, at least for me, but they seem more finicky transitioning. the ones that died for me, died couple days after introducing aswell. the others just dont care. no heater, in the kitchen. so surely not as warm as living room. my s.repens look sad aswell^^ ive been told they like an extra kick of iron supplementation, but cant confirm since I didnt do anything about it.

[@jdstilson]

Well done with getting the chili rasboras acclimated! From one chili rasbora keeper to another, if you buy more you will lose less of them using a heater, they are a particularly sensitive species with cold temperatures and much more prone to cold shock, I lost a good-sized group of them to cold despite a temp acclimation.

[@SilkMilkJilk]

@@jdstilson cheers mate! thank you and yes, now purchased some during the kinda hot days and everything went very smooth, zero casualties. Now having 15 chilis and 4 otocinclus. what I can tell is that most internet sources say at least 6 chilis, I'd say at least 12+ since there is a noticable change in behaviour.

[@animegod1714]

​@@SilkMilkJilkcan you post a video of your chilis

[@TimeFactor_Entertainment]

Yeah walstad fans 🙂, try with litle bit sun light, i did mini pond walstad method, no filter, no aeration, no skimmer, no tool at all. Its been 8 months and tremendous. Im using aquascape plants, small amount fish, i feed twice a week only, cleaning crews, never ever did water change, just add water only if water decrease 😊

[@jamesclough2638]

I agree. Get a heater. Good job

[@jeshely]

I saw an Interview recently with Walstad and ever her uses heaters in the Winter in her Bowls.

[@paulplantu]

Your tank looks awesome! The commentary and music of this vid are so chill. One thing I do is have a plastic trash can that captures rain water off the roof. I use that to top off the tank so I don’t have to treat tap water. Have dogs and a kid too this method is beyond easy!

[@aquaticOdyssey]

Well thank you so much! Good to hear as thats what I was going for. That’s a cool idea. It doesn’t rain so much here in Utah, but now definitely curious as to how closely the rain and tap water parameters match.

[@THandP_org]

@@aquaticOdyssey they don't, too many minerals in the aquifer water, rain water has zero buffer. I quit doing water changes due to living in the high desert of NM and it's irresponsible to waste water on water changes. No heaters in my tanks, but I do run sponge filters in my breeding tanks. I do recommend gathering leaf litter from whatever you have near, to increase the microfauna in your tank. As things decompose, they renew your substrate while feeding the microfauna that feed your fish. I have wood, pine cones, magnolia seed pods, and oak leaves that I add to my outdoor pond and my indoor Walstad tanks, as well as my breeding tanks. Floating plants are key to preventing ammonia (which breaks down to nitrites with nitrifying bacteria, and then bacteria turns into nitrates) since the roots can utilize ammonia easier than nitrites or nitrates.😊 Welcome to the old school way of keeping aquatic vivariums! Long before Dr Walstad wrote The Ecology of the Planted Tank, Germans had spent over 200 years replicating nature in their "glass boxes". You have done an amazing job!

[@4453cloe]

Beautiful tank! What size is it?

[@LushSaltyAquariums]

I've been to that fish store in SF - many times! I believe that they (he) really never does water changes. It's a very messy and organic store and so are the tanks. Actually, I bought many fish from him as well. PS: your tank looks great!

[@aquaticOdyssey]

That's awesome. To me it almost seems kind of romantic in a sense, the organic-ness. thanks!

[@LushSaltyAquariums]

@@aquaticOdyssey Very much so. A beautiful mess :)

[@ravenpawthewarrior9033]

you've done well with your tank so far. I've got a 2.5 gallon tack that I set up in January and it done well, it's currently home to my betta Madara. I've also got a 14 gallon in its early cycling phase, not yet ready for live stock tho, except for the bladder snails that came from the 2.5 gallon. my 14 has a heater and is kept at 78F as I will be keeping tropical fish species in it. there is also a small pump to keep temperature equal throughout the tank. if all goes well my betta will move in in May.

[@aquaticOdyssey]

That sounds awesome. Best of luck to you and Madara on the move and acclimation.

[@kdr1048]

Nice job, tank is excellent! Subbed

[@phxfish3051]

You're running a high end light so you shouldn't have a problem growing most plants in the hobby. Get rid of the siesta and run your light 10 hours. I run mine 12 with no algae. Your plants are leggy because they are reaching for the light. Great video

[@aquaticOdyssey]

Thanks for the tip. I've never considered ditching the siesta so that'll be interesting to watch.

[@YesterdayTodayandTomorrow]

Nice video!

[@billlansdell7225]

I bought two Zebra nerite snails - Still going strong. I bought two more, this time Onion Nerites. Neither have moved more than an inch in months. I presume they are dead, but hard to tell as both their doors are sealed. Bought five more Horned Nerites. As far as I can tell, there are three left. As for plants, I have killed quite a few "easy" plants, but generally, if I am not in there ripping stuff out at least once a week, there is little room for the fish. I put this down to having a cold water tank. Some thrive, others die. I too decided to get a heater for next winter, just to raise the temperature a couple of degrees. I have suspicions that many fish can tolerate much colder temperatures that we credit them.... but it was a long winter and months at 66*f might be a bit much for some.

[@aquaticOdyssey]

Yes I had the same experience with Nerites, one of the original 3 didn't move much right out of the gate. Of course there is a very easy way for you to tell if they are alive or not. Bring them out of the water and up to your nose, if they are dead, hope you have a strong gag reflex, if they are alive they wont smell like anything. I'd echo your temperature sentiment. It'll be interesting to see how things play out moving into summer. Thinking back to last year I believe my tank hovered around 70, the stocking and plants are now completely different. That result will probably be my deterring factor for getting it heated over next winter. Thanks for the comments!

[@Gabriel-qh5yv]

It is awesome 😉

[@McbrydeWithaY]

Thank you!

[@juancastaner2576]

Awesome video. I would add a shell to add calcium and buffer the water. Hygger makes a small WaveMaker that sells for about 60$ to help out that bamboo shrimp overtime it can damage his filter feeding arms on the bamboo shrimp. Good luck!

[@robw1927]

just curious. so far all walstad tanks look like murky river scenes. are they all like this? can it grow like dutch style or amano tanks?

[@francesdumaliang6132]

I suggest feed (tiny tiny amount of live food ONLY)…ONCE every week or every two weeks. And most importantly, buy microfauna and macrofauna from an online store and put it in your aquarium so eventually you don’t have to feed the fish by hand. Let the tank with all its microorganisms feed itself.

[@MiguelLopes-f4w]

microfauna and macrofauna can you recommend? thanks

[@jimmied2838]

​@@MiguelLopes-f4wif u buy live plants from a local fish store that are in tanks (not prepackaged) they will already have macrofauna on them. I put moss in a five gallon bucket of old tank water in a few days it's loaded with a variety of little critters for your fish.

[@tanyaroberson9629]

Crypt wendii would be a good plant to try in your tank. Its very low light and would grow in the shadow areas. But it probably needs temps 70 or above.

[@aquaticOdyssey]

Oh i'll definitely look into it. I think that will work nicely with my plan to introduce a heater in order to add a honey gourami or female betta. Thanks!

[@jonnybravo420]

Shouldn't put clean up in first, they should be after you actually have fish to clean up after.

[@TechNAquatic]

can we add cheap filter just for making water movement? i cant find that book on my local.

[@aquaticOdyssey]

Yeah I think that falls under what would be "allowed". I searched the book, she explains that water movement can be helpful at around 1cm/sec. anything more and photosynthesis is inhibited. I think most walstad-ers would take the filter media out and call it good.

[@introtwerp]

​@@aquaticOdysseywhy remove the filter media

[@aquaticOdyssey]

@@introtwerp I guess you could keep it in. But never change it. It’s to keep all the beneficial bacteria that builds up in it.

[@Isaac-ul8yz]

what are those plants on the right? it almost looks like a bamboo forest

[@spit-fire]

About the nitrite snails: yeah I agree with ur assumption about not enough food. Ive found they love wood. If you add some with lots of surface area.

[@kinglyzard]

Nerites do love the wood!! And they clear the algae from my 65g brackish tank. They'll breed in brackish, too, if the Figure 8 Puffer doesn't eat the eggs!

[@henryrooyakkers8510]

It's looks nice but the ground looks dirty ? Is that normal ?

[@harenthiran]

That is how the Walstad method works

[@FalconMe]

I heard lead weights can contaminate the water. No issues?

[@aquaticOdyssey]

From what I've found, they are totally safe to use in freshwater aquariums. I think issues are present when lead is put into salt or brackish tanks.

[@flygande_ren]

​@@aquaticOdysseyLead is a problem in acidic water environments. Most weights are Zinc & other metals. Lead has been phased out in many areas due to environmental health. Waterfowl consume them & absorb the lead from the acidic stomach/proventriculus into the bloodstream. I'd run a heater as well, even if it doesn't come on that often. Tap h2o & tank dechlor conditioner should be fine. Some prefer RO. I never recommend distilled. Really nice seeing someone invest the time, reading & observations needed to run a Walstad tank. Thanks for the video. Subbed.

[@nathanrupley]

What species of rainbow fish are those?

[@aquaticOdyssey]

Red Neon Blue Eye Rainbowfish! pseudomugil luminatus

[@nathanrupley]

@@aquaticOdyssey Nice. They a beautiful

[@DelkaSable]

Don't worry about disappearing shrimps. They simply ascend to a higher body-less pure energy form of being.

[@rldickie]

The shrimp and snails need a certain amount of calcium to produce healthy shells and exoskeletons. Probably other minerals as well.

[@darshan-akt8]

What’s that red rainbow fish called?

[@aquaticOdyssey]

pseudomugil luminatus. Red Neon Blue Eye Rainbowfish

[@darshan-akt8]

@@aquaticOdyssey cool!! I am planning to buy Gertrude ones in the future, trying to establish my walstad tank for them. your work is very helpful!!

[@aquaticOdyssey]

@@darshan-akt8 Well thanks, I appreciate that. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have. I'll be sure to respond.

[@endveagony]

what is the music name?

[@64simon]

Calcium /shrimp snails ?

[@Nitidus]

Amano shrimps grow up to 5 cm and are very active. To keep them indefinitely they need an aquarium of at least 60 liters or otherwise they can become aggressive. Hillstream loaches stem from fast flowing, incredibly oxygen-rich rivers. They require significant flow, pristinely clean water (that you get from good filtration, which isn't preseng here) and a tank of at least 80 cm in length. I can't derive from the video how long that tank is but those fish need A LOT of swimming space where they can work against the flow. It becomes apparent very quickly that you did not do due diligence before commiting to caring for these animals. Reading ONE book from a questionable person is not enough. And if the species you buy aren't even mentioned in there, it's an obvious no-brainer. Your animals died because of inadequate care and because you were too lazy to do the necessary minimum research before taking on the responsibility of keeping them alive. Honey gouramis are better suited for such a tank because they can substitute by breathing air (which they need access to!). They still need a tank of at least 60 cm in length because the male gets very aggressive after the female laid eggs and in protecting the nest, he will kill anything that can't flee far enough, including the female and other fish. It always saddens me to see the egregious lack of education and the widespread incompetence in the American fishkeeping scene. Animal welfare standards are horrifyingly low in North America. It becomws apparent in the comment section as well - I do realize nobody here has bad intentions, but a lot of advice is sumply wrong and even some good tips are explained in a way that shows a significant lack of basic knowledge on the commenter's side. Animals that you can just "set and forget" don't exist. If you want a pet in which you don't have to invest a significant amount of time into to educate yourself, don't get a pet at all. The fishkeeping hobby much more so than others is about learning. Almost all species have slightly different needs and tailoring an aquarium to fit your specific mix is a big part of the fun. But it requires a lot of reading, comparing etc. There is way too much completely outdated knowledge floating around in the fishkeeping hobby. We now know that fish have much higher standards than what we acknowledged 20 years ago. For example, you can't keep fish in a tank of

[@Nomadistar]

New sub here. This is almost a 30 minute vid & I am gonna do my best to not make this an essay read...That being said, I'll do my deep dive in my own experience. I recently got back in the hobby (March 1st) I bought a 20g hex & it is struggling with plants. About 2 weeks after, I bought a 29g to get my african butterfly fish (2 of them) etc, out of my 20g. (my alien male beta was getting fin-nipped). I set the two tanks up a bit different & my 29 is growing plants like there is no tomorrow. My plants in my 20g are withering away. I will leave it at that, unless you want to have a brief convo about my experience with my 2 tanks thus far. Point of my comment? We may be able to bounce some stuff off each other & get it honed it a bit more. I run my lights almost 12 hrs and can't get that much algae @.@

[@aquaticOdyssey]

Thank you for the sub! Oh interesting choice for a 20. Don't see many hexes for planted setups. Yeah i'm always down to compare and contrast experiences and setups. Without knowing anything else about your hex, if those lights are on 12 hours, maybe that's too much? The plants could be depleting the co2 that they need for growth. But then again I don't know how it's any different from the 29g that is thriving. haha Thanks for sharing!

[@Nomadistar]

@@aquaticOdyssey Thank you! Yeah, it was kinda by accident. I wanted the biggest tank I could have on my desk and still have room for my keyboard and all that. I set my tanks up before I really started watching Father Fish (I see he is here in the comments) Highly recommend. My 20 is my shrimp tank with crushed coral & gravel . (almost all the plants were in the plastic tubes when I bought them) so I think that is part of the issue on them trying to convert. Last water change I did seem to mess them up some, but that is another story. The 29 has argonite sand in it and many of the plants were already in the plant tank at the store & for whatever reason they are just loving the sand (so much new growth that some are almost to the top of the tank. I also have crazy algae growing in there as well. It's funny, I wanted the algae for my shrimp tank & most of the algae it has is on the glass. Anyway, this is already another long comment, so thanks for getting back to me & have a good one!

[@ramsarva8479]

A pair of Honey Gourami would better than a Betta. They are more peacefull and needs no heater..

[@fatrat6929]

Looks to me like don`t know what you`re doing lol First check your water parameters and try you adjust for the creatures you want to keep . For example shrimps need the specific water parameters ( temp , PH , GH , KH, no ammonia , nitrites and nitrates )

[@aquaticOdyssey]

Oh I definitely don't actually know what I'm doing. That's why I'm always sure to refer to what this is as an experiment. One thing I do know is that my parameters have consistently been ideal where it counts. Neutral ph, and 0's everywhere else. I'll be looking at temp next in the case anything else happens.

[@kinglyzard]

6:52 Why do you use tap water to top off your tank?? You're making your water harder and harder with each topoff. Minerals don't evaporate!! Top off with RO water or at least distilled water and avoid both the use of conditioner and the addition of additional minerals to your water.

[@aquaticOdyssey]

Wow, I'm kinda embarrassed to to say I hadn't really realized this. A good point. Maybe that could be the cause for some of my losses?

[@kinglyzard]

@Aquatic Odyssey I learned it the hard way with salt water when we were growing up. Whenever the tank got low, we'd motor out to the Gulf Stream and get fresh ocean water to replace it with. You can just imagine the briny mess we ended up with! That and a lot of dead fish. 😞

[@aquaticOdyssey]

@@kinglyzard Man, it's too bad the hard way is usually the best way to learn. That's heartbreaking. Well good looking out and thanks for the comments and insight!

[@thomascrohan7810]

Won’t the plants consume those minerals?

[@McbrydeWithaY]

@@thomascrohan7810 Indeed they will. The fish poop and fish food act as fertilizer to stave off the rate of consumption. I would imagine that at some point either the plants will die, or you would have to use root tabs

[@dirtywhitellama]

The background music sounded like some kind of alarm and drove me nuts, I couldn't finish watching the video.

[@aquaticOdyssey]

I appreciate the effort.

[@jamesyoung3006]

Not for me, all plants and few small fish. This method does not work for larger fish especially predators.

[@ChristopherLecky]

Funny how a low tech tank requires the most scientific knowledge where as the high tech tank just required that you measure and amend regularly,,,,,! low tech seems to be about asking the correct questions why and gaining an in-depth understanding of the processes at play where as high tech seems to measure to assess the requirements to amend chemically.....! how to fix a fluctuation in PH vs how to avoid it.....!

[@DEXTER-TV-series]

25 minutes of music in background - do you really think that it is enjoyable ???.

[@aquaticOdyssey]

I do! Thanks for the comment.

[@WhatIsMisophonia]

Ok, pet peeve time, but let's call it "constructive criticism" so it'll feel less bitchy... Can more freaking youtubers have some modicum of professionalism and stop making their videos in one big long lazyass take, sounding like they just sort of rolled out of bed with a bad hangover one day and decided "I guess I'll make a video" without even rehearsing it? My time is as valuable to me as yours is to you, and I don't like trying to glean tidbits of wisdom from watching so many long ass videos that could have been 5 minutes. I'm not asking you to be Ben Shapiro on crack and bath salts here, but I tried cranking this up to 2x speed, and all the long pauses were still ridiculous, and I have freaking ADD for god's sake (the opposite of the hyperactive kind, where people think I'm high af because I'm so laid back with brain fog and no energy).

[@aquaticOdyssey]

Nah, still sounds bitchy. I don't need professionalism, I make these videos for myself. If someone gets anything out of them, then great, if not, I couldn't care less. You can find your ADD catered content somewhere else, no hard feelings.

[@jessl1934]

What you can do is download this video and spend a few hours in post-production software trimming out all of the dead air and editing out the details that you find irrelevant. Then you can have a nice, snappy 10 minute video that is perfectly catered to your taste. It's as simple as that! 🥰