In an aquarium, the nutrients required, especially for plants, is supplied by the administering of chemical fertilizers.
This is Completely and utterly,
false.
Diana Walstad, invetor of the Walstad tank type, does not add fertilizers to the water at all (this goes for ALL walstad tanks), this also applies to most Low Tech tanks.
They rely strictly on plant decay and fish waste to create a organic mulm on the substrate. For those who are new to this, Walstad method is a natural planted tank (NPT) also known as El Natural tank, and was created by Diana Walstad, a well-known ecologist. This method describes a way of setting up an aquarium where plants and fish balance each other's existence and needs. It's almost self-sustaining. The full explanation of this process is in Diana Walstad's book "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium".
"
A little background. In 1999 Diana Walstad wrote the book "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium - A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist". Diana is a biologist, a micro-biologist and a technical advisor for the Aquatic Gardeners Association, as well as being a long time aquarist.
The ideas in her book have developed an avid following. Basically, she explains the science behind using the plants themselves as filters in a home aquarium, and how to set up a natural tank using soil, sunlight, minimal water exchanges, no other filters (some water movement, though), high density of plants, moderate stocking of fish, fertilizing only with excess fish flake food and the waste produced by the fish.
It's really a very old method of aquarium keeping - it's what people did in the late 1800's all the way into the 1950's when things like pumps, filters and fluorescent lighting became mass produced. Diana explains why it works. It's a very interesting book - a bit technical in places. I'll loan it to anyone who wants to read it.
Intrigued and skeptical, I set up a natural planted tank (NPT or El Natural as some call it) 10g tank last January based exactly on the principles outlined in the book. Sifted soil from my yard capped with gravel. Planted with fast growing root feeders, floaters, and emergent plants. Fancy guppies, 2 oto's, cherry shrimp (which the guppies ate, except for the big ones), pond snails.
It's located in a corner in front of both an eastern and southern window. It also has a vintage lamp with low wattage CP bulbs that comes on for a few hours just for viewing or if it's been cloudy out for too many days. A tiny fountain pump comes on only at night for some water circulation. I over feed the fish with flake food so that some will decay on the bottom forming a mulm which eventually works down into the soil to replenish it. The decaying process also produces C02. The heavily planted soil stays aerobic through root action (roots actually produce o2)
The only time I have vacuumed in there is when a plant would fail and I got an overload of dead leaves. I top up the open topped tank as necessary. Diana explains that ultimately, in this type of tank, some plants will thrive and some fail, you have to experiment a bit to find the ones that suit your particular setup. Also that it is not as suitable for fancy aquascaping as a more controlled environment.
Now that the tank has been operating for 9 months on this NO maintenance regime, I have to say that it is healthy and thriving. And I love it - my 70g planted goldfish tank is my hi-tech tank and I think of this one as my "vintage" style tank.
Diana Walstad is a moderator on a sub-forum of Aquatic Plant Central devoted to Natural Planted Tanks. Here's the link:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/el-natural/
I actually have a 5g iron and slate tank from the early 1900's, if it didn't already have a tarantula living in it, I'd surely set it up as another NPT!"
http://tgvas.com/Forum/showthread.php?1716-Natural-Planted-Tank-Walstad-style
Fertilizer requirements in ponds are also affected by temperature, pH, Oxygen more so than aquaria due to the wider range of fluctuation within these parameters.
I never said, add nitrogen to your pond, I said its lacking nitrogen, I labeled the deficiency, is that not what he is asking?
Anyone that attempts to maintain a pond using the guidelines for an aquarium will find themselves encountering problems, as I am sure that other members of this forum will attest.
Well I guess youll have to watch my journal then
, many people on here including yourself (no offence) don't know much, if anything, about (excluding,
@MitchM @Nepen as far as I know) proper aquarium care, maintenance, etc. By this I mean you have nothing to compare then.
To word this better: its Likely, people on a Pond Forum have a lack of knowledge, on what the basic needs, and types of aquascaping or aquarium maintenance (or, types as said) are/is.
