# Considering a Walstad planted tank



## jasa73 (Jun 3, 2007)

I just set up my 110 gallon with dirt. I have mostly anubias, ferns, a few swords and a ton of crypts. I have a few fast growing stems. I have an overflow and sump as well. I am very lightly stocked at this points so im not too concerned about nutrient absorption. I also used mineralized top soil and not Miracle Grow Organic soil like most people. I capped with Flourite black sand.


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## AbbeysDad (Apr 13, 2016)

I think the tank and the stock you describe is quite contrary to the Walstad method. In the Walstad method, the plants are the filter and the stock level is very low and fish food / fish waste feed the plants. In your [custom aquarium] tank w/sump, I think you'd be better served with just a sand substrate. Sand also allows you more freedom to move plants around w/o a mess...The only thing with sand is you'd need root tabs for root feeders.
But, it's up to you.


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

Dirt provides a CO2 source that sand+root tabs can never replace, unless you plan on getting pressurized CO2. Some CO2 dissolves directly into the water column, but most is made available to certain root-feeding plants that can absorb interstitial substrate CO2. 

The annubias and moss won't benefit much from the dirt, but the apons and crypts certainly will. I see you want to avoid stem plants (though there are many great options!); there are also a lot of great foreground plant options for dirt.

Walstad is a person who wrote a really great book on aquatic plant care, but I'm starting to question the usefulness of "Walstad method" as a term in the hobby. Use of this term often seems to devolve into a pointless debate about what constitutes a "true" Walstad tank with regard to use of filters, plant types, etc. Simply put, it sounds like you want a dirted tank, and you want to add a sump to that tank in order to provide a little insurance for your higher bioload. That sounds just fine to me.

My concern with your light source is that it sounds like you're using a lot of epiphyte plants, so I'm assuming you will have a fair amount of hardscape. If that is the case, you might have a difficult time getting a single point light to reach everything. 

Single most important thing to do when dirting a tank is to get the cap right. In my view, sand is the best cap to start out with (gravel can be a little more difficult, though it does have benefits), and it would be appreciated by your cories. Pool filter sand is nice and heavy, less likely to breach, and it has a nice light color that may darken to a more natural shade over time. It also makes mulm more visible, which is helpful for vacuuming. 

As for floating plants, I haven't used this technique personally, but 



 for either trapping or excluding floating plants from a certain area. Pretty neat idea! You might want to avoid duckweed though: big mess, hard to clean up.


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## AbbeysDad (Apr 13, 2016)

@Bananableps - Okay, but then we outta stop calling it dirt when it's really soil since dirt is what you wash off the car and get under yer nails and soil is what you plant stuff in! 
So then it's a planted tank with a soil capped substrate (which may or may not be Walstad inspired). <hehe>

Correction: it's a planted tank with a sand capped, soil substrate (which may or may not be Walstad inspired). <hehe>


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

AbbeysDad said:


> @Bananableps - Okay, but then we outta stop calling it dirt when it's really soil since dirt is what you wash off the car and get under yer nails and soil is what you plant stuff in!
> So then it's a planted tank with a soil capped substrate (which may or may not be Walstad inspired). <hehe>


"Soil" is a verb that describes what I do to my pants when I see BBA :wink2:


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## Quagulator (May 4, 2015)

Bananableps said:


> "Soil" is a verb that describes what I do to my pants when I see BBA :wink2:


As for me it happens when I see BGA


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## AbbeysDad (Apr 13, 2016)

Bananableps said:


> "Soil" is a verb that describes what I do to my pants when I see BBA :wink2:


Oh crap! :grin2:


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