# Proposed Walstad Tank Layout (First Timer)



## peachii (Jun 1, 2013)

Sounds good! I'd move the wisteria to the background as it grows tall, thick and very fast. great plant and really pretty but it grows like crazy. 

I think your cichlids would eat shrimp as they are pretty aggressive but i've not kept them so not all to familiar with that types of other fish they get along with.

I'm enjoying the look of my top layer over my soil that is a leftover mix that i had from doing other tanks and tearing them down to re-scape of black diamond blasting sand, eco-complete and floramax. The colors of these mixed together are really pleasing to me plus are doing extremely well with all the plants that are planted in it. I've not used aquasoil but would it break down long term and need to be replaced? Since it's mixed with eco, not sure how that would work a few years down the road. 

Since you are going Walsted method, you may want to add a few more species of fast to moderately fast growing plants to help with eating the nutrients in the tank. Stem plants like rotala, ludwiga, hygrophilia and cabomba are pretty fast growing and help to eat the nitrates/nutrients in the water. Also floaters such as salvinia, greater duckweed, dwarf water lettuce and frogbit are also great to have. The less excess nutrients you have the less likelyhood of having algae issues.


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## MiniPike (Aug 25, 2013)

Thanks Pea. Glad to hear that i am on the right track. Yea, i do agree cichlids are kinda aggressive. Sigh, looks like i got to set up another tank for shrimps then. 

And the caveat that ada soil crumble over the long run and has to be replaced is really helpful. I guess i will use my ada in a manner that it will be below eco complete / flourite. I am just wonder if the dissolved ada aquasoil will make the substrate anaerobic? 

My major concern about the substrate is it being anaerobic, been hearing a lot about how this could lead to a fish nuclear plant meltdown disaster.


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## Tzac (May 18, 2013)

I would maybe recommend Rosy barbs over Tiger. They stay smaller and will eat dead plant material and algae without hurting your plants.


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