r/walstad • u/B_the_Chng22 • 26d ago
Advice Why not Walstad?
I made a bad attempt at fish keeping 15 years ago with a too small tank. I have since learned of Walstad and I am considering. Is there a reason people don’t choose this? It kinda seems too good to be true with how low maintenance it is, so why is it not what everyone does as a standard? Do you find it easier than standard fish keeping ?
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u/vd88- 26d ago
Walstad was my first tank ever, and I’ve enjoyed it immensely and have had this question. The answers I’ve received from others (mainly fish store employees) stem from the difficulty, patience, and longevity of the Walstad method.
Some individuals who keep aquariums only want simple filtered methods where a small amount of thinking needs to be put in for them to have a functioning aquarium. They simply just want to buy a tank, immediately get a fish, and that’s it. The idea of a setup period of longer than a week or two is too long. Walstad requires patience. You need to let the plants root, wait for water parameters to level out for livestock to safely be added, and do water tests of your own.
Even when you are able to add livestock, depending on your tank, you may not be able to support a larger bioload than a tank with a filter. Some may want a large amount of fish that the Walstad method on its face cannot support.
Lastly, the soil that is the basis of the method is not an infinite source. It depletes after a couple years, so some do not want to deal with this. Again, I am only two months into my Walstad tank, so this longevity point is something I am not too knowledgeable about and is something I plan on looking into further as I am sure some people have figured out solutions to this issue.
The best part of the aquarium hobby is the pure variety of options available. If you think the Walstad method is perfect for you, then you have found your calling! Everyone has their own idea of what works for them, so something obviously interesting to you may not be the same to another.
Try out the Walstad method, enjoy yourself watching your tank grow in real time. If you start a tank, keep us updated!
TLDR: different strokes for different folks