D. Walstad, Ecology of the Planted Aquarium

[valiko]

I've never heard anything bad about this book. A lot of people swear by it.

Is it worth buying?

http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0967377315/qid=1139776935/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_2_1/702-3271689-4424869

[Aiglos]

I have this book... currently about half way through it.

Its pretty scientific.  alot of reading and no pictures, I am enjoying it though.  

Im not going to recommend or not recommend it to you as I am not finnished the book yet.   Its a nice hardcover though !

I will let you know when im done with it what I thought about it.

[Roop]

she was a member of a board i was on years ago.

she started the all-natural low-tech planted tank thing.

she used sunlight (tanks near windows) and potting soil instead of gravel.

the japanese takashi amano went as high tech as he could, while the american diana walstad went low tech.

to each there own. flourcesnts and dust-less, cloud-less gravels are easier to work with. sunlight is free and soil is cheap.

[Mettle]

I've been reading up on Takashi Amano as of late. Some of his work is amazingly beautiful. I'll have to check this Diana Walstad out.

[Aiglos]

I am a big fan of Rhonda Wilson  of TFH / NaturalAquarium.com !

I frequent her website  http://www.naturalaquariums.com/ daily and that is her style aswell.


Its funny when I bought that book off amazon I also bought Mr Amanos book ( also a TFH author)

[darkdep]

The stuff on NaturalAquariums.com is great...If nothing else it gets you to think again about almost everything you consider a hard and fast rule of fishkeeping.

For about 2 months, with the inspiration of that site, I pulled the filter from my planted tank and ran it filterless and airstoneless.  All the water parameters stayed where they were before the change.  Only reason I went back to the filter was that without the water flow, algae started to take over (granted, I had nothing in the tank to eat algae, so I really didn't finish the experiment)...

[BigDaddy]

Ms. Walstad's book is taking on "Required Reading" status within the plant community.

You certainly can't go wrong buying the book.

[Aiglos]

Darkdep :  My planted tank has a HOB filter from walmart with no floss in it just to get some water flow !  I will never again have a filter on a planted tank !

[darkdep]

Aiglos:  Great Stuff!  I must be brain dead...I never thought about doing that...how long have you had that going?  Do you have any algae issues?

[Mettle]

Couldn't you just install a small powerhead for water flow? Then you might have more directional control on where it's being pointed, as well.

[darkdep]

Very possible, I'm sure.  Might be a better way actually, as you wouldn't need to have so much surface disruption (to help keep the CO2 in the water)

[Aiglos]

I prefer the HOB because it takes up less room in the tank and all you see is the clear plastic intae which I keep hidden asbest as possible.  I do not have any surface distruption as i turn the hob down as far as it can go and have the water level all the way up on the tank.  I also like the hob as you can pipe your DIY co2 into its intake and if you want to throw some floss in to clear up something you can and then just remove it. Plus I can't justify going out and buying a new powerhead when I have an old hob to use.

I get a small amount of green spot algea once and a while on the glass but its gone quick and I do not have any other algea although I also deploy American Flag fish, ottos and SAE. Its been going about 6 months now.  I did have a hair algea problem but I added the AFF and the CO2  at the same time so im not 100% which one cleared the hair algea, although I suspect both.

[darkdep]

I also like the hob as you can pipe your DIY co2 into its intake.

Does this work well with a HOB?  I use one of the ladders at the moment but maybe this would work better?  Do you have something set up so you can see the bubbles (a bubble counter) so that you can tell when production is slowing down?

I also deploy American Flag fish, ottos and SAE.

Deploy?   :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  That's hilarious.  I'll have to look into getting some algae eaters...right now my planted tank has nothing but snails waiting for some Apistos.

[BigDaddy]

A little bit of phosphate will clear up the green spot algae in quick measure.

[Mettle]

Don't AFF sometimes eat plants, though, if they don't have enough other food sources to munch on? Or is it simply keeping them well fed?

[Aiglos]

I also like the hob as you can pipe your DIY co2 into its intake.

Does this work well with a HOB?  I use one of the ladders at the moment but maybe this would work better?  Do you have something set up so you can see the bubbles (a bubble counter) so that you can tell when production is slowing down?

I actually use a Bubble Ladder.  I didn't say I did that I just listed it as a plus for using a hob. I read alot of plant forums and It seems to be what most people are doing and with good results, it makes sense though,  sucked up through the intake through the propeller and pushed righ down into the water colum already mixed into the water.  

Bigdaddy: Thanks for the tip,  I ran outta ferts so next time Im in ottawa I will have to pick some up.

Mettle: I highly recommend the AFF though for people, they are quickly becoming one of my favourite fish, they even nibble at my fingers when I am doing tank maintenence. I have never seen them eat plants although they do rasp pretty hard trying to take all the hair algea off plants,  The only plants that they really do any damage to is my najas grass but the grass grows faster then they can eat it.  Get a nice male, they color up very nicely !!!!!!  And they do not require a heater !! another plus.

[Mettle]

I've read of a few people who have their CO2 rigger to powerheads for injection in much the same way as HOB power filters. Though. From what I've seen it's a LOT easier to do with with a HOB.

Maybe once I free up my 20 gallon long I'll try out a planted tank in there with some AFF. It would be interesting to try some of these experiments you guys are talking about.

I'd only have 55w cf on the tank though. I'd hope that'd be enough. (2.75 wpg... I'm sure it would be.)

[darkdep]

Mettle:  That will work.  I have 2.666 wpg of NO fluorescent on my planted tank and everything grows well.

I think I'll try the CO2 input to the HOB on my next batch of sugarwater...although I'm gonna have to figure out a way to watch the flow.

[Aiglos]

Darkdep: your the DIY man, search up DIY bubble counter.  EASY to make.....  Might cost you 3$

[BigDaddy]

With yeast... basically there's no point in making a bubble counter... because there is nothing you can do to increase or decrease the amount of gas being produced short of making a new batch.

Do your CO2 calculations... if there isn't enough CO2 getting into the water column... either look for outgasing or change your receipe.

Frankly the HOB thing is okay... but a simple gravel vac powerhead with a sponge on the intake is a lot better on smaller tanks.  The sponge on the power head is all the mechanical filtration you need... and then you have a reactor that dissolves 100% of the CO2... plus its a bubble counter because you can see the CO2 entering the chamber.