The Cheapest Walstad Tank You Can Build - No Filter, No Heater, No CO2 - 2 Years Later!

Products Used In This Video
Tank (Or Similar) - https://glassboxdiaries.com/nanotank
Light - https://glassboxdiaries.com/seaouralight
Food 1 - https://glassboxdiaries.com/gbugbites
Food 2 - https://glassboxdiaries.com/minialgaewafers
Aquascaping Tweezers - https://glassboxdiaries.com/aquascapingtoolkit
Tap Water Conditioner - https://glassboxdiaries.com/tapwaterconditioner
Shrimp Salt - https://glassboxdiaries.com/shrimpsalt
Window Privacy Film - https://glassboxdiaries.com/privacyfilm
(Affiliate Links - I Get A Commission From Qualifying Purchases)

My Pearlweed Care Guide - https://glassboxdiaries.com/plant/micranthemum-glomeratum-pearlweed/
The Best Plants For Walstad Method Tanks - https://glassboxdiaries.com/lowtechplantindex/growth_rate-fast/
How Aquarium Plant Filtration Works - https://glassboxdiaries.com/aquarium-plant-filtration/
Walstad Stocking Ideas - https://glassboxdiaries.com/walstad-stocking-ideas/
Walstad Method Soil - https://glassboxdiaries.com/walstad-method-soil/
Debunking Common Walstad Method Myths - https://glassboxdiaries.com/debunking-common-walstad-method-myths-filtration-fertilization-and-water-changes/
Walstad Vs Father Fish - https://glassboxdiaries.com/walstad-vs-father-fish/

👍 Recommended Aquarium Accessories - https://glassboxdiaries.com/aquarium-accessories/
💡 Best Affordable Lighting Units For Low-Tech Planted Tanks - https://glassboxdiaries.com/best-aquarium-lights/
🌿 Find The Perfect Plants For Your Planted Aquarium - https://glassboxdiaries.com/lowtechplantindex/
📱 Socials - https://glassboxdiaries.com/socials

The Cheapest Walstad Tank You Can Build - No Filter, No Heater, No CO2, Low Water Changes - 2 Years Later!

Today’s video is a two-year update on my filterless and heaterless Walstad Method pearlweed jungle tank.

This 25-litre, or 6.6-gallon, aquarium was set up as an affordable low-tech ecosystem tank using regular topsoil, an inert gravel cap, budget lighting, and a single pot of pearlweed. There’s no filter, no heater, no CO2 system, and very little maintenance, yet the tank has grown into a dense pearlweed jungle that supports a thriving Bloody Mary neocaridina shrimp colony.

In the video, I go through how I set the tank up, why I used around half an inch of soil with a one-inch cap, how the pearlweed was planted, and how the tank cycled naturally as the plants and microorganisms established themselves. Pearlweed has been the key plant in this setup, growing quickly, absorbing excess nutrients from the water column, and helping keep ammonia and nitrite under control.

I also cover how the tank performed during its first year, including algae growth, shrimp breeding, trimming the pearlweed, removing the air stone, and how the shrimp used the algae and biofilm as a natural food source. The Bloody Mary shrimp have done especially well in this setup, and the contrast between the red shrimp and bright green pearlweed is one of my favourite things about the tank.

During the second year, I experimented with adding Medaka rice fish, but eventually moved them on while keeping the aquarium focused around the shrimp colony. I also talk about mineral levels, shrimp molting, soft tap water, shrimp mineral salt, and why I’ll probably keep using shrimp salt instead of calcium cubes in this particular aquarium.

At the two-year mark, this tank is still running strong and currently only averages a water change every six to eight months. My goal for year three is to see whether I can keep the tank stable without any water changes at all, while still testing the water regularly and stepping in if anything starts to go wrong.

This setup has really changed how I think about long-term Walstad aquariums, especially the role of soil, detritus, plant growth, microorganisms, and natural fertilization from livestock. I’m hoping to keep this aquarium running for as long as possible to see just how far a simple, affordable ecosystem planted tank can go.

Thanks for watching, and good luck with any filterless Walstad-style tanks you decide to try yourself.

#aquarium #fishtank #fishkeeping #plantedtank #plantedaquarium #cherryshrimp #neocaridina #shrimptank #walstad #walstadmethod

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:44 - Walstad Tank Setup
03:13 - Planting
06:00 - Cycling
09:11 - Stocking
10:27 - Year 1
16:26 - Year 2
21:05 - The Tank Today
23:54 - The Future Of The Tank

Видео The Cheapest Walstad Tank You Can Build - No Filter, No Heater, No CO2 - 2 Years Later! канала Glass Box Diaries