# Walstad Method- Book says no waiting after set up?



## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

So I've read our sticky on setting up a tank. I have also checked out Ecology of the Planted Aquarium from the library. So she says (with dry soil) "Layer the tank to depth of 1 to 1.5 inches, next cover with gravel so the substrate is about 2.5 inches deep. Add water so the substrates is convered about 3 inches deep. The next day the the tank can be planted, more gravel added to cover the the soil, the cloudy water drained off adn the tank filled with new water. She lets the tank run overnight with the heater, light and filter all hooked. The next day I add water conditioner and then add the fish." 

I've quoted this pretty directly. So our sticky says to wait 3 months .I was wondering why the difference? Is it just two different methods?

I am planning a sorrority and the Walstad method seems to be the way to go. Any feedback on her instructions or doing a Walstad tank with sorrorities is appreciated. Thanks!


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

our sticky says to wait 3 months? 
I'm pretty sure oldfishlady herself stocked her NPT tanks from day one. lol
The walstald method, can be stocked from day one, if done properly.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

Problem as I see it ,Is the miracle grow potting mix,and some other soil,substrates ,can release ammonia for a few week's from organic content of the soil.
After a few week's,,the bacteria will have had time to establish itself in and on the substrate, but to add more than one or two fish to small bowl's,or tank's less than five gal,will require substantial investment in enough plant's to keep ammonia from poisoning the fish.(one or three plant's may not cut it).
Believe (my view) this is why Walstad does not place many fish in these small affair's, and it would in my view,,be wise to do likewise.
Plant's can easily use up ammonia from fish,and perhap's that which may leech from the soil,but it takes a fair amount of plant's from the outset.
Do also keep in mind that plant's often need time to establish themselves or adapt, to submerged condition's after being grown emmersed (root's below water ,leaves above) and during this time ,they may not be as helpful at removing,assimilating ammonia produced by fish and or organic content of substrate.
Every body is alway's anxious to place fish in their tank's ,(me too) but letting the tank and plant's get esablished,and mature a bit,,will make condition's more livable for fishes,invert's. IMHO.


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## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

I added my fish to my NPTs right away and then checked the water often and did at least a 25% water change anytime ammonia or nitrites got up to .25. It's working out great!


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

I am going to do a 20 long or perhaps a 29 gallon so there will be several females. I do have one empty 5 gallon I'd like to try it with. Either way it will probably be a month before they are stocked anyway but I found it pretty amazing that you could start right away.


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## itsme (Jun 4, 2013)

I used Oldfishlady's instructions and didn't finsh setting up until late at night so I added 2 red cherry shrimp, 3 ghost shrimp and turbo snails to start burrowing in the soil and stem plants. The next day I had to go buy more plants because I wanted to be sure I had enough and once they were planted I added a baby betta. Everything is growing. I set it up in 5/3/13 and did a 50% water on 5/5 and 25 % on 5/6. The first week I did 2-3 partial changes and then 1-2 weekly. 
I think the 3 month information is when the soil takes a life of its own which is what you want to happen. As long as you have enough plants you should be able to add fish as long as your temperature is correct.

Forgot to say I have a 10 gallon with 2 6500k light bulbs.


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## Rinali (Dec 31, 2012)

Deanna01 said:


> I added my fish to my NPTs right away and then checked the water often and did at least a 25% water change anytime ammonia or nitrites got up to .25. It's working out great!


This. I did and am doing this. Going on week three of my own NPT and no fishy deaths and plants are growing like mad. Probably gonna do a trim at the end of this week! The biggest thing about this way of doing a NPT is dedication to water testing and water changes.


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

I added my fish the same day after a bunch of water changes to reduce cloudiness from the sand/soil. I just kept an eye on the ammonia for a few weeks and changed it whenever there was anything other than 0. They've been running since March now, and there is never any ammonia at all.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

If you set up a planted tank or an NPT properly, you shouldn't be getting ANY readings of anything from day one that you get your fish/inverts. That's the point of the plants. And as far as water changes, you shouldn't have to do that nearly as much as a tank without plants, again it's the point of the plants to clean and act as a buffer against any levels of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.


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## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

Hm. Well, I did get nitrite readings, for sure. I actually don't remember seeing ammonia. But I was getting nitrates by day four, which was great. Someone posted and told me that I was getting the nitrites from the plants still being in shock from planting, though I don't know.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

lilnaugrim said:


> If you set up a planted tank or an NPT properly, you shouldn't be getting ANY readings of anything from day one that you get your fish/inverts. That's the point of the plants. And as far as water changes, you shouldn't have to do that nearly as much as a tank without plants, again it's the point of the plants to clean and act as a buffer against any levels of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.


What you say is true.
However,depending on size of tank,number's of fishes,amount of food offered,content of soil used,and number of healthy plant's or lack thereof,,differing result's are possible to probable.
Not all folk's are able to follow method's written ,or otherwise, for various reason's.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

1077 said:


> What you say is true.
> However,depending on size of tank,number's of fishes,amount of food offered,content of soil used,and number of healthy plant's or lack thereof,,differing result's are possible to probable.
> Not all folk's are able to follow method's written ,or otherwise, for various reason's.


Oh yes, of course  sorry, I was trying to get at if the person did follow step by step, but you are correct.


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## Stone (Jan 6, 2013)

Well we have done 2 tanks with miriclegrow soils, my advise would be to test the water often once a day maybe every 12 hours the ammonia spiked pretty rapidly for the first week, test the ph often as well if you use playsand, playsand is known to make ph go up, and Make sure you have pleanty of fast growing stems to soak up ammonia, where I think we messed up a bit was not having enough floaters, floats will get their "food" directly from the water colum, remember most things like water sprite and so on can just be floated hornswort as well you can get dwarf water lettuce. red root floating and so on, we did not have a disaster or did we lose any fish, I think it was more stressful on us vs the fish, but yeah I can't stress testing your water often....... and of course I would never even think about adding delicate fish or shrimp of anykind while doing this


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## VJM (Feb 7, 2013)

I am going to throw in a slightly different take on this. Adding fish immediately only works if your plants are growing immediately. For most of us, that isn't true. I don't set up tanks using 100% plants from my other tanks, I have to buy some to all of them. That means shipping, adjusting to new water parameters, me being newbish and having to figure out how to get each plant to grow, etc. 

What that translates to is a lag time between setting the tank up, and having a healthy, growing NPT. If I add fish before that, I am fish in cycling (to be avoided at all costs, IMO). 

I wish I did have enough tanks, and extra plants, to just start tanks from my stock.


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

You have a point about buying the plants. Either way I have fish in quarantine and they won't go in immediately. The tank will have at least a few weeks if not longer. I found it incredible that you could just get started which I why posted.


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## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

I didn't use any plants from existing tanks and set my tanks up immediately. I didn't have any issues. Given the right conditions, the plants should begin growing immediately no matter where you got them from.


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## itsme (Jun 4, 2013)

I posted about this on the first page, but I did not have any growing plants and this was my first NPT. I got plants from Petco/Petsmart and planted them and most of them did not have roots, just stems. I do not have a filter, just a heater and it is a 10g tank. I only waited a day because I set it up late and wanted to add my RCS and Ghost shrimp and only had 4 turbo snails.
I put my baby betta in there because I wanted it to have the whole tank to his self. That was on 5/3 and everyone is doing fine and the baby betta is growing. In the beginning I poked the soil to release bubbles but after I saw plants growing I stopped and now I get bubbles or burps fron the soil about once a day.

To me its like if I set up tank with plants and water with a heater, no filter, I would put my Betta in there without hesitation, the only difference is this one has dirt and that you need the snails to burrow in the dirt and shrimp to complete the enclosed system with your Betta.


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

The book says you can get away with not having burrowing snails if you are willing to burp the soil yourself daily with chop sticks I will probably go for the whole system though.


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## itsme (Jun 4, 2013)

I have not read the book, I just went by the information posted from OLd Fish Lady that said common snails are important for the natural systems-since they complete the little ecosystem we are creating. While the trumpets snails can help aerate the soil to prevent anaerobic issues. The common snails also help to rid the tank of debris-dead/dieing plant matter/organics, provide ferts for the plants...etc

I see why a lot of people don't want snails, besides the soil, I wanted snails because OFL said "watch your snails and if they all start crawling to the top.. its time to make a big water change"l. Since I was new to NPT tanks I was going by her advice and I did watch for snails going to the top and my shrimp surviving the first day. My soil shifted and got too high in the front of my tank and I have no idea why this happened but it didn't seem to affect anything.


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