Tag: planted aquaria

One Month after Tank Setups

The two tanks I set up a month ago for the big Expo on May 2 are ready for their road trip to Charlotte, NC to be displayed and then auctioned off.  Pictures show tanks at setup and after one month. Plant growth is good.  Readers please note that there are no filters or aerators.  Do not need them in these tanks with their shallow depth, lots of good-growing plants, and a soil underlayer.  Plants grow better without filters and aerators that just remove the ammonia and CO2 that plants like.

Photo Taken 3/29/2026. Tank (left) for breeding fish set up 2 days ago; ‘Walstad Method’ tank (right) set up just hours ago.
Photo Taken 4/29/2026. The first month is always a race against time.  Rooted plants need to take hold quickly to counteract “soil chaos” and outcompete algae. Looks like they have succeeded!

Tank on left (setup for fish breeding):  I easily caught the 40 juvenile guppies that I was raising in it temporarily by removing all the little plastic pots with their plants.  Plant growth in the bone-meal fertilized garden soil is good; I have had to trim the Vallisneria heavily and remove excess floating plants.  Otherwise, they would take over the tank. 

Tank on the Right (typical “Walstad” tank with soil underlayer):  Plants and the ~15 Blue Dream Shrimp I added 3 weeks ago are doing quite well.  (Will sell them with the tank.) I think that the substrate fertilization (See previous post) helped.  (The potting soil I chose as the soil underlayer was perhaps a bit too infertile; its NPK was only 0.08/0.03/0.06.) 

New Fourth Edition (2023)

I am thrilled to announce launch of the 4th edition (2023) of ‘Ecology of the Planted Aquarium’.  Print version (paperback, 228 pages) and eBook versions are now available from my distributors (BTPS) or this website’s shop page.  Amazon is carrying the Kindle version, and as of 5/16/2023, the paperback is available on all Amazon websites, both in the USA and overseas. (Note: Amazon-printed book has a different cover, but material inside is the same!) New edition has the same low-tech, low-maintenance approach of previous editions, plus new material based on science, experience, and hobbyist input. 

New Fourth Edition (2023) of Ecology of the Planted Aquarium

Small Shrimp Tanks

Article on setting up small planted tanks for pet shrimp.

Small Planted Tanks for Pet Shrimp (8 pages) was written for people wanting to keep planted tanks.  I show how to set up 1-gal bowls with small shrimp, which is an easy, inexpensive way to get started.  Bowls shown at 1 month in photo were off to a good start and continued to do well.  For hobbyists who want to try something a little different, I describe setting up small tanks with the Dry Start Method (DSM).  With DSM, aquarium plants are grown emergent (in air) for the first 2-3 months before adding the water and the shrimp to the tank. Both methods involve using ordinary soil as a planting medium and keeping Red Cherry Shrimp, which are hardy, colorful, and cute.ShrimpBowlsSmaller