No CO2, No Fertz, No Filter, No Water Change

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

I showed the transition from water changes as required in the Walstad Method to NO WATER CHANGES Gradually the aquarium went from the Walstad Method to a Low Tech Aquarium. I use ONLY A LIGHT !!! No filter, no pumps, no ,,,, I have several videos where I explained in detail the problems, solutions and transformations !!!

[@tracyshort3487]

Where is your list of plants? I am trying aquascaping and you have some beautiful plants ☺️

[@edenisburning]

Do you think it might be a combination of CO2, methane, and Hydrogen being released from the substrate? That's my guess. If it doesn't harm the "wildlife," then it's likely a combination of the gasses I listed.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

@@tracyshort3487please check description video

[@destryl1076]

No description of plants where? Where? Where?​@@walstadmethodstepbystep

[@lul.t.6831]

@@walstadmethodstepbystep I get a lot of water evaporation in the climate I’m in, any chance not to need to keep adding water in that case?

[@chatkins100]

Not sure why this came up in the YT algorithm but Im glad it did

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

maybe it was time ...

[@LeperMessiah2]

Same, I only have reptile channels on this account

[@chatkins100]

@@LeperMessiah2 I only watch true crime and cleaning channels 😆

[@LeperMessiah2]

@@chatkins100 😂

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

@@LeperMessiah2 🐍

[@sercanalnca1962]

Not freaking soundtrack, not delayed explaining and talking not wasting our time. This video has pure knowledge. Thanks for it.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Thank you

[@TheKorbicz]

What more I find this film and author's voice calming and relaxing. 30 minutes passed like it was 5. Great job!

[@sercanalnca1962]

@TheKorbicz i agree with you. Bunch of aquascaper talk like ımmm ooouu and use free background music. After that why all those people not watch us. Thats why. This channel gives a lot info and do it like an asmr.

[@nbkarkat]

​@@TheKorbiczit's not a human talking, it's AI text to speech

[@nbkarkat]

i actually struggle to understand what's being said because of how uncanny the inflections of each sentence are, and how disjointed some parts feel.

[@HansVanIngelgom]

I watched the entire video glued to the screen and I'm not even into aquariums! Thank you for your effort. People should be more aware that presentations where you say "this is what I have done and these are my findings" can produce very interesting content. No need to be the expert, just explain it in a modest way and it will sprout discussions and ideas.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@T-bone6o]

DIDO'S HERE. THANK YOU

[@accry]

This is probably one of the best aquarium videos because its so peaceful

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you ♥

[@Ghibliite]

Nope, it's a total bore.

[@KumbalanTv]

We got Optimus Prime making Aquarium before GTA 6 😂😂😂

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

:))) my child loves Optimus Prime and Transformers

[@outdoor75]

Yeah I couldn't pick the voice till I saw your comment! Definitely s autobot

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

@@outdoor75 🤖 its text to speech try.elevenlabs.io/g9ou32xzef0a

[@SpringHeeLJaK89]

Back in my day it was Half Life 3.

[@JM-mg4el]

​@SpringHeeLJaK89 it's so weird to see all the children use gta 6...

[@padmakumar3803]

Felt like a documentary 😊

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

oh, thank you

[@ElizabethChrisLeungPham]

I highly recommend adding something that will cause the water surface to "move". Something like air stone, or angling the pump to hit the water surface. The benefit to water surface movement is to improve gas exchange between air and water. All your aquatic animals and plants will greatly appreciate it!

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you

[@PiClaudius]

I agree. I did a very similar tank few years ago (even my water hardness is the same!) and found that adding a small sponge filter just to move the water improved much the life of the aquarium. The nasty film that forms on the surface disappeared. Moreover, I used air driven sponge filter (but I suspect that an air stone is enough) because any small mechanical water pump can kill shrimplets: this can be why the shrimps started reproducing after you removed the pump. If you go back in the movie, BEFORE you removed the pump ther were shrimps with eggs, they were reproducing, but the shrimplets did not survive long enough.

[@ElizabethChrisLeungPham]

@@PiClaudius oh yeah, that's a good observation with the pump killing the baby shrimps. Might need some filter sponge at the inlet to prevent small fry/shrimp getting sucked in

[@MayYourGodGoWithYou]

@@ElizabethChrisLeungPham Another KZbinr just puts a net over the intake to the water pump, I've seen someone else put gauze over the intake as well just to stop the babies getting sucked in.

[@kevinchamberlain7928]

Nah, leave it!

[@victorquadros1428]

A few things: 1) Since you tested your tap water and found that it was high in phosphates, this is the likely reason why algal blooms were common after water changes (and why they slowed after you let the tank sit for a while). Presumably, with water changes, you were removing algae and plants, therefore there was not only space for the algae to grow, but less competition for phosphate in the water column. 2) The gas bubbles you saw were a mix of various gases produced by anaerobic microbes. For some reason, people in the freshwater community are terrified of the prospect of anoxic zones in soil (which are oxygen poor and allow anaerobic microbes to grow), but in reality, they are highly beneficial to the overall nitrogen cycle in the tank. Reef keepers (such as myself) try to make anoxic zones in the substrate as denitrifying bacteria can grow within those zones. These bacteria are responsible for breaking down nitrates, nitrites, and/or ammonia back into gaseous nitrogen, which escapes back into the atmosphere out of your tank. Since those bubbles didn’t smell, you probably just have some denitrifying bacteria helping you remove excess nitrogen in the tank. I have many freshwater tanks and have never had an issue with anoxic zones; the bubbles are usually a good sign, as it means your substrate is helping you filter your tank. 3) Hydrogen sulfide, which is produced by sulfate reducing bacteria, is also really easy to mitigate as a single air stone placed into a tank can provide enough air exchange to both remove the hydrogen sulfide from the tank and cause it to decompose into less harmful compounds. Humans are super sensitive to the smell of hydrogen sulfide, so really small amounts are super noticeable (mind you, amounts that are far below the lethal amount for most living organisms). The air stone would have the added benefit of agitating the surface of the water and removing that biofilm that appears on the surface of the water.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you for the information provided

[@SininStyle]

The biggest reasons for the paranoia about anaerobic conditions is fish shops like petsmart and petco. Not sure walmart would even know what it is. They say the terms to sound educated, then sell you things to prevent it from happening. Imagine my shock when I was told my PH was to high because anaerobic conditions in my sand. I was then offered PH down to solve it. I mean this alone is crazy. So I didn't have the heart to tell him I was keeping Mbuna cichlids in the water I had tested. I had asked for results, not advice, but there I was with a bottle in my hand of PH Down to solve all my issues.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

@@SininStyle ❤

[@Darren-bz7bn]

@@walstadmethodstepbystep pH ,is a tolerance level,and depending on your setup ,so if pH is high and you need correct it , natural , the plants need c02 , to bring it down, don't use any bubble's,,and keep the filter mid tank,

[@Darren-bz7bn]

Only lite it for 4-6 , hours

[@GrumpyScott]

Man, the combination of the gentle music, soft explanation and footage of little creatures floating around is so relaxing. It helped me fall asleep when I'm suffering from insomnia. Love it.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you ❤

[@g3aura679]

I never had a aquarium, never wanted to have a aquarium. But I watched the full video, every second glued to the screen. A nice background music, excelent explaining and comunication, the details u caught on camera. Everything amazing. Nice job buddy, love ur content

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

So nice of you

[@DerpingtonMcDerp]

As a person who owns a low tech tank full of plants and moss, I added more dead leaves in my tank those are the nutrients for the other plants and micro organisms. My substrate is a bit different from yours, from the bottom its small lava rocks then mud/clay soil (usually used for lotus flower planting), garden compose soil and lastly 2 types of sand (I also added dead leaves before adding the sand) so in total about 4-5 inches of substrate. I use a water pump only at night to get more oxygen in at night. To me my tank looks amazing, best I ever have in my 12 years of the hobby also less to no maintenance is amazing.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

wow, amazing. it is good to know the experiences of others. thanks

[@sahindemirer]

I like adding leaves but tannins making me mad. I don’t like yellow water. How can I deal with it?

[@DerpingtonMcDerp]

@@sahindemirer water changes & filter will help. Also Indian almond leaves create a lot of tannins, just go to your local river, creek or pond and collect some dead leaves from there. The ones that are already decomposing are the best. From what I've read I think your aim is to get low PH, just remove 20% of your aquarium water and add in rain water it will get the PH down. Test is out until you get the PH you want. Just don't remove all the water. 20% at a time is safe for me at least

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

@@sahindemirer me: less leaves. :) google: If excessive tannins are present, consider replacing the affected water or using activated carbon to absorb some of the compounds.

[@adelinawarriner6259]

​@@sahindemirer boil them before adding to the tank to remove tannins (obviously cool them first also)

[@venkataramans8277]

This video delivers valuable knowledge without any misleading content, promotions, or distracting background music. It's a pure and effective form of knowledge sharing that is well worth our time. Thank you for your dedication to creating an outstanding ecosystem that operates flawlessly.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Lordpoliticallyincorrect]

*Definitely one of the best videos I've ever seen in KZbin !*

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Wow, thanks!🙏

[@Steve-s4b]

The gas bubbles are from anaerobic bacteria, that means you have some anoxic zones in your substrate, which is good and natural. Some aquarists are scared to death of it for some reason and completely ignore the fact that it is a crucial part of the ecosystem. Anaerobic bacteria really help break down nitrates/trites and ammonia, they're very good to have.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thanks for the support!

[@SilasJones-g7w]

You mean the type that can get into your brain and kill you 😮

[@uteriel282]

@@walstadmethodstepbystep oxygen and hydrogen form large uniform bubbles that rise to the surface quickly and are a byproduct of anaerobic bacterias digestion. an easy way to test what kind of gases come up is to catch them in a glass vial then ignite them with a match. both oxygen and hydrogen burn quick and cleanly while sulfur, methane and other gases release distinct fumes when they burn.

[@momoney6373]

Nitrifying bacteria which is aerobic converts ammonia and nitrite. Anaerobic converts nitrate, reason why you might see bubbles. It is a myth that these anoxic zones have enough hydrogen sulfide to kill your livestock. It is true that vacuuming your substrate can have a negative impact since by doing so you introduce oxygen into those anoxic zones and kill off the anaerobic bacteria.

[@danieldelphi]

Love this man!! Just started experimenting doing it the natural way. Currently doing a little 5.5 gal with five gold white clouds, some Anubias feeding off the water column(which are now rooted to a piece of driftwood)and no filter, only an airpump into an air stone. The low tech natural setups are very intriguing and honestly a fun challenge. I have no substrate in this tank, which is my only concern, so I’ve been trying to only use plants that feed directly from the water column, and remove some accumulated waste along with 15% of the water weekly. So far so good, minnows are great, schooling, and plants are great with a healthy and clean amount of algae, Time will tell🤙🤙

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

I'm curious how it will evolve

[@eeeeeeeiq]

taking care of a fishtank is so time consuming so i haven't felt the joy of observing one develop and grow in quite some time but watching this video allowed me to relive the experience once again! thank you for this amazing video!

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you too

[@velosoje]

Gas boubles are CO2 produced by decomposition of substrate organic compounds. It is good for the plants and do not harm fish. Do not need removal.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

I don't know if you saw this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5aToXaMg6lgfJY

[@Poeticfloetic]

*bubbles

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

@@Poeticfloetic ok

[@TheChunkyMunk]

could it also be methane considering it is going through anaerobic decomposition?

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

@@TheChunkyMunk yes 👍

[@calvinchau5479]

Great documentary. Watch the whole video and didn't want it to end.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Thanks

[@linsfishtanks3376]

Lovely video, thanks ❤. I've been a fish keeper since I was a kid and really enjoyed it. Then I lost myself after losing my dad and having to step into his shoes. For me the hobby got too complicated with so many people saying so many different things and looking at those extremely good looking aquariums and wondering what I was doing wrong. Things also got so expensive once I got into high tech planted tanks. Videos like yours make me feel the love for the hobby once again and make me realise why I got into this hobby in the first place to just enjoy the aquariums make mistakes and learn from them. Hopefully I'll get back to my tanks and start loving them again. Thanks once again. Stay blessed.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

I thank you for being here and know that if you do something with passion you are much more satisfied.

[@linsfishtanks3376]

@@walstadmethodstepbystep 🙏❤️

[@MayYourGodGoWithYou]

Might be worth your while looking at the channel MD fish tanks, he shows how to do simple tanks - based on heavy planting and not on high tech - including one without any water changes or filters.

[@linsfishtanks3376]

@@MayYourGodGoWithYou Thanks, will definitely check it. Cheers!!

[@arianasofia8930]

This video is very helpful 👌 I realize my mistakes and what i need the most to make sure the ecosystem survive. And that only happens under this condition: 1. Tank size 2. Light source 3. Water movement - allow gas exchange - very important in order to make sure plant is healthy and ecosystem - Can happen with different method. example=water change,air pump, co2 injection(the different between methods is efficiency) 4. Cycled/stable ecosystem start with healthy water plant.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

👍

[@xyadriz]

This type of video is waaaaay more entertaining for me! I love the narration bcs i know what’s happening even if i’m not looking in the video. Great job! I hope to see more videos like this ❤

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you very much, I try to keep the aquarium as simple as possible but also make a quality video edit

[@AQUAFLORA]

Agreed, I also tried this method and was stupid enough to send it to the IAPLC contest. 😂😂

[@christhamilton42]

Beautiful in every way. The most relaxing but satisfying half hour on KZbin for a very long time. just delightful.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you

[@patriciasinclair1463]

I have always heard that when red plants turn green in an aquarium, its because they needed iron. Reducing competition with other plants and seeing thr red return was do cool!!! Amazing ecosystem, and proof it can balance! Mine was in balance without water changes for 3 months and then I accidently disrupted the substrate in an accident. I'm planning to start over tomorrow! All plants are moved to my other tank for now.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Reducing competition - incredible, right?

[@katakaze]

seconded. i considered a natural way to add iron into my water, but i was worried about whether i would disturb the balance! ever since i added leaf zone (iron) into the water, plants that i didnt know were red bloomed and became more red. it was gorgeous

[@AMH-fb5fo]

I watch it without skipping one second , amazing I will complete all the videos in your chanel and I will learn from u more and more . thank u , your new fan from UAE

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you, my friend

[@ademdogan7213]

J'ai regardé toute la vidéo et à la fin je me suis rendu compte que c'est tellement apaisant et votre voix aussi m'apaise vraiment. Vidéo très intéressant merci beaucoup !

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

je te remercie aussi

[@meahrey]

I have gone 100 days without doing gravel vacs or filtering, just one good air bubbler stone and a mature plant. No chemicals added, just appropriate fish to tank size ratio. After my plant got chopped by my goldfish, I just replanted using the multiple plant species method like you!

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

good ! I'm waiting for an update on what's happening in your aquarium

[@katame_no_shi]

youtube algorithm has just blessed you edit: im enjoying every second of your video

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

I'm glad

[@valleymykel-mq7gw]

To increase the availability to nutrient recycling, the best and most well understood way is to incoporate dead tree leaves from the beginning, You can even include dead tree leaves as part of the sand layer by chopping them finely. Dead tree leaves contain all of the nutrients that aquatic plants are looking for, and the snails, nematodes and inverts will use it as a food source and break it down further for microfuana and plants. Its been a concurrent practices with all of my aquariums and has never failed me for most plants besides ones that tend to require a heavier amount of dissolved carbon

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

I didn't know about that. it's the first time I hear something like this. thank you

[@Miraklum]

I´ve heard about this. What leaves can you use?

[@daveyelian]

I haven't tried this yet but I'm getting close to doing it. I have a 125 gallon tank in my house that I set up similar to the one in this video; a 2 inch layer of soil, topped with 2 inches of sand and capped with about a half inch of crushed coral. I do, however, have lots of filtration. My plants have done very well in this tank and as my cichlids grew bigger, they started digging holes and caves under some of the rocks in the tank. I never knew this was a thing...lesson learned. As they dug those holes, and there were several of them, they dug down into the soil layer which released a lot of floating debris into my tank. Every day after work for about 2 months, I went home and scooped out a half a net full of little black, floating wood chips. Fish dig with their mouths. The scoop up a mouthful of sand/soil from the hole they are working on and they go spit it out somewhere else. During this time, I would find really cool pieces or wood, normally a tree root that I hit with my lawn mower and I would add it to my tank. So what use to be a crystal clear water tank with a pristine white crushed coral substrate now has a yellowish brown tint to the water and the substrate is a mixture of white coral, yellow sand and black soil. The thing is, I like the natural look a lot better than the "clean" look. With that said, my next project is to set up a natural tank. I have experimented with a 10 gallon tank that I set up under my carport. It worked out well so now I want to get a 55 or 75 gallon tank to make this project a permanent addition to my aquarium hobby. In the 10 gallon tank, I got mud and floating plants from a local pond. I used rocks and wood from my yard and I filled the tank with water from the same pond I got the mud from. I had to add a sponge filter due to the water being super muddy/cloudy and I added an air stone for surface agitation. After a couple of days, the water cleared so I went out and caught a couple of baby Bluegill & about 20 very small minnows and added them to the tank. It worked out great. So once I can get a bigger tank, I'm going to set it up the same way but this time take it a step further and add leaves and other plant debris to the bottom of the tank. Although I have no experience with it yet, I have seen it suggested that anything such as leaves or sticks you gather from a water source (creek, river, pond) can go straight into your tank, as it already has a good bit of beneficial bacteria on it, but anything you gather from your yard should be boiled before adding it just in case it has come in contact with pesticides, animal feces, or other types of environmental hazards.

[@9679jlm]

YES, dead leaves (and water!) from a natural environment like a pond or river is the way to go, as recommended by Father Fish. They help the microorganisms that keep the aquarium balanced - no algae!

[@Travispville]

Leaf litter is a great addition to the aquarium!! Your fish and shrimp will love it.

[@Hemkunskapmedsafaa]

This is possibly one of the best videos I ever watched,the voice of the narrator is so peaceful and the same goes for the background music and the tank itself makes me happy and calm, don't stop being amazing 😊

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you❤

[@LEUNGSHEKYING7D-12]

This just popped out on my feed, best study break ever ❤

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thanks ❤

[@onehitterquitter2130]

Started a variation of this. It's a lot of fun to try out. I'd recommend every fish keeper to try this at least one time.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Thanks !

[@markkneill-boxley7434]

Loving the no water change or filter cleaning concept. We stopped using treated tap water and now use only rain water.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

👍 nice

[@robinred1851]

I've watched the video from start until the end. This is definitely THE best aquaristik video I've ever seen. Having an aquarium for more than 50 years now and still learning and seeing new methods. Thanks, greetings and substrate air-bubbles (😂😂😂) from the Čech Republic 🇨🇿.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Wow, thank you! ♥👍

[@davidgeelan885]

Ordered the poster yesterday. Haven’t got WASTED for a while now. Love the circuit amd the other channels, MCM and 4X4. Keep it up legends.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@_EVANERV_]

This makes me miss Foo the Flowerhorn YT channel. How nostalgic.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you !

[@leedza]

Yep. No chitty chatty too. It was good fodder for mental break.

[@geelllee]

foo was the goat fr

[@carloswinchester2623]

what i learned from having aquariums on and off for a few years(aquascaping), if u get algae either its too few plants(iwagumi scape=get a few stem plants and bigger leaf plants), too much nutrients in water(fertilization,soil= water change every week about 40% and the last one is TOO much light for a long time( if u start with aquarium go for 4-6 hrs a day and start increasing the duration after 1or 2 months, plants will be fine and then u can increase maximum to 8 -10 hrs light a day but do 4 or 5 on then 2 or 3 off then again 4 or 5 on a day itll help :D

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you

[@carloswinchester2623]

@@walstadmethodstepbystep and of course the Video was very chill to Listen to, i enjoyed it a Lot :)

[@victor1569]

@@carloswinchester2623

[@rogerhuggettjr.7675]

Came for the story, stayed for the Sadie soundtrack.

[@sunlounger29]

*Satie

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thanks

[@avidwatcher3588]

I came for the story and stayed for the Charles Dance voice over.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

@@avidwatcher3588 :) thanks

[@IamJanini]

My baby’s name is Sadie

[@baleastudy5962]

I don't know a thing about aquariums but it's just so relaxing to listen to you. Also the fact that you are so curious and you are such a great observer... Inspiring! Keep going!

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@lx2552]

I really enjoyed bladder snails. They were uninvited, however they really helped me to know if I was doing it correctly or not! A blessing in disguise!

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Good to know!

[@tranquility382]

Well done. Very good job for first low tech to almost no tech aquarium. I have a tanks that are 7 years old with no tech. Not even lights. They get ambient light from windows. Substrate is dead leaves and garden soil. Covered with gravel. No heaters, no filters, no circulation. Weather top ups only once every month or two months, depending on evaporation. My fish eat no flakes or pellets, they get only boiled dead leaves and chicken bones. I remove no dead plants and no dead snails or fish. They get consumed by the ecosystem. I found that red plants just don't do well in any aquarium that I have tried except with co2 Aquariums. I don't do parameter checks at all. The system is self-sustaining. The only critters that don't do well in my tanks are shrimp. They just don't do well at all. Plenty cover, no fish that attack them. All other life does great, also I have moved away from fully aquatic plants to pathos and peace lillies, ferns, and papyrus. They do much much better than fully aquatic plants in my opinion. Biggest thing is, don't change too much at one go. My 4ft tank has more than 300 fish, guppies, endlers, bronze Cory, featherfin catfish, tadpoles, water scorpions, one orphaned cichlid, but a very happy cichlid, very large sailfin pleco, a pair of bristlenose plecos, which have produced 5 clutches of fry this year, which is well above the average. Never had any algae. But also, algae is not a bad thing. It also serves a purpose. It's a good indicator for tank health. Also, I feed my fish boiled dead tree leaves, (any). About once a month. By far the best and healthiest tank I have.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

wow, amazing

[@IamJanini]

Do a video

[@DancingFlnger]

you taught me in one paragraph that i couldn't learn in a decade

[@DaxBritto]

do u break open the chicken bones to feed it to the fish?

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

@@DaxBritto no

[@lisacouch]

I loved the honesty, the voice, the everything. I learned a lot and could not stop watching. 🎉

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you

[@jailtime5415]

And youtube sent me here.. I don't even care about aquariums or fishes for that matter. but something about you made me watch 32 minutes in pure bliss, just listening to you and your voice.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you !

[@WaaDoku]

The voice is AI generated.

[@astamasnow]

An advice: keep the snails in check, they eat a lot but also defecate a lot, making the water dirty fast, a couple of them is enough to take care of the aquarium

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

k, cheers 👍

[@MrOneWho]

that was a great watch.. and to see the tiny CPD fry! awesome! tank looked pretty awesome all the way through... even with the algae 👌

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@HokageTheGod]

I dont know what i am watching but i loved it ❤ Cheers mate❤

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you too♥

[@hagusharon1061]

Man, im new at this thing, and i watched TONS of aquarium videos, and this one is by far the best! Thanks for that bro!

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Welcome!

[@christophervang6969]

I also use soil in my aquariums. I added macrofaunas such as scuds and seed shrimps as well as dead leaves on the bottom. Ever since I added the dead leaves and macrofaunas into my aquarium, it seems to increase the plant growth. Everything seems to thrive on its own without any water changes. Ive also used water from my pond to top off from any evaporation. It seems to be working wonderfully. Good luck on your aquarium. Seeing others ideas makes the hobby a never ending learning of nature's wonders.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you you are right, from time to time we all need an inspiration

[@henryrooyakkers8510]

“How beautifully spoken, and in such wonderful English too!”

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thanks ♥

[@celticgold4028]

I'm English, and the voice narrating the video sounds like AI trying to sound like an English person.

[@henryrooyakkers8510]

@ oh , I didn't knew that.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

@@celticgold4028 yes it is, it is a generated voice

[@sajulalCK]

Fantastic experiment, great presentation and highly informative ❤

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@slimsqde7397]

great video, you shared tons of great knowledge, ive also learned a ton in my aquarium journeys. my tanks have always been low-tech with a light and filter only, and my plants grow decent.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Glad to help

[@gamingfrind5183]

ive never seen a video thats so calm and relaxing yet keeping me intrigued and interested on whats gonna happen keep up the awesome work

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you very much !

[@robdavinroy1761]

I did almost the same experiment as you. After a year I quit because I got tired of looking at hazy water. Good luck with future experiments. Great video production!

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Thanks, you too!

[@TB21660]

I have the exact same light as you on 3 tanks. Unless I need extra lighting due to a blackwater period of adding leaves, mine stay on the 24 hours setting. The fish seem to like the sunrise and sunset affect. They seem calmer than when it is suddenly on. Plus the timer settings were jacking the water temperatures drastically. I experimented with it for a while but went back to the 24/7 sunrise/sunset option and used Purigen to remove the tannins to help the plants grow again. Yeah, it got bad quick with the plants hating the tannins 😢. Love your channel!

[@TB21660]

Hey, went through the whole gas bubble situation too. Dirt with a gravel topper. PH was too high. Nitrates were too high. Watched Father Fish and Diane Walstad and ended up capping the gravel with course sand. Problems solved and no more dead fish and snails.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Thank you. it's good to hear that I'm not the only one with a different aquarium

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

i will ...

[@somevids4187]

Hmmm... I used to have many species of plants and even red ones that did great. Then they melted away and I am left with a rotalla, limnophila which I took out because it crept in every corner, moss, and cabomba. Everything else except for 3 valisneria died. Could it be the tannins?

[@TB21660]

@@somevids4187 is there less light getting through to the bottom of the tank due to tannins? That was my issue. After that was resolved the plants did better.

[@LushSaltyAquariums]

Very pleasant watch, thank you.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@mycool-72]

thanks for making the video, I watched it all. having kept aquariums over 3 decades now, i never use additives or helpers, they aren't natural, I too have tried a number of dirtied tank set ups. however, what works best for me is medium and fine stone sub-straight no dirt, at least 3-4inches, use only rainwater, never use chlorinated tap water, if you're using a heater, at least use a sponge air stone, bio film can't link itself on moving surface water and all aquarium life depends on air bubbles in the water, even the plants. it doesn't rain indoors, so surface water movement is critical. Lighting some days i do 6hrs - 8hrs i always end the day with 20min-1hr of blue light only, i brought the light bar with both spectrums, the blue light (moonlight) is a natural sterilizing UV and helps keep algae blooms in check. some days just blue is better than blackout, as plants can continue growing, Indian Almond leaves, dried. Is not only healthy for the fishes the shrimp love it too, it adds natural tannin for breeding. too many snails are a big problem. personally, i like the giant yellow snails. Aquariums don't need all the processed stuff they try to sell you for them, a good light bar in a full spectrum, rainwater only and an air stone (sponge filter, don't ever clean them, as they make healthy bacteria after several months, they merely then are only impregnating the water with tiny air bubbles and keeping the surface moving) along with the heater, hot water rises cool water sinks. enjoy the process, enjoy your aquarium adventures. cheers

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you very much for sharing your experience with me cheers !

[@everythingistemporary666]

Thank you so much for posting this 😢😊

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

It's my pleasure

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

It's my pleasure

[@thesolaraquarium]

fascinating to see your progress. I love experiments.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you, i love too experiments

[@FoXMaSteR001]

27:50 this is logical, snails produce many eggs at the same time so all the new generation has the same age, as they have a short life expectancy they also die almost at the same moment when they are just too old, it's like the babyboom effect. This massive death produce more methane that possibly boost the reproduction of the remaining ones, or kills the weakers, so you get some waves of life, this is probably due to the absence of predators. Some species deliver more eggs when they'll die too, even plants or trees do that.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thanks, I didn't know ps: I subscribed to your youtube channel, I think you are the person with the most followers on youtube that I have seen here

[@FoXMaSteR001]

​@@walstadmethodstepbystep Thank you dude ;D I'm following your tests since a long time, I don't have the option to check it myself. I just confirm some behaviors we learnt are possibly incomplete, for example I had a giant anubia for 20 years, it produced a bucket of leaves every 3 months with no CO2, I know it because I had to cut that to let some place for my fish, I didn't renew the substrate for 20 years. When the tank broke I saved most of water and old substrate, I took this opportunity to add 20% of new substrate, my old anubia died immediatly. The water parameters where the same so the substrate was too strong for the plant. It wasn't a problem of roots as Anubia's roots are only used to grab on the stones. That's why I tested many plants. So I suggest some plants must collaborate to feed in the substrate to avoid others to have too much. I know the transition wasn't the problem because I didn't lose any fish in the process, it was just transporting all thing of a tank to another, the only difference was the substrate, maybe rich substrate is too much. It's very hard to test without havingm any aquarium to check the result, I would test this to understand. Someone told me some plants also have a life expectancy and geneticaly die after a moment with no flower reproduction, so the plants we buy can possibly be beautifull but with a bad DNA.

[@anas24100]

How many of you watched whole video (documentry)?😊😅😅

[@anas24100]

I want to make a aquarium without chemicals and low maintenance, please guide should I go for planted or plant less?

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

when you start, it must be well planted, especially if you do it without a filter. depending on the soil use, fish, plates, water, light, etc., some plants will do better than others, I have in the description which plants I used.

[@brandon-leviwatson629]

​@@anas24100 my first tank was actually a set up similar to this it did have a tiny filter retractable but I was brand new to the hobbie. The more the plants the better. With the gas pockets I assumed in my own tanks it was carbon dioxide being created in the substrate system plant waste no harm to aquarium and often a good indicator that the system is working well.

[@brunocauin]

I did! 😊

[@robinred1851]

I did. And am happy I did. This is definitely THE best Aquaristik video I've ever seen.

[@AbigailCharles-j1w]

I was so invested in this for no reason. Thank you for this nature documentary

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you too

[@spencerdwarner1081]

this was amazing to watch and i dont even know anything about any of this but this was so enticing and i could not stop watching it

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you

[@alienrobotcommando]

Ps, my aquarium has regular snails and assassin snails that eat the regular snails. Their populations fluctuate up and down. As the regular snails' population goes up, the assassin snails' population goes up. As the regular snails start to die off, the assassin snails start to die off. And the cycle just keeps going. 😊

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

:) wow, interesting ....

[@bergerniklas6647]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotka%E2%80%93Volterra_equations basically this...

[@mossig]

I have been running my 70 liter tank now for 7 years. Actually longer but 7 years ago the heater malfunctioned and boiled and killed everything. Anyway. I never used any filter. Any pump, just a heater because my house is cold. I never touched anything. I use a 20w flourecent light and it's not on a timer. Sometimes I forget to turn it on, sometimes off. About once per week light is on 24/7 and once per month it's off 24/7. I only have 3 types of plants. Java moss, some long leafed ones and a small amount of duck weed. During the 7 years I change 20L in a go once per year. Never disturb the substrate that is only gravel and some chalk stones and a shell that slowly disintigrate. The only reason for a water change is that the detrius becomes very thick, about 5-10 mm. I never remove further then leaving 5 mm. I have one spieces of snails. I have absolutely no algea. The water is never tested, I add sometimes due to evaporation but the level can drop significantly between addings. The water is always clear. No direct sunlight can hit the tank and the room has normal lighting. During the years fish died now and then due to old age. I never remove the dead fish. I started out with 2 Kuhli eals. I have at least one left. Due to the depth of the detrius and plant growth I can't see them on a regular basis. I also had two shrimp. They lived for 4 years. I also had 4 purple head barbs, they spawned once and became many, but now only one is left. So I recently added 4 copper barbs so she got some company. There are no stores for 200 km around, so fish is hard to come by. In total I bought 10 fish in 7 years. I feed once per day some flakes. I am confident that this tank can go on for ever. I have never cleaned the glass, no need. I do remove some Java moss once per year. In 7 years I have spent maybe 2 hours totally on mainteinence. I had fish tanks for 50 years now. And this one is the easiest ever.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

wow I hope that my aquarium will last as long. thank you for sharing your experience here

[@hdckdsadd]

the main problem of every low tech aquarium is overfeeding. "a hungry fish is a healthy fish" / "live things thrive on dead things"- Father Fish . that's all you need to know. also I never clean the bottom. because of careful feeding, mulm has time to seep into substrate and act as nutrient

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

k, thanks !

[@strcat666]

Yes! He said he did not fertilize his tank. However he over feeds his fish. Another reason is that his tank smells. He needs a food web! Getting water from local sources that have Microfauna and old leaves. looking up Father Fish is a must! A small sponge bubble filter would give the needed water movement as well as collecting beneficial items out of the water. IMHO sand would have been a better choice.

[@JamersRJ]

I have a saltwater tank but thoroughly enjoyed watching this, very relaxing, thanks 👍🏻

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you too !

[@PizzaPie-y6w]

Ive done this myself in many many ways and have learned a huge amount. This is actually fairly simular to the ways Ive tried, Ive gone from adjusting how much soil, to how much sand, what kindve sands, grain sizes, not to mention soil mixes. The daphnia, white worms, paramecium, seed shrimp and all of the other macro creatures. Ive found if youd like to feed them and produce more in your environment you can add leaf litter, in our case the habitat is small so crushing it up helps with the look. You dont even need to have it showing, aslong as they can get to it in the water column your gold

[@PizzaPie-y6w]

Perhaps, to feed your shrimp. they will eat the leafs, and the creatures that live among those will feed your fish and your fish waste will provide nutrients for more of the macro&micro fauna, it will help keep any artificial foods or any feeding at all other than adding leafs to break down, youll also have dead plant matter as plants grow thatll help continue that cycle we all chase.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

cheers

[@phantomask]

Thank you so much for this and your hard work. Such Beautiful story telling 👏👌 Your KZbin channel is very underrated. I just subscribed🎉

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you very much

[@Maher-h]

No CO2, No Fertz, No Filter, No Water Change, even No tank, no water

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

in next episode 😂

[@SaitoArufa]

Why are you even here? 😂

[@PanjiRachmanT]

How🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@PanjiRachmanT]

I have an even better title

[@PanjiRachmanT]

No CO2 No Fertz No Filter No Water Change even No tank no water no life no bacteria no moss no algea no gravity no temp no tech no light no sound no oxygen no gen

[@AWY-LO]

I had planaria when i first setup my planted tank. not walstad method, but aquasoil with filter. i used NO Planaria to eliminate them all which was so effective.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

I haven't used chemicals and I don't want to either.

[@kermitdd]

@@walstadmethodstepbystep "No Planaria" is all natural. "A safe treatment without affecting shrimp or plants. Biodegradable. Contains Betal Nut Palm Extract."

[@BadApe351]

Very educational. I did last the entire 32 minutes and 9 seconds as my tank has gone through similar changes over the year i've had it set up. So this video was a great assist in understanding why. One thing I have noticed is how much water temperature impacts every aspect of the ecosystem. Regards the algae build up - my plecos do a great job cleaning the tank. They wont eliminate it...but they are a big help. New subscriber.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you, there are still new things to see, I will talk about them soon

[@RobLang84]

Well this is my new favourite channel already! I've just had to separate a paradise fish and decided to try to make a little walstad tank for her. As you say at the start, information is not easy to find! So I've just gone on common sense and the knowledge I've built from years of keeping aquariums. She moved in yesterday evening. I'm starting with a filter, then I will gradually up the plant life and lower the filtration rate, until I'm ready to see if it can run itself. Anyway... I shall watch everything! I love the 'creepy' voice over and that's also one of my absolute favourite pieces of music. Keep it up!

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you !

[@hiwtwo5929]

6:45 no way you actually made this is your profile picture bro

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

yes, that is the plant

[@omaewa3506]

👍🏻ᥬ😭᭄

[@Alexandra-ng1ih]

Every time as a kid my parents would buy me a fish, They would use this method … the fish would die within a day or two.😂

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

👍

[@සුන්දරහෙළදිව]

Ur voice is sounds like a narrator of an old cartoon which is very therapeutic to listen........keep up the good work..❤.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Thank you so much 😀

[@KitFister_]

Reminded me of the narrator of bagpuss 🐱

[@Dilf_luvr420]

Pretty sure it's AI text to speech

[@FoXMaSteR001]

23:25 I confirm this is natural gaz, I have this in my pond and this isn't dangerous at all, it comes from the dead leaves that are getting destroyed by the micro-organism, if you don't do anything they will become dirt and plants will feed in it. It doesn't affect the water as it doesn't disolve in it (that's why it can make big bubbles). You can have 5cm of random leaves at the bottom of a small pond without any problem, it's even good for the biodiversity for many reasons. To me it can't be from the gravel as my pond doesn't have gravel, I kept the plastic tarpaulin without nothing on it sice many years so it's only remaings of leaves and random things. I suppose the small gravel can make the bubbles bigger as it acts as a layer that is harder to cross as the granularity is more complexe. It's both physical and chimical in your case (I think).

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thanks for the advice

[@MakaylaSpencer-w8r]

I have a small fluval edge dirted tank (sand cap), only equipped with the included lights and a small filter (made the filter bags myself). It has been set up for a couple years. The plants still seem to be doing well so I have not felt a need to replace the soul, although I am sure l could replenish with new soil at some point. I feel like I have not seen pearling in a long while. I have had surprisingly great success with minimal effort (and cost!) although I am battling the algae still. I mostly just remove as much as I can when I trim the plants. I didn't not see the microorganisms like you had, but I believe it's because I initially baked the soil in the oven to kill any harmful bacteria that may be in the soul before installing. Thank you for sharing this wonderful, thoughtful video! I may try the total darkness method to cut back the algae.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you too

[@ChrisM541]

For as much as I knock social media, along you came and knocked in some much needed good. What a truly remarkable video. Thank you for this.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you verry much ! ♥

[@averteddisasterbarely2339]

I'm not a big fan of the KZbin garbage that's so prevalent also , so I was delighted to find a documentary channel that is absolutely fantastic ! It's done in the style of the old history channel but , all the videos are made by a husband and wife team ! He's the narrator and his wife does much of the research , they have two ongoing subjects, the first one is the history of the earth followed by the history of the universe ! I think there's one more but I can't find it , check it out to see if it's something you'd like, the narrator has a British accent to help confirm you found the right video !

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

@@averteddisasterbarely2339 thanks, i will

[@katherineneagle7521]

20:40 mosquito larvae

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thanks

[@nigel900]

When Charlton Griffin narrates your aquarium…

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

:) thank you

[@Meow42.0]

This is why I pay for internet

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

😂❤👍

[@TheSimmpleTruth]

I appreciate someone trying a natural method. I did this once as a child in bio class, but did not use any pump, any thermometer, or anything non-natural at all, not even food for the fish. We did not remove the bio film or intervene in any posible way.. I would call yours a low tech aquarium because you are using at least 3 devices to help with the water quality. As of the filter, the plants are the filters of the aquarium.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

yes, plants are the filter of the aquarium. thanks

[@cannonkemp91]

This is so awsome, ive always wanted to start an aquarium with a natural ecosystem without chemicals or tech, this shows that it works great, even for a whole year

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

You can do it!

[@Jau0212]

Gas bubbles could also come from decomposting soil.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you, the soil will be a mystery until the last moment

[@HanifFy]

STILL WATER💀

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

👍

[@QuavyQua]

Not the same. This water is being filtered by plants and cleanup crew haha

[@phychicmusic]

Watch father fish if you want to do a natural aquarium!❤

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Thank you. I already made a low tech aquarium, in my style.

[@FoXMaSteR001]

Very interesting, I did the same test with a larger aquarium (1 year already). I got very different results, let's compare the settings: - 180L - 26°C - Half substrate (as yours) Half old substrate from my 20yo aquarium - Filter - 8 hours/day of light - 3 fish (1 baby pleco + 1 adult puntius everetti + 1 royal tetra) - 1 Bucephalandra Bukit Kelam - 1 Hygrophila Siamensis - 1 Marsilea Hirsuta - 1 Hygrophila Polysperma Rosanervig - 1 Bacopa Compact - 1 Anubia - I selected these plants because according to websites they don't need CO2. - 20% water change per week + quickly clean the filter + glass - A cover on the top Results : All plants started to die immediatly. First to die : Bucephalandra Bukit Kelam (in 2 weeks) Second to die : Marsilea Hirsuta (in a month) Third to die : Hygrophila Polysperma Rosanervig (in a month) Fourth to die : Anubia (in 3 months) How ? I noticed the algaes were getting on the leaves more and more, I constantly had dead leaves all around, the plants tried to make new leaves but they got infested faster than their grow. Anubia that grows slow got holes in its new leaves. Visually it looked like automn in the aquarium for months. After 6 months : I decided to change things : 1) Instead of 20% water change per week it's now 10%. 2) I clean the filter once every 2 weeks instead of every week. 3) I don't remove dead-leaves anymore. After a year : Bacopa Compact (still alive but lost 90% it's original size, they are very tiny and almost don't grow, but doesn't die either) Hygrophila Siamensis (almost died the first 3 months, suddently took 50% of the aquarium in a month after 6 months, I don't know the reason, it was during this summer so maybe the daylight in the room was longer even if I didn't change the light of the aquarium, we never talk about this parameter but it's suspicious, maybe some plants need "soft light") I've cut half to plant to make new plants and they are all growing, at the moment 60% of the aquarium is Hygrophila Siamensis. What I noticed : It seems the big plants generate shadows that is "problematic" for algaes and "good" for smaller plants that got less affected by them. I don't have floating plants. I didn't have the long algeas visible on the video, mines are black are at the location with more current. The leeches you got can't survive 26°C, I had 1 snail that vanished quickly. No bubbles/gaz visible. I think my substrate was too clean, now algeas can't grow on it anymore. I think the plants don't look well since 2 weeks, maybe it's due to the duration of the day quickly decreasing in september ? They still grow but it's getting slower. The bottom parts of the plants (the old leaves) are all gone. So maybe the problem is the depth of my tank, it's about 50cm of water which is possibly too much for some plants ? I thought it was my big fish destroying them as it hides in it but it's unsure. I can also confirm they all grew at the same time. So to me this is more about light than the substrate. Of course they are all clones from the same plants so I suppose they have the same DNA, but it's funny how the most tiny plants manage to make a new leave at the same time than the others. Summary : Try Hygrophila Siamensis, and do not hesitate to cut them to duplicate them, tiny or tall they grow the same.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

I read everything you wrote. I also noticed, the less maintenance you do in the aquarium, the better everything is. Hygrophila Siamensis is good, it grows fast, it's good but I won't use it. but can be used by someone starting from scratch with this type of aquarium.

[@FoXMaSteR001]

@@walstadmethodstepbystep I followed the FatherFish method that also made a video about "do nothing", the idea is changing water can affect the water stability and plants like stability, they adapt to the water parameters so if we constantly are part of this process it's a stress. I made an interesting test with some white stone that attract algaes a lot, once they are green are reverse the stones to kill the algeas in the darkness of the substrate, then I wait until the stone is green again, with that idea I don't remove anything from the aquarium, the interesting result is sometimes it takes 2 weeks to get a green stone, sometimes a month. So if you have the habit to clean the tank every week with regularity you possibly over-clean it which is problematic for the stability. This stone test is easy to make, I use them as reference in the aquarium. My idea is algeas can't colonize the tank if the white stone is still white. So I don't panic.

[@rawshun]

i have never watched a youtube video with so much curiosity about something i had little to no interest about, a very informative and well made video! i hope to see more of these :)

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Wow, thank you!

[@DesignsByTRex]

20:45 Those are 100% NOT fish fry. The first one looks like some sort of fly larvae and the second looks like mosquito larvae. Also another main reason you dont see huge blooms of your shrimp population are that your fish are snacking on the babies.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

I thought they were fish fry on the first day :( I noticed that galaxy rasboras also attacks mature shrimps....

[@OdinChupantu]

@@walstadmethodstepbystepwhat is your feeding process. Pellets? Daily?

[@TravnikovDev]

@@walstadmethodstepbystep I was looking for this comment. Yep, even small neon fish eats shrimps eggs. So If you want to have a huge shrimp population, you should move fishes to another tank. And leave it as pure shrimp-tank

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

@@TravnikovDev I found this aquarium in the trash. although it looks nice in video, I don't have the possibility to get another aquarium and I don't have room because I live in a small apartment with my family. thank you for your understanding

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

@@OdinChupantu 3-4 times a week, each time a different kind of food

[@rudolfsibarani3771]

Excuse me. . The title was no fertz, no water change . .

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Please read 1st comment. Thank you

[@rethinkdaily9321]

Please read the title

[@MrAllan9]

I believe the water won't get changed after its set up.

[@Dyktator1998]

Half hour video of pure knowledge. You're a great narrator. I'm literally feeling relaxed after watching this. Sub and like already in place

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Wow, thank you!

[@peterwickham9984]

Such an enjoyable video, thank you. I have built a similar system that worked very well, but used an external canister filter, 100 L aquarium, the most rewarding part was watching the cycles and changes. I now only build ecological aquariums, which can take on different forms. Even just a deep fine sand base works well, takes awhile to get going, but lasts for years, ie more sustainable. Ps. Don't worry about the gas bubbles, no harm caused.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Cool, thanks

[@GW._.]

Are you Santa Claus 😂

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

No Ho HO

[@user-bo3mp8un6c]

Narrators voice is beautiful

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you

[@whitekingcat5118]

how the heck did you not know what a planaria was💀

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

I've never had it before, that's why I didn't know

[@Britishadow]

Uh I definitely know what it is..

[@QuavyQua]

This was a fantastic video. It popped up in my algorithm after watching videos on aquarium lights 😂 ended up watching the whole thing!

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@stargazer1967]

If you actually read Diana Walstad's book (highly recommended), several of your questions will be answered. For example on lighting, she recommends breaking it up with a rest period of at least four hours. (So, for example, the light is on for 4-5 hours in the morning, then off for 4-6 hours, then on again for 4-6 hours.) This will help keep the algae down without hurting the plants. In a way, it's a sort of 'natural' CO2 injection; because the plants will switch to respiring O2 in -> CO2 out during darkness, which gives them more available CO2 when the light returns after the rest period. So very happy to see this video! I have several zero-movement, zero water change tanks and bowls, but I never documented them from start to finish this way. People will insist that this can't be done, that the water will go stagnant and kill everything - even when you show them otherwise. It's harder to argue with such clear evidence over time as shown here! I came into the hobby during the early 70's, when many tanks had either no filter at all, or else an air-driven plastic box in the corner with only wool and carbon. We knew nothing (or at least I knew nothing) about the nitrogen cycle; but we managed, when basically everything was 'low-tech'. It was probably less of a stretch for me to believe that you _can_ have a healthy aquarium without all the tech, chemicals, and constant water changes.

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

Thank you very much for sharing your experience with me. You are right about the light, but I wanted to see and show everyone what happens to the plants with different lighting programs.

[@S0L_Invictus]

@20:49 its mosquito larva

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

thank you

[@drkcyd1]

No water change in title ... weekly water changes IRL

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

watch the whole video. I explain how I switched to no water change and the changes that occurred. Thank you 🤩

[@ramirugamage8101]

😑

[@Memez_Scavenger]

No way this actually works

[@walstadmethodstepbystep]

:)