10 gallon walstad method

[Triangle08t]

Just started a 10 gallon walstad method tank about 3 weeks ago. Never tried this and after reading and watching some youtube videos on it i figured id give it a try. so far seems to be going really well and i havent had much plant melting like i have seen happen to others. trying to figure out what im going to stock this with so suggestions are welcomed.

Filter:
aqueon 10 gallon HOB

lighting:
2 13 watt 6500k cfl bulbs

substrate:
miracle gro organic
crushed clay
1" pool filter sand cap

fauna:
amazon sword
crypt wendti bronze
crypt lutea
cardinal plant
anubias nana
dwarf hairgrass

I am debating on dosing excel but for now no c02 or ferts just regular water changes. need to check my parameters to see where i am at. let me know what yall think!

[mnemenoi]

It looks great thus far! We had a similar set up using Flourite, but same light set up and it went crazy. I am not a huge fan of dirted tanks, but its more about the messiness and the capping becomes a hot mess for trimming/changing out plants. That sword will get crazy huge, I foresee it emerging out of the tank in a few months at most. We have some in a 150 and they clear almost 2 feet. I have never had luck with hairgrass in a low tech set up, it just barely hangs on or gets covered in algae. Glosso is an easier alternative and only carpeting plant I have personally used that actually carpeted in a low tech set up. I like Excel and never had any issue with dosing it ( or Glut) and the crypts never melted on me from it. Fissidens hates it as do vals so... Great job thus far and interested in seeing how it turns out! Your substrate looks kinda low? I usually recommend 2" in front and 4" in back, with your capping, how much soil is actually in there?

[Triangle08t]

i appreciate the input. both the soil and the cap are each 1 inch so total substrate depth is 2 inches. from what i had been reading, and correct me if im wrong, was that the soil depth when using dirt should not be more than 1 inch and the cap if loose no more than 1.5 inches. Do you think the glossos would still thrive given the nearly nutrient free cap or will the roots reach the dirt? i know the dirt will still essentially leach nutrients to the whole tank but i want to make sure its enough for them to thrive. and i definitely understand the mess. ive had to move a few plants and it was not very pretty for cleaning. thanks for the input!

[mnemenoi]

Glad to help, we have 6-8 planted tanks and none are dirted. I understand the theory, but they just end up being a hot mess for me. Our glosso was growing well in eco complete, so should be fine in a nutrient free cap. Honestly our heavily planted 150 has PFS for substrate. We dose root tabs and occasional liquid ferts, but that is about all we do. The smaller nanos are about the same. Only one tank has a Ph reducing substrate, the rest are flourite/Eco-complete/PFS or some other sand. With that light it should be fine. What are you running your photoperiod like? If you start having algae issues try setting the timer for 1 4 hour period with a 2-3 hour rest and then a 2nd 4 hour period. The broken lighting is fine for the plants, but simple algaes have a hard time with it

[Triangle08t]

very cool i will have to go look at some of your threads. i guess for now we will see how the DHG goes as well as the substrate. I forgot to mention i also have a 20L eco complete setup which was my first venture into planted tanks. and that is similar to what i am doing with the light. i do 5hrs on 4 hour siesta and then another 5 hrs on. so far the water has cleared up and i have not seen much algae growth but it only having been setup for 3 weeks might be why. i will keep updating over time.

[troy tucker]

The tank looks good. I have tried planted tanks a few time but never had any luck with it.
I started reading more of Roy's posts on plants. Now I have plants.

[ptran]

Cool tank. Like the tanning in the water. Looks very natural.

[agamberutti]

I have a dirted tank very similar setup. Plants are taking off but now after 6 months the dirt is coming up and now is the cap and sand is below. Good thing is, it's so heavily planted I don't do water changes anymore. I just top off and dos

[agamberutti]

You can see the dirt where it has bubbled up

[Triangle08t]

That sucks but it doesnt look bad and im glad it didnt turn into a slurry and cloud your water really bad. I checked my parameters last night:

PH 7.4-7.6
nitrite 0
ammonia 0
nitrate <5ppm

with that in mind i think i will be stocking it next week or so. any ideas yall think would look good? im thinking betta and cherry shrimp but im not sure just yet. thanks for looking!

[mnemenoi]

Bettas and cherry shrimp don't usually mix well, you end up with a well fed betta LOL. Otos are great, Amano shrimp can mix it up. Bororas sp. are a great choice with shrimp as are some other tiny tetras (Ember, Ruby, Jelly Bean), Sawbwa barbs and Gellius are decent. Dwarf Killifish and lampeyes are great choices as are many of the smaller psuedomugils (Australian blue eyes), we have kept gertrudaes, paskais, and furcatus which all did decently with shrimp. Pencilfish are another great choice, especially the eques.

[morpheus]

i never had planted luck either until talking to people on here for lighting and plant suggestions. i am still a novice at best, but with roy and others advice, i now have a jungle of easy low light plants. i use root tabs as well and a gravel substrate. might be better with sand but oh well. i use to dose with excel, but stopped.

my tank just keeps 4 pea puffers and some amano shrimp for cleanup. everyone seems happy.

[troy tucker]

My planted tank has a breeding pair of long fin albino bristle nose pleco's. It's a 38.9g hex. It has 4 of the same lights you have and pool filter sand. 2 Types of Anubias, 2 types of Val., and 2 little Amazon Swords. I only use root tabs at half the safe dose. The Val. gets so tall I have to cut it back every 2 weeks or it's floating at the top. I want to try Glosso again.

[ptran]

A breeding pair of super red pleco, but they will need a cave. Maybe some cherry shrimps too.

[Triangle08t]

Preciate the ideas yall. I think im going to go with guppies and cherry shrimp so hopefully that aquarium place has a new shipment in next week.