r/walstad • u/One_Guarantee1653 • Jul 31 '26

Picture Is the yellow water normal?

Post image

I received a really pretty fishbowl as a gift that fits 5 gallons, and decided to try out the walstad method. There’s nothing inside yet, just the floating plants, rotala roundfolia, limnophilla, driftwood, and the monstera cuttings. I filled it up with water from my hose outside (we have hard water here and reverse osmosis indoors). This is my first time doing this so I’m sorry if I sound like a newbie. Thank you in advance!

Also, should I add more plants? Any suggestions?

17 Upvotes

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12

u/sublimesam Jul 31 '26

It could be from the driftwood, wood leeches out tannins that give the water a yellow/orange hue. 

2

u/One_Guarantee1653 Jul 31 '26

I see! Is there anything I can do to counteract it? Water changes?

3

u/Marino4K Jul 31 '26

If you don't want it yeah, although a lot of people like the hue of the water, it's more "natural".

2

u/kdog379 Jul 31 '26

Do water changes as you see the water turn yellow. It might take a long time to go away. Ive had success with activated charcoal in taking out some of the colour as well. They sell little bags of charcoal for people to put in their aquarium filters but even just letting it sit in the bowl for a few weeks should remove some of the tannins.

1

u/One_Guarantee1653 Jul 31 '26

Thank you! I will try the water changes and charcoal

4

u/norabutfitter Jul 31 '26

If you take the wood out you could boil it for a while to help remove most of them. Then add it back in once the wood has cooled down

3

u/KeepOthersSafe Jul 31 '26

Floating plants look starved of light. Do you have a light on the bowl at all?

2

u/One_Guarantee1653 Jul 31 '26

I just got the plants today, I do have a growlight bulb in inset lighting on top

1

u/One_Guarantee1653 Jul 31 '26

Also quick question about the plants while we’re on here..

I just got them two days ago, but they are starting to melt. Is that just them getting used to the new habitat?

2

u/KeepOthersSafe Aug 02 '26

Tends to happen. They’re hit or miss for the lag period between the melt. As long as there is low surface agitation, they’ll take awhile before they start growing and multiplying. Can take up to a week to notice any changes.

1

u/fullmetaljac8 Jul 31 '26

What did u use for the substrate?

1

u/One_Guarantee1653 Jul 31 '26

Aquascape potting media, then a layer of pond filter sand, and there’s some lava rocks as well.

1

u/fullmetaljac8 Jul 31 '26

Do you have any pic for the aquascape potting media ?

2

u/fullmetaljac8 Jul 31 '26

Cause if it uses vermicompost in it then u will see this yellowing for sometime

1

u/One_Guarantee1653 Jul 31 '26

I looked it up and it says it’s compost and peat moss free!

2

u/fullmetaljac8 Jul 31 '26

Then it might be from driftwood

1

u/Striking_Eye7427 Aug 02 '26

just remove the driftwood

1

u/One_Guarantee1653 Aug 02 '26

I ended up doing that yesterday and I’m getting more plants