#walstad tank

[novascotiaducktoller]

MAAM THIS IS A FISHTANK SUBREDDIT

[atsird-but-not-art]

Behold

My first aquascape complete. Unfortunately I keep a goldfish in this tank who loves to play in the dirt, so he'll be helping me reshape it in the very very near future. I think that's part of the fun though.

[butchcable]

my shrimp had a baby! woohoo!

also look at those daphnia and scuds thriving. walstad shrimp tank no filter no heater 3 gallons.

[y0rkminster]

I’m not even going to be modest here. These turned out gorgeous and I love love love them! Especially the tree trunk one.

[shoikp]

[atsird-but-not-art]

Behold

My first intentional addition of life to my 20 gallon walstad tank, 10 blue velvet shrimps. I feel like a goddess running a cube of life knowing that we will never directly interact, other than my water changes and addition of plants and livestock. Weird.

[y0rkminster]

Why bother with a walstad if you’re gonna use a filter lmao

The main reason is because your parameters can be 0,0,0 longterm. There is some debate over what level of nitrate is damaging to fish. Most agree that once you hit 30, you start getting some effects. But I would be willing to bet that no amount is safe. In a non-Walstad/non-planted tank, the only time you will ever see 0,0,0 is if it is uncycled. That ammonia will go up really quickly, with significant negative consequences.

Another reason is that it gives them a more natural environment. Natural isn’t always best-disease is also natural, as is predation, exposure to weather shifts, etc. But many elements of nature are ideal, and this includes a functioning ecosystem with plants.

I know someone who actually has an almost fully self-sustaining ecosystem. It’s 100 gallons, extremely heavily planted, filtered but the filter is really a backup/provider of some water agitation in a proper Walstad, and has various other organisms in it like detrious worms and snails. The betta eats the snails and worms. HIs last betta lived to be 8! He currently has a 4 year old betta (he does pick healthy ones that have signs of having good genes, but the care is impeccable). He very occasionally does partial water changes, mostly for evaporative loss and to mimic rainfall/natural drainage. He also sometimes adds insect larvae and brine shrimp for nutritional variety.

I admire his setup. Though he did one time keep two male bettas in such a tank, as proof that they wouldn’t fight or know about each other, and that it could be done. Always really, really hated that. Figured it was pointless risk. The bettas lived to be 7 and 8 respectively and never fought so it clearly worked, but domestic splendens were line bred for aggression. If they ever met up, they both may refuse to give way/back down. Plus, what needless stress. He didn’t do it again, I think partially because instead of the “wow, impressive!” reacts he was expecting, most of us who he told about it were horrified.

Oh and even Mr. Two Male Bettas in One Big Planted Tank is anti-sorority, as an aside.

I have heard of others with near-identical setups. It tends to go well. I do not have the time nor resources for that, I like having a crew/multiple tanks, but aim to create miniature versions of this. Not too mini though, 8-10 gallons is what I go for (though I have two 5gs, one for Aeneas and one for Janus).

[y0rkminster]

Wish this little guy luck! Vulcan had come so far in the last four months. He went from being unable to swim at all, severely ammonia poisoned, suffering from three infections and very nearly dead to being able to swim pretty darn well, eating like a champ, and clearing all three infections.

He’s finally strong enough to re introduce a filter. Although his classical Walstad tank was producing stable 0,0,0 parameters for the last month and a half, the filter will provide a backup, aeration, and is ultimately more stable in the long run. Although the filter did stress him before, I know now that Aeneas didn’t crash in pristine water because of stress but because he had had fish TB all along. This makes me less fearful that Vulcan will crash if I reintroduce the filter.

I love all nine of my finned babies but Vulcan is extra special. So I want to always make sure he’s safe!