Walstad Aquarium - 1 Year Later.

Its been almost 1 year now with the new aquarium setup. And things have now got stabilized with lush green growth every where. I am now actually getting bored to update this blog because there is nothing interesting happening. Everything is going just going smooth, touchwood!!

No Masive Algae problems!! No browning of glass due to Brown Algae!!

I need to rethink whats next. Here are a few things I am planning to consider:

1. No Algae Regime: Increase the 10% water change from monthly to weekly basis. The objective is to get rid of all the minute growth of Brown Algae. I am not sure if its worth the effort.

2. Re-design a new Automatic Fish Food Feeder: Here I am planning to get hands dirty with low level electronic ICs, stepper motors/relays and things like that.

Anyway here are the pics:

Walstad Aquarium - Full View.

Note: Around 5 Amazon Sword Plants have been added. they have added filled the vacuum at various places.

Aquarium - Center View.

Aquarium - Left Hand Side View.

Aquarium - Right Hand Side View.

9 - Months - Progression Gallery.

Its 9 months now since the new setup was performed during Sep 2012.

Here are some pics:

Sep-2012: Initial Setup. 

Jan-2013: Not so encouraging Setup. :(

Jul-2013: Lush Growth. :)

Updates:
1. Added 3 new Angels fishes (Qty-4) a few days back.
2. Added Red Tail Sharks (Qty-7) around 2 months back. 
3. Added Crypt (Qty-1) around 2-weeks back and they are doing really great. I am impressed with their growth.
4. Also added Bacopa, But not that impressive growth.
5. Java Fern is still stagnating. I have ran out of ideas now. :(
6. Dead Fishes: Some Angels, Neon Rainbow, Serpae Tetra. :(

Aquarium Center.

The Lawn.

Left Side.

Left Side.

Right Side.

My Learnings:

1. Its all about CO2: CO2 (Carbon dioxide) is the most deficient nutrient for most Walstad style (Low-Tech) Natural Planted Aquarium. My 3 months results were not that encouraging. Adding lots of plants in the initial setup could have solved my problem. But since there wasn't too much many of aquatic plants, I had a tough time bringing up this aquarium.

Just 3 months back I have started Glut dosing and I am happy with the results. I was able to multiply my plants in no time.

2. Control the Algae: I had a hard time trying to control the deaded Brown Algae. But Glut dosing ans monthly siphoning of 15% water has brought things in control. 

Also the filter (running for 5 hrs Daily [overnight]) also is helping.

I am expecting that my lush green growth of aquatic plants will help me to get to a state of almost no algae.

New Aquarium Setup After 3 Months.

My New Aquarium Setup is more than 3 months old. And the results are not that encouraging.

- All fast growing plants have shown super slow growth and are almost dead.
- Slow growing plants are showing growth.
- The Lawn[Pygmy Chain Sword (Echinodorus Tenellus)] has started spawning new daughter shoots. The Lawn is now spreading.
- Java Fern has given out lots of baby Ferns.
- Amazon Sword has grown new leaves but they are thin and slender.
- Java Moss is all dead.
- Around 30+ Swordtails/Platty babies growing.

New Additions:
- Giant Ambulia.
- Added a Internal Aquarium Filter (Not shown in pics). 

Possible Causes:
- Inconsistent Light Timings.
- Aerating Filter decreasing carbon-dioxide.
- Tube lights are now 9 months old. Most Aquarists say that tube lights should be changed every 6 months.


Changes Made:
- Light Timings: 8-13, 14-16. 17-22, every day. 
- Aerating Filter turned on overnight.
- Tube lights how changed to "Philips Trulight (Warm)" Fluorescent (Not shown in Pics).

Aquarium Full View - Without New Giant Ambulia.

Aquarium Full View - With New Giant Ambulia. at Left corner.

Java Fern has grown lots of baby ferns, on the log.

Amazon Sword with lot of slender leaves.

New Giant Ambulia.

New Giant Ambulia.

New Giant Ambulia. - Top View.

Natural Planted Aquarium - The New Setup.

- New Plants Added: Java Fern and Java Moss. 

I am too bored to write anything right now. So for time being, just enjoy the pics. ;)

Day 1- A Very Cloudy Setup.

1 Week Later - Its lot better now.

Natural Planted Aquarium (Walstad Method) - Left View.

Natural Planted Aquarium (Walstad Method) - Center View.

Natural Planted Aquarium (Walstad Method) - Right View.

Natural Planted Aquarium (Walstad Method) - Angled View.

Walstad Aquarium - 6 Months Later.

Highlights:

- Zero Maintainence Aquarium Setup - 2 months and still running.
- No water changes was performed for last 2 months. Only evaporated water was topped up.

- Decision for a Partial Tear-Down of Aquarium was taken up for the following reasons: 

• Signs of Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) toxicity was affecting the slow-growers drastically.     
• Fine Bio-film/Brown Algae growth on aquarium glass, obstructing the view.

Walstad Setup Before Pruning - Full View.

Walstad Setup Before Pruning - Center View.

Walstad Setup Before Pruning - Right View.

Walstad Setup Before Pruning - Lawn View.

How to insert soil/nutrients in Walstad Aquarium setup?

Once you have a Walstad  Aquarium setup ready, you may face nutrient deficiency in the soil substrate. 

To add some soil/nutrients in the Walstad Aquarium substrate follow this process:

1. Mix some Red Soil and dry organic Manure in the ratio of (4:1). Note: Red Soil contains lots of Iron.

2. Add some water to bring it to dough like texture.

3. Roll half an inch diameter balls from this soil dough.

4. Dry these soil balls in the sun.

5. Now wrap each of these dried balls in newspaper/tissue. 

6. These wrapped balls can now be easily pushed into the Soil substrate in the aquarium without tearing down the aquarium. 

Walstad Aquarium - 5 Months Later.

Highlights:
- Zero Maintainence Aquarium Setup is now completed. Now its simply Wait and Watch!! :)
- No water changes was performed. Only the evaporated water was topped up.
- Over growth of plants were pruned and cuttings were propagated. 
- Pygmy grass was pruned a little. Pygmy grass offshoots which were transplanted last month did not show any appreciable growth. 
- Slow growing plants are turning brown need to work on those.
- Automated Light Controller has been installed. Timings 8.00 AM to 2.00 pm, 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm.


New Fishes Added:
- Danni Soni (Also known as Puntius denisonii, Red-Lined Torpedo Barb, Rose Line Shark, Denison's Barb) - 3 Pairs.

Walstad Setup Before Pruning - Full View.

Walstad Setup After Pruning - Full View.

Walstad Setup Before Pruning - Center View.

Walstad Setup After Pruning - Center View.

Walstad Setup Before Pruning - Lawn View.

Walstad Setup After Pruning - Lawn View.

Walstad Aquarium - 4 Months Later.

Highlights:
- Major water change(20%) was performed after Pruning. Cutting were propagated. 
- No weekly water changes.  
- Pygmy Grass has shown new offshoots. These were replanted in the front of the tank. Pygmy grass was pruned a little.
- To add in some Iron, small dried balls of Red garden Soil were insert in substrate at various places. 
- Addition of Potassium Sulphate has facilitated new growth in slow growing plants. Growth of Brown Algae was relatively less.


Lots of new Fishes Added:
- Diamond Angels - 2.
- Neon Tetra - 10.
- Serpae Tetra - 10
- Neon Rainbow - 4


Also added some bunches of Ambolia plants. I hope this time its not eaten away by some fish.

Walstad Setup Before Pruning - Full View.

Walstad Setup After Pruning - Full View.

Walstad Setup Before Pruning - Center View.

Walstad Setup After Pruning - Center View.

Walstad Setup Before Pruning - Lawn View.

Walstad Setup After Pruning - Lawn View.

Zero-Maintainence Aquarium Defined.

Its high time, I define what do I mean by "Zero-Maintainence Aquarium". If one reads Diana Walstad's book, 'ECOLOGY of the PLANTED AQUARIUM - A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist', one will be thrilled by the idea of keeping a lush green aquarium with no water changes for probably 6 months and more.


With the limited knowledge, I could get from the Internet and the Diana Walstad's book, I tried my version of Walstad Aquarium. Even though the book is well written, implementing the same has their own problems of their own. 


Anyway, with a few hitches, I am on track towards a Lush Green Zero-Maintainence Walstad Aquarium. 


Pain points in maintaining a High-Tech Planted Aquarium:

1. Costly Equipments: Lights, CO2, Substrate.
2. Daily/Weekly monitoring using test kits and feeding fertilizer accordingly.
3. Weekly Water Changes.
4. A tightly monitored, controlled and manipulated Eco-system. 

The maintainence work in a Zero-Maintainence Aquarium, should not take more than 20-mins per weekend.


So here is the plan:

1. Fish feeding will be controlled via DIY Automatic Fish Feeder.
2. Lights duration will be controlled via Electronic timer.
3. 20-Minutes Weekend Maintainence time will consist of
• Gently scraping of minute Algae film from the Aquarium glass.
• Pruning the plants and propogating them.
• Refilling the evaporated water in the Aquarium. 

Now since Zero-Maintainence Aquarium has been defined, I will soon be implementing the same and will keep you all updated. :-)

Walstad Aquarium - 3 Months Later.

Its a major milestone for my tank but here I will restrict myself to the usual update. My learnings in the last 3-months will be published in some other blog.


Highlights:
- Major water change(40%) was performed after pruning. Cutting were propagated.
- No Pruning was performed on Pygmy Grass.
- To add in some Iron, small dried balls of Red garden Soil were insert in substrate at various places. 
- Addition of Potassium Sulphate has facilitated new growth in slow growing plants. Growth of Brown Algae was relatively less.
- Over the period of 3 months, a large portion of white sand had turned brown due to accumulation of brown algae. Some more white sand was added to make the substrate look whiter rather than brown.

Walstad Setup Before Pruning - Full View.

Walstad Setup After Pruning - Full View.

Walstad Setup Before Pruning - Center View.

Walstad Setup After Pruning - Center View.

Baby Swordtail - 7 Weeks Later.

Walstad Setup - Lawn View.

Rosy Barbs ate my Plants. :(

I had been keeping a pair of Rozy Barbs in one of my old tank. They are notorious and like to nibble on plants.


I had been on a vacation for a week. So I transferred them in my main tank. I was expecting, with good food being fed through my Automatic Fish Feeder, they may not nibble too much on the plants.


I was disappointed after I came back from my vacation. I soon realized that they have nibbled away two different species of plants and made them extinct.


I no longer have

• Parrot Feather.
• Ambolia.
• Red Cabomba is also almost extinct. Only two stalk have remained.  

Note the changes after adding the Rosy Barbs. 


I have also noticed that my Angels like to feed on duck weed. They seem to like it and I happen to throw a weekly feed of duck weed in the tank.

  

Before adding Rozy Barbs while going on Vacation.

After 1 Week of Vacation.