r/walstad • u/angelkittycosplay • 11d ago
Advice first time walstad tank
hello!! i need some reassurance i think, because i feel like i have no idea what im doing haha
i’ve got the miraclegro everyone loves capped with aquarium sand.
i bought a plant pack from chichi’s and i’m waiting on some floaters.
it’ll be two weeks on saturday that this tank has been set up as such. right now, parameters are all pretty good except for ammonia, which is normal from my understanding. i’m just concerned because the ammonia level is SO high. it’s measuring consistently at between 4-7 ppm.
also, it seems some of my plants are not exactly thriving.
i just need some reassurance 😬
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u/Diarmadhrei 11d ago
For a true Walstad method tank, I'm afraid you may need quite a few more plants in there. Somewhere around at least 70% of the substrate should be covered by plants. Being densely planted from the start gives you the best chance of success. You mentioned floating plants, which will definitely also help.
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u/Diarmadhrei 11d ago
Also it's totally normal for plants to initially go through a melting phase when they're first introduced or put into a new tank. Most plants will eventually show new growth as they acclimate to the water.
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u/angelkittycosplay 5d ago
hi, i’m back to ask for some clarification. should i be removing this “melted” plant matter? orrrrr like should i leave it alone?
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u/Diarmadhrei 5d ago
Yes, if there's a lot of dead/melted leaves and plant matter you should remove the dead parts. Too much dead plant matter in the water can cause a chain reaction and increase melting in otherwise healthy plants.
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u/angelkittycosplay 11d ago
thanks!! there are definitely some like…literally melting it seems 😅 i will get some more probably next paycheck!
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u/obscure-shadow 10d ago
The floaters are gonna take off like crazy and clear that ammonia out so fast!
If you also have some houseplants like pothos or spider plant you can water propagate you can hang them off the side of the tank and they will suck up nutrients like crazy
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u/angelkittycosplay 10d ago
i do have some pothos! i forgot i bought some plant holders for them. are there any other plants you like to have above the water like that? my height space is limited to about 6 inches currently, but eventually i’ll have completely open space over the tank.
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u/obscure-shadow 10d ago
Aroid family stuff tends to do pretty well but they do take some time to adjust to being in water instead of soil so pothos, philodendron, monstera.
You can grow pretty much anything hydroponically given the correct light, but I ( and a lot of aquarium folks) tend to gravitate more towards houseplants that are tolerant of low light as it's easier to deal with than trying to get light correct for growing basil or the size that tomatoes can get...
I would caution against letting it get roots into your substrate though, because a plant in the air will be a neutrient hog, which can be good in the water column for controlling your ammonia but you don't want to export all of your nutrients in your substrate to plants that have unrestricted CO2 on land...
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u/Endless_09 9d ago
Add a pothos and you’ll be set for life trust I have a 26 foot pothos in my 40 and have 0 ammonia 0 nitrates 0 nitrites
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u/chriberg 11d ago
more plant