# 2.5 gallon walstad bowl setup



## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

Hi everyone! I have a 2.5 gallon bowl that I wasn't sure what to do with, but I am now leaning towards turning this bowl into a walstad setup. How does my idea sound?

*Bowl;* The aforementioned 2.5 gallon bubble bowl, with 1 inch organic soil under 1 inch turface (I considered 1.5 inches of each, but I suspect that would take up too much space)

*Light;* 400 lumen LED bulb. I will use a siesta photoperiod (so about 4-5 hours on, 5 off, 4-5 on) to improve CO2 levels. (On a side note...would there be any benefit to such a 'siesta' period on my CO2 injected tanks?)

*Filter;* I will be installing a simple air lift tube (basically an undergravel filter) that will circulate water in a circular flow through the tank.

*Fertilizers;* No nitrate or phosphate most likely. I will dose a weak micronutrient dose once a week.

*Setup;* The tank will be dry started for the first month to allow the plants and beneficial bacteria to establish and fill in before the tank is flooded. For the first month, the tank will receive two 20% water changes a week; the next month it will receive a weekly water change; after that it will receive a water change every four weeks.

Thanks


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## Crazylegs78 (Aug 12, 2020)

Siesta periods are strictly for low tech tanks. The purpose of a siesta period is to stop photosynthesis in the plants to allow your aquarium water to reach CO2 equlibrium with atmosphere again, then restart photosynthesis again. This is intended to limit tank exposure to higher intensity light when CO2 levels are low, which could greatly contribute to algae issues. Therefor, if you inject CO2 into a tank, siesta periods are not needed. Sounds like you have a solid plan. I'm not sure of the macro content of your substrate selection, but be sure there will be potasium available so that nitrogen and phosphate can be taken up efficiently.


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

Crazylegs78 said:


> Siesta periods are strictly for low tech tanks. The purpose of a siesta period is to stop photosynthesis in the plants to allow your aquarium water to reach CO2 equlibrium with atmosphere again, then restart photosynthesis again. This is intended to limit tank exposure to higher intensity light when CO2 levels are low, which could greatly contribute to algae issues. Therefor, if you inject CO2 into a tank, siesta periods are not needed. Sounds like you have a solid plan. I'm not sure of the macro content of your substrate selection, but be sure there will be potasium available so that nitrogen and phosphate can be taken up efficiently.


No benefit for high tech tanks then? OK. Good to know that that I have some semblance of an idea what I am doing  I was going to dose some potassium bicarbonate in the new WC water, along with the GH (in the form of calcium chloride dihydrate and epsom salt) and perhaps some baking soda (as a cheaper KH source...potassium bicarbonate seems to be many times costlier per pound than baking soda, at least online).

On a side note...would there be any benefit to dosing a small (about half a degree) quantity of carbonates daily? I was talking to someone on a reef forum who had some macroalgae tanks, and they found that dosing a degree's worth of KH (in his case, with baking soda) drastically improved his macroalgae's growth (to the point that he had to fertilize the tank) and even initiated pearling.


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## MintyFresh (Jul 24, 2020)

Grah the great said:


> No benefit for high tech tanks then? OK. Good to know that that I have some semblance of an idea what I am doing  I was going to dose some potassium bicarbonate in the new WC water, along with the GH (in the form of calcium chloride dihydrate and epsom salt) and perhaps some baking soda (as a cheaper KH source...potassium bicarbonate seems to be many times costlier per pound than baking soda, at least online).
> 
> On a side note...would there be any benefit to dosing a small (about half a degree) quantity of carbonates daily? I was talking to someone on a reef forum who had some macroalgae tanks, and they found that dosing a degree's worth of KH (in his case, with baking soda) drastically improved his macroalgae's growth (to the point that he had to fertilize the tank) and even initiated pearling.


What is your pH and KH? If your KH is above 4 then I see no need to raise it with carbonates/bicarbonates. If you add these to your tank daily, the KH as well as your pH will continue to rise.

If your GH is soft, then you can follow Ms. Walstad's water hardness recipe. It'll raise your GH without affecting your pH and KH.


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## Crazylegs78 (Aug 12, 2020)

Grah the great said:


> On a side note...would there be any benefit to dosing a small (about half a degree) quantity of carbonates daily? I was talking to someone on a reef forum who had some macroalgae tanks, and they found that dosing a degree's worth of KH (in his case, with baking soda) drastically improved his macroalgae's growth (to the point that he had to fertilize the tank) and even initiated pearling.


Reef tanks are a different beast entirely. Almost every organism in a reef tank is after calcium in the form of calcium carbonate, even many of the algae. Dissolved calcium keeps pH elevated, which makes it difficult for other micronutrients to dissolve into solution. Very long story short - The addition of a buffer (sodium bicarbonate) allows for some fluctuation in dissolved solids with a stabilized effect on pH.

The pH of a planted tank is so low (compared to reef) that every micronutrient is available in solution. If your goal is to never change water and allow for natural waste breakdown, then there will be a time when carbonates and buffers are useful. Otherwise, regular water changes and maintenance combined with micros will be plenty for freshwater plants. If you are using RODI water, where TDS is low, then magnesium sulphate is a common freshwater buffer. Dechlorinated tap with micros will have more than enough buffering capacity for a nonCO2 injected tank so that there is no pH crash over night.

*This is all my opinion formed from my experience.

Bump:


Grah the great said:


> On a side note...would there be any benefit to dosing a small (about half a degree) quantity of carbonates daily? I was talking to someone on a reef forum who had some macroalgae tanks, and they found that dosing a degree's worth of KH (in his case, with baking soda) drastically improved his macroalgae's growth (to the point that he had to fertilize the tank) and even initiated pearling.


Reef tanks are a different beast entirely. Almost every organism in a reef tank is after calcium in the form of calcium carbonate, even many of the algae. Dissolved calcium keeps pH elevated, which makes it difficult for other micronutrients to dissolve into solution. Very long story short - The addition of a buffer (sodium bicarbonate) allows for some fluctuation in dissolved solids with a stabilized effect on pH.

The pH of a planted tank is so low (compared to reef) that every micronutrient is available in solution. If your goal is to never change water and allow for natural waste breakdown, then there will be a time when carbonates and buffers are useful. Otherwise, regular water changes and maintenance combined with micros will be plenty for freshwater plants. If you are using RODI water, where TDS is low, then magnesium sulphate is a common freshwater buffer. Dechlorinated tap with micros will have more than enough buffering capacity for a nonCO2 injected tank so that there is no pH crash over night.

*This is all my opinion formed from my experience.


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

MintyFresh said:


> What is your pH and KH? If your KH is above 4 then I see no need to raise it with carbonates/bicarbonates. If you add these to your tank daily, the KH as well as your pH will continue to rise.
> 
> If your GH is soft, then you can follow Ms. Walstad's water hardness recipe. It'll raise your GH without affecting your pH and KH.





Crazylegs78 said:


> Reef tanks are a different beast entirely. Almost every organism in a reef tank is after calcium in the form of calcium carbonate, even many of the algae. Dissolved calcium keeps pH elevated, which makes it difficult for other micronutrients to dissolve into solution. Very long story short - The addition of a buffer (sodium bicarbonate) allows for some fluctuation in dissolved solids with a stabilized effect on pH.
> 
> The pH of a planted tank is so low (compared to reef) that every micronutrient is available in solution. If your goal is to never change water and allow for natural waste breakdown, then there will be a time when carbonates and buffers are useful. Otherwise, regular water changes and maintenance combined with micros will be plenty for freshwater plants. If you are using RODI water, where TDS is low, then magnesium sulphate is a common freshwater buffer. Dechlorinated tap with micros will have more than enough buffering capacity for a nonCO2 injected tank so that there is no pH crash over night.
> 
> ...


KH and GH in my tap water are both around 1-2, and the TDS after dechlorinating is around 50-55 ppm...they definitely need the add ins. When I first moved here, I killed many of my animals (desert gobies, a mystery snail, a dwarf gourami...) within weeks from how soft this water was. I'll definitely look at that recipe, though my calcium chloride/epsom salt recipe would not increase the KH (the potassium bicarbonate would, but that is probably a good thing in this context)

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate...marine macroalgae don't need the sodium and cannot get calcium from it (unless they have little nuclear reactors hidden in their cells :grin2: ), but they (and many microalgae...and seagrasses...and the symbiotic dinoflagellates in corals...) can rip the bicarbonate apart and use the carbon for photosynthesis. I just wasn't sure how useful it would be to freshwater plants, seeing how only some freshwater plants can use the carbonates in a similar fashion.

EDIT: I know ferts are anathema to the walstad method, but would there be enough bioload in the bowl to support the plants, or would it be better for me to dose a small amount of nitrate and phosphate (maybe 2-3 ppm and .5 ppm respectively) over the course of the week in the event the tank's ammonia is insufficient?


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## Crazylegs78 (Aug 12, 2020)

Grah the great said:


> KH and GH in my tap water are both around 1-2, and the TDS after dechlorinating is around 50-55 ppm...they definitely need the add ins. When I first moved here, I killed many of my animals (desert gobies, a mystery snail, a dwarf gourami...) within weeks from how soft this water was. I'll definitely look at that recipe, though my calcium chloride/epsom salt recipe would not increase the KH (the potassium bicarbonate would, but that is probably a good thing in this context)
> 
> Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate...marine macroalgae don't need the sodium and cannot get calcium from it (unless they have little nuclear reactors hidden in their cells :grin2: ), but they (and many microalgae...and seagrasses...and the symbiotic dinoflagellates in corals...) can rip the bicarbonate apart and use the carbon for photosynthesis. I just wasn't sure how useful it would be to freshwater plants, seeing how only some freshwater plants can use the carbonates in a similar fashion.


That is some soft water! I now understand your concerns! Yeah, I wouldn't think many freshwater plants would evolve that adaptation since freshwater has comparatively higher free CO2. You are pushing the envelope of my aquarium chemistry knowledge/experience here, so I'm going to respectfully bow out. Good luck!


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## Tiger15 (Jan 7, 2018)

Crazylegs78 said:


> Siesta periods are strictly for low tech tanks. The purpose of a siesta period is to stop photosynthesis in the plants to allow your aquarium water to reach CO2 equlibrium with atmosphere again, then restart photosynthesis again. This is intended to limit tank exposure to higher intensity light when CO2 levels are low, which could greatly contribute to algae issues. Therefor, if you inject CO2 into a tank, siesta periods are not needed. Sounds like you have a solid plan. I'm not sure of the macro content of your substrate selection, but be sure there will be potasium available so that nitrogen and phosphate can be taken up efficiently.


I schedule siesta periods for my high tech tanks for the benefit of my viewing, one in the morning hours and one in the evening. Having a continuous photo period starting in the afternoon hours is useless to me as I’m typically not home to enjoy, and I like to view and feed my fish early in the morning and again in the evening. As to whether a siester period will make plants grow better or worse I don’t know but feeding fish twice a day will benefit their growth. Anglers know fish bite more in dawn and dust and why not plants be hungrier then.


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## MintyFresh (Jul 24, 2020)

Grah the great said:


> KH and GH in my tap water are both around 1-2, and the TDS after dechlorinating is around 50-55 ppm...they definitely need the add ins. When I first moved here, I killed many of my animals (desert gobies, a mystery snail, a dwarf gourami...) within weeks from how soft this water was. I'll definitely look at that recipe, though my calcium chloride/epsom salt recipe would not increase the KH (the potassium bicarbonate would, but that is probably a good thing in this context)
> 
> Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate...marine macroalgae don't need the sodium and cannot get calcium from it (unless they have little nuclear reactors hidden in their cells :grin2: ), but they (and many microalgae...and seagrasses...and the symbiotic dinoflagellates in corals...) can rip the bicarbonate apart and use the carbon for photosynthesis. I just wasn't sure how useful it would be to freshwater plants, seeing how only some freshwater plants can use the carbonates in a similar fashion.
> 
> EDIT: I know ferts are anathema to the walstad method, but would there be enough bioload in the bowl to support the plants, or would it be better for me to dose a small amount of nitrate and phosphate (maybe 2-3 ppm and .5 ppm respectively) over the course of the week in the event the tank's ammonia is insufficient?


Wow! You have really soft water! Mine is almost liquid rock with a GH of around 28 and a KH of 14. Lol The recipe will only raise your GH. It won't affect your KH. Carbonates and bicarbonates will increase the KH for you. Since my water is hard, trying to increase these levels is something I've never had to do. 

The main concern for freshwater tanks when it comes to KH is to keep your pH stable. With your low KH, you run the risk of your pH crashing which can kill your inhabitants. Other than that, aside from CO2 and nitrogen, the GH will provide the plants with much needed calcium, magnesium, etc.

Now as for your last paragraph, I'm sorry to say that I can't help you with that. My tank is a Walstad tank so I don't add fertilizers to it because extra fish food supplies the nutrients needed for the plants.


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

MintyFresh said:


> Wow! You have really soft water! Mine is almost liquid rock with a GH of around 28 and a KH of 14. Lol The recipe will only raise your GH. It won't affect your KH. Carbonates and bicarbonates will increase the KH for you. Since my water is hard, trying to increase these levels is something I've never had to do.
> 
> The main concern for freshwater tanks when it comes to KH is to keep your pH stable. With your low KH, you run the risk of your pH crashing which can kill your inhabitants. Other than that, aside from CO2 and nitrogen, the GH will provide the plants with much needed calcium, magnesium, etc.
> 
> Now as for your last paragraph, I'm sorry to say that I can't help you with that. My tank is a Walstad tank so I don't add fertilizers to it because extra fish food supplies the nutrients needed for the plants.


Funny enough, in most PH crashes, it is the large changes in the KH that stress/kill fish...PH changes are relatively benign by comparison so long as they don't fall so far that the fish cannot survive the new Ph level at all (IE a mbuna tank falling into the 4's). People with high tech tanks regularly have the PH shift by 1 or more over the day due to the CO2 coming on and off, but since nothing else changes that does not bother the fish and inverts in such tanks so long as the PH does not dip below their tolerance range (my 'high tech' tanks all use yeast reactors, so these regular shifts do not occur for me...the only time they might occur is when I switch out a reactor for a new one every 2 weeks, but since I always do that after the photoperiod ends the plants are not obviously affected). Not to say I am skipping the KH (which many animals need anyway)...after all, most animals appropriate for such a small walstad tank as this (neocaridina shrimp, Heterandria formosa, snails, etc) need the KH to osmoregulate, and in a low CO2 environment like a walstad tank many plants are likely to resort to using carbonates as a carbon source (and thus removing KH from the water)


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## Crazylegs78 (Aug 12, 2020)

Grah the great said:


> EDIT: I know ferts are anathema to the walstad method, but would there be enough bioload in the bowl to support the plants, or would it be better for me to dose a small amount of nitrate and phosphate (maybe 2-3 ppm and .5 ppm respectively) over the course of the week in the event the tank's ammonia is insufficient?


I prefer a nutrient starved tank to a high nutrient tank, specifically with respect to nitrate and phosphate. This may be from my reef tank experience, but it seems to carry over to freshwater plants more or less. When I dosed full recommedned EI for my tank, Algae and disfigured leaves on some plants were big issues. I now only dose potasium sulfate and micros and have no issues at all. In my opinion, correcting a nutrient defficiency is much easier than correcting for excessive nutrients, especially once certain algae becomes established. I guess moving slowly either way would be key.


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

Thanks for all the input so far! Here is one bulb I am considering for this bowl; https://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips...d-Light-Bulb-Daylight-2-Pack-556621/311192955

It is a little brighter than I had planned...500 lumens for one of these bulbs (for comparison, my two 5 gallon high tech CO2 tanks both have a 430 lumen, 3000k undercabinet light on them...not very bright, but it is supporting good growth on both tanks). Is that an OK amount of light, or should I get something weaker? (Alternately, I have some 50% shade cloth I could use as part of the lid, OR I could make the lighting periods a little shorter - perhaps 3-3.5 hours with a 4-5 hour siesta between them)

EDIT: Since this bowl is so small and is not going to be CO2 injected, do I even need to have an air pump or any other kind of circulation in it?


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

I'd go with more soil, like 1.5 inches.

Good luck!


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## MintyFresh (Jul 24, 2020)

Grah the great said:


> EDIT: Since this bowl is so small and is not going to be CO2 injected, do I even need to have an air pump or any other kind of circulation in it?


I'd say no. With my type of setup, circulation is optional because you don't want to take the chance of losing CO2 due to any surface agitation. There are, however, some benefits to adding circulation like it spreads heat and nutrients evenly around the tank.

If you do add circulation, make sure it's a very gentle flow.


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

Capsaicin_MFK said:


> I'd go with more soil, like 1.5 inches.
> 
> Good luck!


Thanks! So an inch and a half of soil under an inch of turface?



MintyFresh said:


> I'd say no. With my type of setup, circulation is optional because you don't want to take the chance of losing CO2 due to any surface agitation. There are, however, some benefits to adding circulation like it spreads heat and nutrients evenly around the tank.
> 
> If you do add circulation, make sure it's a very gentle flow.


Do you think I could add an electrical timer so that the air pump is only running at night or perhaps during part of the siesta period?

EDIT: I have some plant ideas for this bowl...how do these sound?
- Hygrophila difformis
- Cryptocoryne wendtii
- Christmas moss
- Riccia fluitans (floating...can this plant be dry started?)

Are there any plants (perhaps to replace the hygro) that would turn at least somewhat red in a walstad setup? Also, during the dry start, should I mist the christmas moss (which, of course, would have no roots) with a weak nutrient solution instead of the RODI water I would mist the other plants with in the morning?


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## MintyFresh (Jul 24, 2020)

Grah the great said:


> Do you think I could add an electrical timer so that the air pump is only running at night or perhaps during part of the siesta period?
> 
> EDIT: I have some plant ideas for this bowl...how do these sound?
> - Hygrophila difformis
> ...


I would only use the pump at night. Sometimes it is needed for the first 6-8 weeks until the plants can establish themselves. After that, you most likely won't need it. I've only started using a siesta period for a short time so I can't help you there but since the lights would only be off for a few hours, I don't think the pump would be needed. 

I looked up the dry start method because to be honest, I didn't know anything about it. Lol When I set up a tank, once the substrate is set, I add the plants and then fill up the tank. Aside from the moss, I've had all of these plants at some point and they grow well but the crypt may get a bit big for your tank size. Ludwigia reopens may get some red colour. The stems always stayed reddish for me. 

I know you didn't ask me about the substrate but what works for me is 1" of soil with 0.5" of gravel.


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

MintyFresh said:


> I would only use the pump at night. Sometimes it is needed for the first 6-8 weeks until the plants can establish themselves. After that, you most likely won't need it. I've only started using a siesta period for a short time so I can't help you there but since the lights would only be off for a few hours, I don't think the pump would be needed.
> 
> I looked up the dry start method because to be honest, I didn't know anything about it. Lol When I set up a tank, once the substrate is set, I add the plants and then fill up the tank. Aside from the moss, I've had all of these plants at some point and they grow well but the crypt may get a bit big for your tank size. Ludwigia reopens may get some red colour. The stems always stayed reddish for me.
> 
> I know you didn't ask me about the substrate but what works for me is 1" of soil with 0.5" of gravel.


Good to know. Maybe I can use the repens in place of the crypts? (I have H. difformis growing like a weed in one of my 5 gallon yeast powered tank, so I can easily take some cuttings from there to use in this tank) I think I may do 1 inch soil under 1 inch of turface. My idea is that the dry start for 1-2 months would allow me to thoroughly fill the tank out with the plants and get them thoroughly established before flooding the tank, thus making the transition to submersed growth less stressful (it would also allow the plants to eat much of the ammonia that would inevitably be released by the substrate if it was flooded immediately).

By the way...thanks for all the help so far, everyone


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## MintyFresh (Jul 24, 2020)

Grah the great said:


> Good to know. Maybe I can use the repens in place of the crypts? (I have H. difformis growing like a weed in one of my 5 gallon yeast powered tank, so I can easily take some cuttings from there to use in this tank) I think I may do 1 inch soil under 1 inch of turface. My idea is that the dry start for 1-2 months would allow me to thoroughly fill the tank out with the plants and get them thoroughly established before flooding the tank, thus making the transition to submersed growth less stressful (it would also allow the plants to eat much of the ammonia that would inevitably be released by the substrate if it was flooded immediately).
> 
> By the way...thanks for all the help so far, everyone


You certainly could. H. Difformis is a nice, fast growing plant which will help use up excess nutrients. If you would still like to have a crypt in there though, you can plant c. parva, if you can find it. It is slow growing but it stays small. Here's a thread listing some crypts that stay on the smaller size. 

So that's why people do dry start. It makes sense. I'm assuming this is mainly for aquatic plants that were grown emersed.

Good luck!


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

Do you think that Rotala rotundifolia (or its variants, such as 'red' and 'h'ra') would work well?


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## MintyFresh (Jul 24, 2020)

It could. From what I've read, it needs moderate to high lighting. Low Tech tanks tend to use low to moderate light so it could work. The thing is I don't know if you would get the red colour that you want. I've heard different things about getting red plants to show more red from needing to dose more iron, that starving plants of nitrogen to bring out the reds, to growing them in high light.


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

MintyFresh said:


> It could. From what I've read, it needs moderate to high lighting. Low Tech tanks tend to use low to moderate light so it could work. The thing is I don't know if you would get the red colour that you want. I've heard different things about getting red plants to show more red from needing to dose more iron, that starving plants of nitrogen to bring out the reds, to growing them in high light.


Iron won't turn a plant red unless it was so deficient it was at death's door to begin with. Lean nitrogen levels (which are likely in a walstad setup anyway) are a major criterion to getting any Rotundifolia variant to turn red/pink/etc. I'm wondering whether any plants would turn acceptably red in a low tech setup...I'm struggling enough to get decent reds in my CO2 driven tanks (though granted, these are relatively dimly lit).


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## MintyFresh (Jul 24, 2020)

Grah the great said:


> Iron won't turn a plant red unless it was so deficient it was at death's door to begin with. Lean nitrogen levels (which are likely in a walstad setup anyway) are a major criterion to getting any Rotundifolia variant to turn red/pink/etc. I'm wondering whether any plants would turn acceptably red in a low tech setup...I'm struggling enough to get decent reds in my CO2 driven tanks (though granted, these are relatively dimly lit).


I'm just telling you what I've read. I find the iron one rather odd but the lighting is what makes the most sense. Oddly enough, I've always heard that high tech setups is the way to go if you want red plants whereas low tech like Walstad isn't good for it. Lol I did find this post about a Walstad bowl with Ludwigia repens. It has some really good colour to it so it's obviously possible. 

I say give it a try!


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

Thanks! A very practical issue with this bowl was bothering me last night...what on earth would I stock the bowl with?

EDIT: On giving it more thought...I don't think I am going to turn this bowl into a walstad setup. There's no easily accessible spot in my room I can place it due to its shape, and it is really too small to keep much of anything in it. I will probably give it away to someone who will be happier with it, and then come up with another setup with a 5 gallon (which would fit on my dresser...the bowl is too wide to fit there with what is already on it). Thanks for all your help, though...I think all of this will help me in my future planted tank endeavors.


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## MintyFresh (Jul 24, 2020)

Grah the great said:


> Thanks! A very practical issue with this bowl was bothering me last night...what on earth would I stock the bowl with?
> 
> EDIT: On giving it more thought...I don't think I am going to turn this bowl into a walstad setup. There's no easily accessible spot in my room I can place it due to its shape, and it is really too small to keep much of anything in it. I will probably give it away to someone who will be happier with it, and then come up with another setup with a 5 gallon (which would fit on my dresser...the bowl is too wide to fit there with what is already on it). Thanks for all your help, though...I think all of this will help me in my future planted tank endeavors.


You're welcome! :smile2:

It's too bad that you're not going through with it but I understand your reasons. The bowls look nice but the only thing you could possibly keep in them are tiny snails or some shrimp.


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## jjShibbycray (Aug 23, 2020)

*Dont give up just yet!*



MintyFresh said:


> You're welcome! :smile2:
> 
> It's too bad that you're not going through with it but I understand your reasons. The bowls look nice but the only thing you could possibly keep in them are tiny snails or some shrimp.


Dont give up! Thats a perfect little bowl to bring a lot of nature into your setting! I signed up just to reply to this thread. I have a 3 gallon "Walstad" bowl and have had amazing results with it. It is a jungle! I am running a 40 watt/260 lumen GE Reveal bulb in a desk lamp and i get pearling all the time from my Monte Carlo carpet. I currently have 2 Clown Killi fish in there and could have more if i wanted. I put a single Ram's Horn snail in there and now have the original who is dime sized, plus about 30 babies to teens lol whoops. I have Fissidens or Peacock moss and spikey moss, crypts, MC, bacopa in it and i've had other things such as moss balls, etc. 

I have potting soil(non-organic = Diana Walstad cringing) capped with eco-complete. I put way too much so it takes up a lot of real estate, like you mentioned. I have 2 inches in the front combined and nearly 3 in the rear. I have also kept a Sparkling Guarami in it but i got rid of him prematurely as i thought he was killing my shrimp... turned out to be my water parameters. 

Just do you research on fish that can handle stagnant water. I have no heater, no pumps, no filter, no nada. Just a bowl beneath a lamp and it THRIVES! I do occasionally add a root tab but not many, and not often. I highly advise you try it as it may alter your thoughts on how you approach your next BIG tank. Sooooooooo easy!

I'd post pics but have no idea how to do so. Lemme know if you have any questions as i'd be more than happy to help out.

I hope this helps!
j


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

jjShibbycray said:


> Dont give up! Thats a perfect little bowl to bring a lot of nature into your setting! I signed up just to reply to this thread. I have a 3 gallon "Walstad" bowl and have had amazing results with it. It is a jungle! I am running a 40 watt/260 lumen GE Reveal bulb in a desk lamp and i get pearling all the time from my Monte Carlo carpet. I currently have 2 Clown Killi fish in there and could have more if i wanted. I put a single Ram's Horn snail in there and now have the original who is dime sized, plus about 30 babies to teens lol whoops. I have Fissidens or Peacock moss and spikey moss, crypts, MC, bacopa in it and i've had other things such as moss balls, etc.
> 
> I have potting soil(non-organic = Diana Walstad cringing) capped with eco-complete. I put way too much so it takes up a lot of real estate, like you mentioned. I have 2 inches in the front combined and nearly 3 in the rear. I have also kept a Sparkling Guarami in it but i got rid of him prematurely as i thought he was killing my shrimp... turned out to be my water parameters.
> 
> ...


WOW...didn't realize the tank needed that little light (I was considering a light in the 350-500 lumen range...which is probably considerably more PAR than that even considering the fact that lumens are not a great reflection of how good a light is for plants). What is your photoperiod on this bowl like? And how did you set it up?


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## jjShibbycray (Aug 23, 2020)

I agree, you'd likely see crazy algae growth with that light. That being said idk how LED vs OG bulb compare but it seems like a lot of light for that size of bowl.

I made mistakes and learned yet still got great results. I have Diana Walstad's book Ecology of the Planted Aquarium (highly recommend yet not necessary) and had been reading up. After work one night i was doing laundry and came across my girlfriends old betta bowl in the top of a cabinet and asked if i could use it. I scaped it that night right then and there with what i had on hand as i was so excited to find a bowl lol

I dumped regular potting soil in the bottom, topped it w Eco-Complete, which is just crushed lava rock. When the EC is new it has a liquid in it with beneficial bacteria that help start a new tank... cant remember if this had the liquid or was rinsed but it should work either way. I should have soaked the soil once placing it inside. When i went to plant in it, the dry soil would float up as i poked plants down into it. Soak the soil and stir it up to get bubbles out and ensure this doesn't happen before capping it. Potting soil does have tiny chunks of Styrofoam in it to keep it from compacting so organic topsoil that is filtered to get the big stuff out may be a better option. I'm considering this for next time.

After the substrate was in, I threw in a chunk of dragon stone then planted as much as i could based on what i had in my tupperware grow out containers next to the window and what i could spare from my main tank. Monte Carlo sprigs across the bottom. Crypt in back. Stuffed the Dragon Stone with moss and Anubias. 

Ooooh yeah, floating plants are a MUST as well. I have used Amazon Frogbit with great success however at one point the roots took over and filled the bowl. I had roots that were over a foot long winding their way throughout the bowl and filled it. Lots of it reached down and took root in the soil and pulled a bunch of the substrate that it had attached to up. So now i use less of it and trim the longer roots as they approach the substrate. I have also used Red Root Floaters and currently am using what I believe to be Duck Weed, which came in accidentally on some plants from my LFS… cleaned it out of the big tank and transferred it. More messy but I don’t have to worry about the roots.

I have also experimented with dropping cuttings from my big tank in as floaters such as Rotala Rotundafolia, which I have in there now. Water sprite and Guppy Grass work well. 

There are plants specific to this type of setup that you'll get the best results out of but you can always experiment. I certainly have considering this bowl is now over two years old. I have also replinished the soil with root tabs a time or two. Not sure if it is needed but I think over time it may be helpful. The organic soil should continue to break down the things inside it and continue to produce more nutrients and CO2 (yes CO2 from the soil! - I have never done a siesta on this tank but might be worth experiementing with).

Plant heavily as possible from the beginning for best results. Hopefully this helps but let me know if you have more for me!


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

I was going to stock the bowl with mosses (for a carpet), various stem plants, and Riccia (as a floating plant). Also, after doing some research, I think I would also dose excel daily to make it easier for the plants to get enough CO2.


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## jjShibbycray (Aug 23, 2020)

Plant choices should be acceptable but experimenting with different types will likely be needed to see what your setup likes. I try new stuff all the time. Keep in mind that there isnt much room for height in a bowl for something like stems. That being said, they should be slow growing so in this case that's a plus. I do have bacopa doing great in mine.

Excel - skip it. CO2 is created naturally overnight and from the soil(*over time as organics are broken down). Is it the same as pressurized? No way. But i have never used Excel and i have pearling, daily! 

Just some more food for plant thoughts.

*edit


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## f Majalis (Jan 6, 2017)

I have soft water like you, and only add kH occasionally. I am very lean with my fertilization, though, so that may help. I have never had any issues with a tank crash, except one time when just starting, and it had not been due to pH issues (I put in too much dechlorinator when I switched brands and Bad Things happened). I usually try to choose things that work with my water. Admittedly, my current tank is a 20 gallon, and has been for years, so the larger format may buffer the tank better. I live in a city that publishes DEP water reports yearly, if you live in a city, you may want to check to see if yours does, too. They can give you some in-depth info that you may miss out on if you just have the API and Seachem tests.


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