I just commented on the previous video, glad that you figured it out. Seeing frequent water changes and feedings and trimmings was giving me anxiety! 😅
I have never had any experience in aquarium keeping. But a year and a half ago I made a similar aquarium, which is now thriving. And I didn't buy anything except the aquarium and the pump (the aquarium stood without it for the first half year, and then I accidentally found it in my apartment), and I found everything else in nature (substrate and organisms). There are no fish, but there are ramshorns, pond snails, bivalve, isopods, ostracods, daphnia, cyclops and some worms. Of the plants there are hornwort, algae and duckweed (but it is not growing well now, since I was gone for several months and the aquarium was without light).
13:47 Hope you are having a good time. I had a confusion. You said that a layer of thick sand is definitely needed to cover the soil, because if the soil mixes with the water, it creates cloudiness and also releases excess nutrients into the water column. I also agree with you on this, but you know that most medium-requirement carpeting plants have very small root systems. Will the roots of these plants be in direct contact with the soil? If the sand layer is about 1 inch, it will be difficult for these plant roots to reach the soil level and absorb nutrients from it. What do you say about this?
hi. yes, you are right. here is a compromise with the gravel/sand layer. I consider the height of the gravel layer in my aquarium to be good. I consider the layer of potting soil to be thin, especially since it is getting smaller and smaller... it is consumed
The tank is gorgeous, I saved your first video as I hope to be well enough to create an aquarium for myself (disabled). I have done several years of research on the Walstad method. I found your experiment the best guide as you describe the ups a downs and learning experiences so well! I’ve added a link so I can buy pink lady snails here in the US for my aquarium…didn’t know they existed and find them just gorgeous. Being Nerite snails they won’t breed either, but your first video sold me on adding snails that do reproduce (something much warned against against in many of the videos I watched and books I read). I also feel good that I picked the same substrate composition you chose. These videos will help me avoid mistakes, though I’m sure I’ll make my own! Just wanted to express my appreciation! Look forward to more videos and more advice from your own experiences. I also enjoy your sense of humor.
What you're seeing with your soil is actually compaction! It happens when you don't use a component to keep your soil loose and it can keep plant roots from reaching nutrients. In aquariums, I think lava rock, leca, or a similar substance would be good to mix with the soil. It would help avoid the compaction and provide more surface area for beneficial bacteria. Hope this helps!
Also I want to know that i have watched full video when a part of soil came then you say do not pollute the ecosystem it's means using an organic soil is safe? Without chemicals but some chemical occurs how do i know these are organic or not?
maybe this will clarify things for you: ruclips.net/video/8aMtQH_-YcY/видео.html Organic soil is characterized by a significant amount of organic matter, typically above 1% of the total soil mass. Here are some methods to determine if your soil is organic: Colour: Organic soil tends to be darker in colour, often ranging from dark brown to black, due to the presence of humus. Compare the colour of your soil to a nearby non-organic soil to notice any differences. Texture: Organic soil often has a crumbly or earthy texture, whereas non-organic soil may be more compact and dense. Root growth: Healthy, organic soil typically supports a well-developed root system, with roots spreading out and growing downward. In contrast, non-organic soil may have stunted or sparse root growth. Earthworms and microorganisms: Organic soil is home to a diverse array of earthworms and microorganisms, which are indicators of healthy decomposition processes. Look for signs of worm activity, such as castings (worm poop), and observe the soil for signs of microbial life, like fungal hyphae or insect larvae. pH and nutrient levels: Organic soil tends to have a more neutral to slightly acidic pH (5.5-7.0) and higher levels of nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Soil structure: Organic soil often has a more porous and aerated structure, allowing for better water infiltration and aeration. Non-organic soil may be more compact and prone to waterlogging. Simple Tests: Worm test: Dig a 6-inch deep hole and observe the soil for 4 minutes. Healthy organic soil will have visible worm activity. Soil crumble test: Squeeze a small amount of soil between your thumb and index finger. Organic soil will crumble easily, while non-organic soil will be more compact. pH test: Use pH litmus paper to estimate the soil’s acidity or alkalinity. Organic soil typically falls within the 5.5-7.0 pH range. Keep in mind that these methods are not definitive and may require further analysis, such as laboratory testing, to confirm the soil’s organic status. However, by combining these observations, you can gain a general understanding of whether your soil is organic or not.
Me and my wife really want to try and make self-sustain aquarium similar to yours but we don't have the experience, what will be your biggest tip for someone wont to start in this hobby (specifically in ecosystem/terrarium)
Fk, the question at the end of video about the air pump, I need the answer :D . For my low tech aquarium, I need the air pump, once I went to business trip and the air pump was stuck, my tank is polluted a lot and most of fish died. But I see your tank doesn't have air pump, it make me very furious.
Love your content. So relaxing, informative and beautiful. Can you tell me what breed the red shrimp are? They look quite big, bigger than the usual red cherry shrimp
If i may venture to make a recommendation i would say spend some time with Lou Foxwell aka father fish, it might help you to broaden your scope on these matters and enlighten your understanding of trapping nature inside a glass box. There are so many twists and turns with this avenue of fish keeping and the more inside info you have the more enjoyable it becomes and i wouldn't recommend anyone else other than Lou. He's a trailblazer in the hobby. Just my opinion.
@@walstadmethodstepbystep Yes. But like you said algae is a symbol of unstable aquarium. Algae is actually helping to stable to water paramrters but for some reason it never reaches stability. I think I should add a heater, thats why it doesnt work for me
There are too much data to take into consideration to give an advice about the air pomp. According to my experience the air pomp is crucial if you have too many fish. But it can be compensated by a strong surface current. The main problem is to know if the bottom of the aquarium gets the CO2 from the surface via the current, because the air pomp will push the CO2 up, which could be problematic for the bottom plants. So if you have no water pomp to generate a current I suppose the air pomp is problematic for plants. I had 2 air pomps for years in a 200L tank with a water pomp, everything was fine, the water pomp was in the middle of it and the water was sucked from the middle bottom of the tank, so I can confirm this configuration isn't a problem (no CO2). However I once had a big electricity shutdown at night and I only noticed it in the morning, 30% of the fish died. The first fish that died were the "fast fish", the fish that looks like trouts. The "top fish" like tetras and guramis didn't look well, pleco was ok. Today I only keep the water pomp and they are fine, it's a proof the water current is really "good" to bring O2 to the fish, but for CO2 I can't confirm, it can also depends if you have cover on the top or not, I suppose the cover is "bad" because there is less refreshed air on the surface, however I have a cover and my fish are ok, there are holes in the cover, I don't know how much would be the different by removing the cover entirely. The problem would be my cats eating the fish. In any case the air pomp is making a lot of noise, but you have options, some use an external air pusher, they are vibrating a lot as if you look inside it that's just a copper cable that activate a valve, this create a pressure and movements that cause vibrations, you can't avoid it and it's not a malfunction, even if you reduce the amount of air the vibration will be the safe, same for the electricty consumption. You can also find a air pomp that spins in the water very fast, those needs a tube to be able to get the air from the surface, it's basically a spinning wheel that cuts the air in many bubbles, so it can't get clogged, it's possible to block the air tube to adjust the amount of air in the system and thus reduce the noise, as it spins the vibrations are stabilized, but as the airpomp is underwater I suppose it created turbulences for the fish which isn't ok, however it's a stronger pomp that won't break easily in comparison. I use them when I have to keep a fish in a temporary tank as you just need 1 cable. It's also easy to instal as there is only 1 cable outside the tank, but you get 2 cables underwater instead of 1 and you don't need the blue airstone, it produces very tiny bubbles too, while adjusting the air tube with the regular pomp can produce bigger bubbles if the pressure isn't enough. I've also tried to create many tiny holes in a tube to make bubbles everywhere, it works BUT the tiny holes in the tube produced bad noises, don't try it.
@@walstadmethodstepbystep I have many ideas I would test but can't, I think we need to inovate. For example we use to merge the lenght of all fish to estimate the quantiy of fish we can put in a tank, others use the volume and put a certain number of fish in this volume. But that's not taking into account the mass of the fish wich strongly determine its impact in the tank, we need maths: a fish of 1cm if about 0.1g but a fish of 2cm isn't 0.2g but 0.8g... and a single fish of 10cm is 100g, it's 1000x more than the fish of 1cm. So if you have 1 big fish in a tank this fish has a very high impact, even physically, it means it can use 1000x more force on plants if it panics or try to eat them, the poop it makes is also bigger and this single fish breath more O2 too. The same way a big plant breath more CO2 than a tiny one, it means at some point too many plants could be a problem to keep them growing, if 100% of the CO2 is used the plant has to sacrifice some old leaves to produce new ones, and if you have some plants capable of growing faster they take this opportunity to grow and the first plant dies. That's speculations but it would make sense, the interesting part is at some point the tank is full of plants, so it has enough CO2 in the water for sure to allow it. I also noticed some plants only grows up, they can't renew the bottom leaves, in this situation would it be a good idea to cut the bottom part, as in nature these plants has to reproduce at some point, I suppose they break in the current and are getting a new location to grow further, as this can't happen in the aquarium maybe this human intervention is necessary for them, as they probably can't survive forever. Many regular plants need to be cut to be ok and we don't easily find these info for aquatic plants.
Can't not love the voice. Its a mix between Morgan Freeman and the narator from National Geographic. I have just discovered the chanel, i think i will stick to it. Keep up the good work
I have clicked on subscribe. I think your videos are very immaculate. Could you please suggest me whether I could use a 6700 K cool daylight tube light for my 4 ft planted tank? I cannot afford those expensive lights, So I want to use LED tube light. I can even use two of them if you suggest so.
thank you I have seen some impressive planted aquariums that used a CFL bulb. I left you an indicative link www.amazon.com/cfl-light-bulbs-6500k/s?k=cfl+light+bulbs+6500k
Don't use air pump it will disturb the natural ecosystem I started this hobby from him but I don't want to include any artificial products I want to make my aquarium like him balance aquarium If he will add oxygen pump then what i will do in my country, everything is so expensive and also it will disturb the natural beauty
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Please do not change this voice ai, its the best thing ever
:) Thank you
@@walstadmethodstepbystepAi voice? I thought you were the narator from Stanly parable.!
@@DerpyDragon...52 yes, is not my voice
This is true
@@walstadmethodstepbystep which ai voice chane you use
Your videos are fascinating. Now im seriously considering to endevour in such a journey
👍 thank you
Thank you for being up front about the voice.
welcome
I love the work you've done, but the storytelling nature of these videos is what got my sub. Genius.
Thank you very much!
I just commented on the previous video, glad that you figured it out. Seeing frequent water changes and feedings and trimmings was giving me anxiety! 😅
:)) 👍
I have never had any experience in aquarium keeping. But a year and a half ago I made a similar aquarium, which is now thriving. And I didn't buy anything except the aquarium and the pump (the aquarium stood without it for the first half year, and then I accidentally found it in my apartment), and I found everything else in nature (substrate and organisms). There are no fish, but there are ramshorns, pond snails, bivalve, isopods, ostracods, daphnia, cyclops and some worms. Of the plants there are hornwort, algae and duckweed (but it is not growing well now, since I was gone for several months and the aquarium was without light).
wow, amazing ...
Love your sense of humor and i appreciate you continuing this series on this tank
thank you ! :d
13:47 Hope you are having a good time. I had a confusion. You said that a layer of thick sand is definitely needed to cover the soil, because if the soil mixes with the water, it creates cloudiness and also releases excess nutrients into the water column. I also agree with you on this, but you know that most medium-requirement carpeting plants have very small root systems. Will the roots of these plants be in direct contact with the soil? If the sand layer is about 1 inch, it will be difficult for these plant roots to reach the soil level and absorb nutrients from it. What do you say about this?
hi.
yes, you are right.
here is a compromise with the gravel/sand layer.
I consider the height of the gravel layer in my aquarium to be good.
I consider the layer of potting soil to be thin, especially since it is getting smaller and smaller... it is consumed
Your tank is looking great. The red plants are doing well under that light.
not really. look here: ruclips.net/video/Kgc0J0_9rCQ/видео.html
@walstadmethodstepbystep with a budget light and strict Walstead, I still believe you are doing good. You have a lot of limiting factors against you.
The tank is gorgeous, I saved your first video as I hope to be well enough to create an aquarium for myself (disabled). I have done several years of research on the Walstad method. I found your experiment the best guide as you describe the ups a downs and learning experiences so well! I’ve added a link so I can buy pink lady snails here in the US for my aquarium…didn’t know they existed and find them just gorgeous. Being Nerite snails they won’t breed either, but your first video sold me on adding snails that do reproduce (something much warned against against in many of the videos I watched and books I read). I also feel good that I picked the same substrate composition you chose. These videos will help me avoid mistakes, though I’m sure I’ll make my own! Just wanted to express my appreciation! Look forward to more videos and more advice from your own experiences. I also enjoy your sense of humor.
I'm glad I could help you. I wish you good health!
you are the first person to notice my sense of humor!
the adventure continues and I'm here for it !
you are not alone in this adventure !
Thanks for the information. ❤ The tank is looking great. Stay blessed.
Thanks, you too!
What you're seeing with your soil is actually compaction! It happens when you don't use a component to keep your soil loose and it can keep plant roots from reaching nutrients.
In aquariums, I think lava rock, leca, or a similar substance would be good to mix with the soil. It would help avoid the compaction and provide more surface area for beneficial bacteria.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the info!
where did you get the light?
amazon
What a soothing video. Thank you for this.
thank you too
Great video as always 👍👍👍
together we will see what will happen next in this adventure! :)))
Have you had a Black Beard Algae invasion? How did the tank handle
I still have it, but it's not invasive. I think that snails and shrimps eat it as long as it is softer
Also I want to know that i have watched full video when a part of soil came then you say do not pollute the ecosystem it's means using an organic soil is safe? Without chemicals but some chemical occurs how do i know these are organic or not?
maybe this will clarify things for you: ruclips.net/video/8aMtQH_-YcY/видео.html
Organic soil is characterized by a significant amount of organic matter, typically above 1% of the total soil mass. Here are some methods to determine if your soil is organic:
Colour: Organic soil tends to be darker in colour, often ranging from dark brown to black, due to the presence of humus. Compare the colour of your soil to a nearby non-organic soil to notice any differences.
Texture: Organic soil often has a crumbly or earthy texture, whereas non-organic soil may be more compact and dense.
Root growth: Healthy, organic soil typically supports a well-developed root system, with roots spreading out and growing downward. In contrast, non-organic soil may have stunted or sparse root growth.
Earthworms and microorganisms: Organic soil is home to a diverse array of earthworms and microorganisms, which are indicators of healthy decomposition processes. Look for signs of worm activity, such as castings (worm poop), and observe the soil for signs of microbial life, like fungal hyphae or insect larvae.
pH and nutrient levels: Organic soil tends to have a more neutral to slightly acidic pH (5.5-7.0) and higher levels of nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
Soil structure: Organic soil often has a more porous and aerated structure, allowing for better water infiltration and aeration. Non-organic soil may be more compact and prone to waterlogging.
Simple Tests:
Worm test: Dig a 6-inch deep hole and observe the soil for 4 minutes. Healthy organic soil will have visible worm activity.
Soil crumble test: Squeeze a small amount of soil between your thumb and index finger. Organic soil will crumble easily, while non-organic soil will be more compact.
pH test: Use pH litmus paper to estimate the soil’s acidity or alkalinity. Organic soil typically falls within the 5.5-7.0 pH range.
Keep in mind that these methods are not definitive and may require further analysis, such as laboratory testing, to confirm the soil’s organic status. However, by combining these observations, you can gain a general understanding of whether your soil is organic or not.
I love watching your video. it's very good 😊
Thank you! Cheers!
Me and my wife really want to try and make self-sustain aquarium similar to yours but we don't have the experience, what will be your biggest tip for someone wont to start in this hobby (specifically in ecosystem/terrarium)
watch the first tutorial video. it must be well planted from the beginning
Hi, you did a very good job ! Once I start to watch your video, it is hard to change to the other youtube channel :) .
Fk, the question at the end of video about the air pump, I need the answer :D . For my low tech aquarium, I need the air pump, once I went to business trip and the air pump was stuck, my tank is polluted a lot and most of fish died. But I see your tank doesn't have air pump, it make me very furious.
Glad you think so!
yes, that's why I asked
I love ❤❤❤❤ your videos. The voice is really calming and relaxing too
😊 thank you
Thanks for a new video mate
Thank you my friend !😎
Love your content. So relaxing, informative and beautiful. Can you tell me what breed the red shrimp are? They look quite big, bigger than the usual red cherry shrimp
i have no idea. someone told me that are not red cherry, but are Fire Red. my new video about shrimps : ruclips.net/video/WcHsM6mX5sw/видео.html
Nice 👍 👍👍❤❤❤
thank you
Thank you for the nice content❤
Thank you too!
If i may venture to make a recommendation i would say spend some time with Lou Foxwell aka father fish, it might help you to broaden your scope on these matters and enlighten your understanding of trapping nature inside a glass box. There are so many twists and turns with this avenue of fish keeping and the more inside info you have the more enjoyable it becomes and i wouldn't recommend anyone else other than Lou. He's a trailblazer in the hobby. Just my opinion.
thank you very much for the recommendation.
I think that every low tech aquarium is an ecosystem and is different, unique
father fish is a legend !
Love my snaily snails. They are all named Snaily Snail except for one named Gary.
:))
glad to know their names
How do your plants glowing pink without CO2??? Interesting
it is so, but it is the only red plant that survived
ruclips.net/video/Kgc0J0_9rCQ/видео.html
I literally have a similar situation. I cant beat the algae
algae - enemy number 1 ! 😢
@@walstadmethodstepbystep Yes. But like you said algae is a symbol of unstable aquarium. Algae is actually helping to stable to water paramrters but for some reason it never reaches stability. I think I should add a heater, thats why it doesnt work for me
There are too much data to take into consideration to give an advice about the air pomp.
According to my experience the air pomp is crucial if you have too many fish. But it can be compensated by a strong surface current. The main problem is to know if the bottom of the aquarium gets the CO2 from the surface via the current, because the air pomp will push the CO2 up, which could be problematic for the bottom plants. So if you have no water pomp to generate a current I suppose the air pomp is problematic for plants.
I had 2 air pomps for years in a 200L tank with a water pomp, everything was fine, the water pomp was in the middle of it and the water was sucked from the middle bottom of the tank, so I can confirm this configuration isn't a problem (no CO2). However I once had a big electricity shutdown at night and I only noticed it in the morning, 30% of the fish died. The first fish that died were the "fast fish", the fish that looks like trouts. The "top fish" like tetras and guramis didn't look well, pleco was ok. Today I only keep the water pomp and they are fine, it's a proof the water current is really "good" to bring O2 to the fish, but for CO2 I can't confirm, it can also depends if you have cover on the top or not, I suppose the cover is "bad" because there is less refreshed air on the surface, however I have a cover and my fish are ok, there are holes in the cover, I don't know how much would be the different by removing the cover entirely. The problem would be my cats eating the fish. In any case the air pomp is making a lot of noise, but you have options, some use an external air pusher, they are vibrating a lot as if you look inside it that's just a copper cable that activate a valve, this create a pressure and movements that cause vibrations, you can't avoid it and it's not a malfunction, even if you reduce the amount of air the vibration will be the safe, same for the electricty consumption. You can also find a air pomp that spins in the water very fast, those needs a tube to be able to get the air from the surface, it's basically a spinning wheel that cuts the air in many bubbles, so it can't get clogged, it's possible to block the air tube to adjust the amount of air in the system and thus reduce the noise, as it spins the vibrations are stabilized, but as the airpomp is underwater I suppose it created turbulences for the fish which isn't ok, however it's a stronger pomp that won't break easily in comparison. I use them when I have to keep a fish in a temporary tank as you just need 1 cable. It's also easy to instal as there is only 1 cable outside the tank, but you get 2 cables underwater instead of 1 and you don't need the blue airstone, it produces very tiny bubbles too, while adjusting the air tube with the regular pomp can produce bigger bubbles if the pressure isn't enough. I've also tried to create many tiny holes in a tube to make bubbles everywhere, it works BUT the tiny holes in the tube produced bad noises, don't try it.
you gave me a lot of data to process. thank you!
@@walstadmethodstepbystep I have many ideas I would test but can't, I think we need to inovate. For example we use to merge the lenght of all fish to estimate the quantiy of fish we can put in a tank, others use the volume and put a certain number of fish in this volume. But that's not taking into account the mass of the fish wich strongly determine its impact in the tank, we need maths: a fish of 1cm if about 0.1g but a fish of 2cm isn't 0.2g but 0.8g... and a single fish of 10cm is 100g, it's 1000x more than the fish of 1cm. So if you have 1 big fish in a tank this fish has a very high impact, even physically, it means it can use 1000x more force on plants if it panics or try to eat them, the poop it makes is also bigger and this single fish breath more O2 too. The same way a big plant breath more CO2 than a tiny one, it means at some point too many plants could be a problem to keep them growing, if 100% of the CO2 is used the plant has to sacrifice some old leaves to produce new ones, and if you have some plants capable of growing faster they take this opportunity to grow and the first plant dies. That's speculations but it would make sense, the interesting part is at some point the tank is full of plants, so it has enough CO2 in the water for sure to allow it. I also noticed some plants only grows up, they can't renew the bottom leaves, in this situation would it be a good idea to cut the bottom part, as in nature these plants has to reproduce at some point, I suppose they break in the current and are getting a new location to grow further, as this can't happen in the aquarium maybe this human intervention is necessary for them, as they probably can't survive forever. Many regular plants need to be cut to be ok and we don't easily find these info for aquatic plants.
You doing good keep it up bro
Appreciate it
Can't not love the voice. Its a mix between Morgan Freeman and the narator from National Geographic. I have just discovered the chanel, i think i will stick to it. Keep up the good work
Welcome aboard!
multumesc, Ionut, e mai bun decat accentul meu in engleza :))
0:31 done!
:)) thank you !!!!
New subscriber 💢💥
thank you. !
try out to plant some house plants. peace lilies for example
:) k, thanks
Hi You are totally write.. Thank you
So nice of you
I have clicked on subscribe. I think your videos are very immaculate.
Could you please suggest me whether I could use a 6700 K cool daylight tube light for my 4 ft planted tank? I cannot afford those expensive lights, So I want to use LED tube light. I can even use two of them if you suggest so.
thank you
I have seen some impressive planted aquariums that used a CFL bulb. I left you an indicative link
www.amazon.com/cfl-light-bulbs-6500k/s?k=cfl+light+bulbs+6500k
@@walstadmethodstepbystep Thanks you!
What exactly is leaving your water for 2 days supposed to achieve?
Removing Chlorine from Water
Dope video
dope comment :))
Use the air pump bro.
what happens if I don't use it? and when?
How many litres?
~ 54 litres
Don't use air pump it will disturb the natural ecosystem
I started this hobby from him but I don't want to include any artificial products
I want to make my aquarium like him balance aquarium
If he will add oxygen pump then what i will do in my country, everything is so expensive and also it will disturb the natural beauty
👍 thank you
I appreciate your work
I appreciate that
is plant + fish waste covered over sand by years
thanks
❤
thank you ! ♥
Is the voice ai?
yes
@@walstadmethodstepbystepits a good one! And your content is wonderful. Thank you!
First one here
yep ♥