Diana Walstad Q

captmicha

captmicha

Le tired.
Dec 6, 2006
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Maryland, USA
With the Diana Walstad method, what is the purpose of putting 1" of gravel or sand over the potting soil? Can I do without it?

It says to put 1" of potting soil, can I add more than just 1"? 1" seems pretty shallow for roots to grow and fish to burrow in..
 
I'd go the mineralized topsoil method, putting straight potting soil in can make for a stinky tank. As the organics break down in the soil it will release the funk. The gravel/sand "cap" is used to keep the soil down, because it is very light and will make things cloudy if it weren't capped with something. 1" of soil + 1" of gravel is 2" which is plenty to plant in.

This particular type of substrate is not good for fish that burrow since they'll be kicking the soil up into the water column. You may be able to mitigate this by adding a thicker 'cap'
 
I got Miracle Grow Organic potting soil. I don't mind stinky as long as it eventually goes away.

I read that a thicker cap will suffocate the microbes in the soil. I don't think my banjo catfish will kick up that much soil since they're so small.

Maybe I'll mix together the soil with Flourite instead of topping the soil. That'll help the soil stay loose and airy, I've read that it can stay too compacted and I wonder if mixing it like I said will relieve this problem. As for soil being disturbed, I just won't have my filter too close to the bottom of the tank so when it happens, it'll just settle back down without clogging up my filter.
 
You need a cap over the soil. Clogging up your filter is not only the only problem you'll have with no cap. Soil is lighter than Flourite, it would eventually work it's way down to be the bottom layer of the tank. But, with fish in the tank, it might never get a chance to filter downwards. The soil in the water column will stick to your glass, plants, decorations. You'll never have a clear tank. What you'll have is a muddy mess.

Both mineralized soil and the Walstead method work, but it's more than just the soil that makes up the method. Lighting, fish and ferts (or lack of) play an important part in both methods.

The first question I ask when considering a new fish to keep is how much do they dig? If your banjo cats dig more than the cap you have, I'd strongly suggest you go with just flourite, or eco.

Now, what all that said, if you do this, could you start a thread? I've never known anyone to use straight soil in their tanks. I'd be very interested how the tank would turn out. Could be the "captmicha" method.
 
You definately need a cap on the soil. I just did this over the winter. If you don't cap the soil, it makes for a soupy mess. The first attempt I made on this, I didn't cap the soil. My second attempt turned out much better. The plants grew fast and beautiful. Good luck. Just remember to put your plants where they are going to stay. No moving things around if you don't like it, that makes another mess.
 
I'm going to mix the potting soil with sand then to keep it from getting compacted. Will capping with Flourite be okay for fish with barbels? I have loaches and want to get more pygmy corys.

Or if I use just Flourite/Eco-Complete, will I have to gravel vac it? I'm using Shultz Aqua Soil right now (those clay pellets) and I HATE it. Plants don't stay anchored and mulm gets trapped in it. Would I have the same problem with Flouride or Eco-Complete?

I'm not really sure I get the Tom Barr mineralized soil method yet. I quickly skimmed over some info really late last night so most of it didn't stick. If I do the Diana Walstad, I'm going to use supplemental lighting, maybe some supplemental CO2, filtration, and I'm probably going to dose with fertilizers. And I'm going to do more frequent water changes because I don't want to wait for ammonia and nitrates/ites to build up.
 
I know that's the point but I'm changing it up to suit my needs.
 
captmicha said:
With the Diana Walstad method, what is the purpose of putting 1" of gravel or sand over the potting soil? Can I do without it?

It says to put 1" of potting soil, can I add more than just 1"? 1" seems pretty shallow for roots to grow and fish to burrow in..
Click to expand...


Hi,

unfortunately, my new tank has not yet been delivered; otherwise I could show how such a thing can work. I have tried this when I still had a garden pond, and it worked beautifully. But it all depends on the modifications and the plants you use.

Certainly, if you want to keep more robust fish, you do not want to spread soil across the entire bottom. In my project, I will partition off a section along the entire back wall. It will be 25cm high (at 25cm distance from the back wall. This will be filled with organic garden soil (red laterite, compost & bone meal) and planted with Cyperus alternifolius. This plant spreads so quickly and roots so extensively that there won't be anything for fish to dig up. In my pond, I kept tilapia... and I'm planning on cichlids again this time around. Of course, the main swimming area will only have sand, rocks and wood and floating plants, so the fish can dig all they want.

The Cyperus are already growing in a plastic basin. The soil has become so compact and permeated by roots that you can pour water from a hose without the soil stirring. The water remains absolutely clear.

It is also important to cure the soil. I have not tried mineralising it. Instead, the soil has been submersed for months now. No evil smells whatsoever.

I would not want to try this with your regular aquatic plants. Chances are that the soil will remain loose and will cloud the water. Even with capping with gravel or sand, Walstad tanks are not recommended for cichlids or other "messy" fish.

Also, if you increase the depth of the soil layer, you risk undesirable effects (swamp gas)...This can only be prevented with plants with deep root systems. Plants that root along the top layer would be unsuitable.

And I think you are completely right to experiment. Just do your research as regards the plants and fish you want to keep in order to avoid disappointment.

Greetings from Nairobi

Margit
 
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