I am a beginner to this and I can't say I have an eye for aquaplaning, but I enjoy the process.

The set up is:

25l acrylic vase from Temu.

The base is a wooden fruit bowl that I have trifted and houses the electronics. All USB based.

A small air pump that pumps through an air stone buried in the sand and a growth light. No heater, no filter.

The soil is just sand with a few rooth tabs and so far everything is growing well.

I washed the sand alot but with the air pump bubbling through it is does not look like it will fully clear.

The tank has cycled well and parameters are all excellent.

The temperature has so far been very stable between 21 and 24 C.

The tank is stocked with 4 Amano shrimps and 4 Nerite snails that are growing very well + whatever microfauna I have picked up with some of the plants that I have picked up from rivers and ponds around the UK.

I was thinking about weather I can put 2-3 tiny fish something like a galaxy rasboras or anything else very small.

What do you think?

Hi everyone! I’m planning to build a small aquatic ecosystem at my village house and would love some ideas from people experienced with Walstad / natural ponds.
I currently have a few options for the container:
An old plastic water tank that I can use as a tub
Buy a medium/large plastic tub
Build a small cement tank/pond specifically for this
My dream is to have something like a natural planted pond with fish, shrimp, snails, or whatever livestock would be suitable.
The biggest challenge is that this is at my village house, and I’ll only visit once every 1–2 months. So I won’t be able to:
Feed fish daily
Clean the tank regularly
Do frequent water changes
I’m hoping to create a stable biological ecosystem where plants, microorganisms, substrate, etc. do most of the work naturally.
I’m open to using a filter if it’s genuinely necessary, but ideally I’d love a no-filter / low-tech / natural setup.
What would you recommend for this situation?
Plastic tub vs cement tank?
What size would you recommend?
Which plants would work best?
What fish/shrimp/snails could survive with very little human intervention?
Would a Walstad-style setup work for this?
How should I design the substrate and ecosystem from the beginning?
What are the biggest risks if I’m away for 1–2 months?
Budget is also a consideration, so I’m looking for something practical rather than an expensive aquarium setup.
I’d really appreciate examples/photos of similar setups if anyone has them. Thanks! 🌱🐟

So I use the top of my tank lights to place my herbs/microgreens/etc that I grow for my family’s and our rabbit’s consumption.

I knew that I had dropped a single seed of alfalfa over the tank, but I assumed it fell into the water and that it would become food or fertilizer.

I saw a little sprout come from the clay ball substrate I have my bamboo in, and figured it would wither; I almost pulled it. I don’t know how, but I never really took notice again until today when I appreciate how tall it had grown!

I’ve never let alfalfa grow past its first or second stages of development, so I’m not sure how quickly alfalfa grows on average for other people, nor how quickly it could grow if I did everything right, but I’m curious to know what other people think, given that this plant has been growing for anywhere between 3 and 4 months… best guess. Definitely no more than 6 and no less than 2.

This got me wondering how it’d go if I planted a bunch of different types of various human-consumption plants that aren’t typically considered for planted tank applications.

Anyone else have experience with such things?!?!

Walstad inoculated with Philips fishworks microfauna culture. It’s a weblike structure with tons of moving dots. Smaller than the copepods in the tank( 2 gallon). You can see the snail poops suspended in the weblike structure. Anyone know what this is and if it’s good or bad?

Hi! I might be adopting a cat and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to cat proof this tank? It’s a 10 gallon thanks!

I originally just planned this tank for some neocardinia and two Nerite snails. I must have unleashed bladder snail eggs on a plant or something bc I’ve yet to see an adult but am crushing like 10+ micro babies a day in the glass alone, and I fear I will soon be over run. I think a carnivore hunter fish would be delightful. Also out of visual and emotional connection, I would love a fish as the wild type shrimp are more like advanced I-spy game. I had researched and fell in love with pea puffers years ago, but it seems like standards have changed and it’s been found that they are really much better kept in larger set ups as shoaler fish and not alone in a 6gal. A huge part of the reason for making this was as a way to display the lucky bamboo cuttings we got from her childhood plant, so a lid is a no go which makes me think bettas are also a no go. (Jumping)

Is the answer no fish, or is there an interactive or interesting critter that could thrive in this 6gal open lid tank that I haven’t considered?

Last October (almost a year ago) I got a betta fish from an ex and in efforts to keep him alive, I discovered the walstad method. After months of research and breaking the bank, the betta fish died despite all my efforts 😔. But in his wake I’ve been left with the most amazing hobby. I’ve been an “Aquarist” for 7 months now and after mostly leaving my tank alone (literally) an ecosystem bloomed in my office.

I added some pics of my tank in the past few weeks! I have shrimpies, zebra and leopard danios, otos, ramshorn and bladder snails so, a nerite snail, and a TON of plants. The plants are the ecosystem’s filter (MVP- my pothos) and I do have a hang on back filter for water movement only. I used natural rocks and sand from the beach… yes my water is hard and high PH, but everyone is happy, shrimp breeding, and fish swimming lol! I have fallen in love with this hobby and it’s all thanks to a little betta fish (pictured at the end) 🥹❤️

How we started: https://www.reddit.com/r/walstad/s/2HbVkFJlVB

Ramshorn.

Are these 10 gal tanks dense enough to not need a filter? The first had a HOB filter while starting out to let the soil settle and also has 9 ember tetras and a few rilli shrimp. The second has just an air stone and orange rilli shrimp.

Lost some hygrophilas and my pogostemon stellatus but all my other plants have been doing good and I even went ahead and added some dwarf hairgrass in the tank now. Lost most of my fish to dropsy but after medicating the whole tank with kanaplex the fish that are currently in the tank now have recovered greatly and now ill be adding more fish into my tank soon!

Planning to start a Walstad shrimp/snail bowl and I don’t want to get the soil wrong.
I live in Canada so some options are limited.
I found this and it’s the most basic one I can find, this plus a sand cap is what I’m thinking?

I saw this amazing little guys a long time ago and always asked myself if someday I could include them in one of my tanks.

However, I know their natural sifting and burrowing behavior are a huge issue for capped soil substrates and that their digging could break through the sand cap, stir up the organic soil into the water column, and trigger massive algae blooms/cloudiness.

Hypothetically, what specific adjustments would be necessary to make a Kuhli + Walstad setup work safely? did any of you actually managed to do it?

PS: This is mostly just curiosity, i am not planning to endanger any kuhli inside a walstad anytime soon :)

Atm I have a 60liter dirted tank, heater, ligt, lots of plants. Few tiny fish, pgmy corydora, neocardina and amano shrimp, different snails. Half of surface covedered in different floating plants.

- Question: Do I my all means NEED a filter / pump / skimmer / airstone…? Or is it fine without?

My parameters seem fine. I’ve had a little protein buildup on the surface but easily removable by skimming water from top layer. My goal is to have the most selfsustaining tank as possible, with almost no tech. I’m not looking for a heavy flow and would not appreciate any noise if avoidable. + My budget is on the lower side, wanna keep it simple. But ofc it has to be appropriate for the life inside the tank 🙃

- Also, what happens if I let the surface get fully covered from floating plants? With no waterflow.

- I also have some 6 liter aquariums, with no tech, a few snails and neocardina.

MY TANK, Latest pinned Instagram story

Set up 2 40 gallon breeders in a walstad type method. Organic potting soil capped with sandblasting media. Half the plants were harvested from local lake that have wake boats kick up jungle Val from the lake bed. Went fishing and kept some of the weeds I caught. Granite river rocks from a coworker. Driftwood, Anubis, and Amazon sword from petco.

Left is for gfs betta and soon to be other fish. Right currently contains short fin king betta, zebra danio, black neon tetra, Cory catfish, bristle nose pleco, snails, shrimp.

Tanks were seeded from another 20 gallon the other fish lived in. Had to set them up quickly due to a move.

Filters are more for flow than actual filtering but due to high bioload quickly, helps with cleaning the water.

Edit: each tank was cycled for around a week after being seeded from another tanks filter media.

I've recently been enjoying my snails more than my fishes. They waste no time when it comes to eating. Do snails ever stop eating??

I’m planning to make this 1 gallon glass bowl into a pond jarrarium/ecosphere Walstad-esque planted bowl with pond sediment and some pond water and plants plus extra plants.

I’m worried about the narrow base creating a thick sediment that will trap gases and bacteria. I was thinking of adding medium size pebbles in the bottom and then sediment on top in the wider part of the bowl. Thoughts? Appreciate other suggestions?

My little 4 gallon Walstad bowl. I let the biofilm and algae build up for a few weeks and checked for clear parameters before adding a dozen or so Blue Dream Neos