Planning: 60L BiOrb Life - Walstad Method

[pizzytinzel]

I'm planning a Walstad style planted tank around a 60L BiOrb Life that I inherited from my brother. I have a rough plan, which I was wondering if a few of you could chip in and let me know if I've got the right idea, or if I'm totally barking up the wrong tree.

The tank itself has abnormal dimensions, being 42cm long, 60cm tall and 28cm wide. Not ideal, but I see this as more of a challenge and maybe lends itself to some quite creative aquascaping. Lighting supplied is 3 "high power" LEDs on unspecified power, 6500K. So, I have no idea what PAR I'm likely to achieve at the base of the tank, but I'm willing to take a punt that they'll be OK for low light loving plants. I have a feeling the LEDs are about 1W each.

I have a few questions to start off with:

Substrate: Standard method is around 1 to 1.5" of potting compost, capped the the same depth of fine gravel. Is there any reason why, for aquascaping purposes, I can't go up to 6" depth at the back corner of the tank?

Filtration: The exisiting filtration has been completely removed and the airline capped off. I was looking into a canister filter of around 600 l/h. Is this going to be overkill for this kind of tank? Will I be better off with a small internal filter of around 400 l/h such as the Eheim Aquaball 60?

Flora: I like the look of Java Ferns, Java Moss and Crypts, so I was going to plant with just these to keep it simple' more of a kind of densely planted Amano type thing. Good idea? Or are there better plants for this? Bear in mind I want to keep the stock lighting if I can.

Fauna: Once established, I'd like various shrimps, a pair of Peacock Gudgeon and some Celestial Pearl Danios.

Aquascaping wise, I really like the Amano look, but I'm concious they're quite difficult to achieve using the Walstad method. Not sure whether to go mostly rock or rock with bogwood...Need some inspiration I think. I think I bit bunch of tangled wood might look better in such a tall tank.

Here's the tank:



I'm going to black out the background on one side with vinyl.

 

[Henry]

If you want the substrate to go to 6" deep at the back, I'd build it up with gravel, keeping the soil pretty much the same depth front to back. The soil will be more likely to compact if it is too deep, which won't do your plant's roots any good.

Walstad style tanks require both fast and slow growing plants. This means you will need stem plants such as Ludwigia repens, Hygrophila polysperma, or possibly even Heteranthera zosterifolia. Another good plant to consider is Sagittaria subulata; it will form a nice carpet even at low light levels. The tank will benefit from some indirect sunlight to supplement the LEDs. This will obviously cause algae on the glass, but algae is a fact of life in Walstad tanks. You will need to accept and learn to appreciate the natural pond look of your tank if you are going to enjoy the Walstad method.

Cryptocorynes are an excellent choice for this type of tank, but be weary of adding too many to begin with. With such a rich substrate, they develop extensive root systems and spread relatively quickly once established.

So far as filtration is concerned, I haven't bothered in any of my Walstad tanks. A small powerhead to keep things moving around is always a good idea, but mechanical filtration isn't necessary since the mulm is used to fertilise the plants (be sure to add some trumpet snails to help this process along).

Floating plants are ESSENTIAL for these setups. Choose one that will grow quickly in your tank, be it Salvinia minima, duckweed, frogbit etc. They are relied upon to remove excess nitrogenous compounds, any surface movement that impedes this is to be avoided.

The fish you put in these tanks play a large part in how successful they are too. Pick at least one omnivorous species that likes to pick at algae. Pethia gelius, or any other kind of small barb would do very well. I have had tremendous results with Jordanella floridae (stunning when coloured up, and full of character. I'd compare them more to Cichlids than Killifish), and Puntius titteya in a 70l tank. Both have lasted for years and are constantly breeding.

I would recommend you stock this tank 2-3 weeks after setup, or as long as you can bear to wait. This will allow the plants to get their roots established and ensure the growing process is in full swing before risking poisoning fish with any excess fertilisers etc from the soil.

Lastly, in spite of what the Walstad book/site/journals say, water changes are still beneficial. I have gone months without, but seen my plants and fish change for the better when I gave them some fresh water. I tend to do this once every 6 weeks these days, and everything is happy.

Phew! Sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to pass on my experience and let you know what has actually worked in practice.

Good luck,

 

[pizzytinzel]

Wow, thanks so much for such a comprehensive reply! That's genuinely super helpful; it's given me food for thought, and some encouragement that I'm on the right track. I expected some flak for considering using the BiOrb!

I really like the look of the Sagittaria, so I'll definitely incorporate some of that, with small amounts of Cryptocorynes and some Java fern/moss & the floating plants.

Not worried too much about the "look" of the thing. I'll be aquascaping it quite carefully, but I'm totally happy for it to go a bit wild. It's supposed to be natural, afterall and I'm sure the creatures will appreciate it.

The filtration thing is really funny. It sounds so "wrong" based on what we've been told about fishkeeping, but to be honest as a Marine aquarist, I did really well using the "Berlin" method, using just live rock and a protein skimmer for filtration. I kind of liken this method to that, in a way. I'll just go with a 600 /hr or so powerhead, with a sponge attached to protect the fauna. That frees up funds for more plants 🙂

I'll be stocking very carefully, and not until I'm certain the plants are healthy and happy. I may stock with shrimps and snails first, after mineralisation to keep the algae at bay and provide some interest.

And I really like your fish recommendations. Those Killifish look amazing, so I'll have to hunt some down in the UK.

 

[Henry]

You're very welcome. It's a method that I've found very rewarding for very little effort. I'm surprised more people aren't using it!

Don't forget some fast growing stems, they are one of the cornerstones of these tanks.

The Jordanella floridae were bought from a local Pets At Home, believe it or not! I imagine they will have them on the fish supplier list around the country. It's worth a try, since they are very interesting fish, and perfectly suited to this type of aquarium.