# Walstead Method Help plz



## Jamjumba (Aug 6, 2012)

okay I have a 45g aquarium im probably gonna dirt it soon idk :l i have had bad experiences with plants befor So i heard of the walstead method of dirting ur tan and mabey adding some clay in with it and then capping it with gravel so here are my questions.

1.Will my fish live through me dirting the tank with them in it?

2.what should i avoid in my tank?

3.What should i have in the tank?

4.Should i add snails and shrimp and oto's?

5.How much is it going to cost with out the plants im only 13 i dont want to take all my parents money max for all the stuff id like to spend 25-30 dollars us

6.How Many Plants should i add exp. A bunch at once cause this place is like 30 minutes away from me or a couple at a time (P.s im only adding Beginner plants crypt balansae,vallisneria,red melon swords,Dwarf sagiterria and like 3 species of hard plants)

Thank You All for suggestions And i need a little feedback it helps alot Cause i suck with plants and u guys r awesome so Thank you


----------



## whitetiger61 (Aug 2, 2011)

Jamjumba said:


> okay I have a 45g aquarium im probably gonna dirt it soon idk :l i have had bad experiences with plants befor So i heard of the walstead method of dirting ur tan and mabey adding some clay in with it and then capping it with gravel so here are my questions.
> 
> 1.Will my fish live through me dirting the tank with them in it?
> 
> ...


Dont take this wrong, but how much experience do youhave..IMO i dont think the walstead method is for someone that doesnt have alot of experience..things can go wrong with that method quickly if you dont follow it closely..and your choice of fish has alot to do with it..i would look into why you are having trouble keeping plants,because just because you do her method..doesnt mean you will have healthy plants. i use blasting sand in all my tanks and plants grow like crazy.

Rick


----------



## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Check the book out at the library, and read it and then re read it. This method is not recommended for beginners.


----------



## i4yue (Jul 5, 2010)

fish will not survive the dirting process if you dirt the tank with them in it. dirt has this neat thing called DOM(decaying organic matter) and it releases a ton of toxins and junk into the water the first few weeks of being set up. the walstead method, like mentioned before is not something for a beginner to tackle. get a nutrient rich substrate from your LFS like eco-complete, seachem flourite, fluval stratum, or w/e u find that has nutrients in it and plant stuff in that. much easier and almost fail proof


----------



## Crazy (Mar 1, 2012)

This method is challenging even for expert keepers, if you are determined I strongly recommend reading multiple books by walstad and doing a ton of research on other tank experiments of that variety first. Learn from others mistakes so to speak.


----------

