Streetwise Indoor Aquariums

[Guppysnail]

Your bow front is looking very nice. 

[Atitagain]

This forum is not good for my budget, there are so many beautiful tanks of all shapes, sizes, stocking, ect the list could be very long. I already have like 100 projects I wanna get started on and now I take a deep look through your journal and all the sudden i wanna get some nano tanks! Yours are gorgeous the darkwater I’m already loving. I’m very interested in learning about the organic dirt your using as well. I need to most certainly get Diana Walstad book, it’s been recommended a few times.

ive been kinda intimidated to do nano tanks because I’ve always heard how hard it is to keep parameters stable. I just had a 3 1/2G set up for 6 months with no plants and did fine with it. Might break it back out and give it another go. Lol my MTS is out of control!

Beautiful tanks and interesting journal. 

[Torrey]

On 9/30/2021 at 5:39 PM, Streetwise said:

Water top-offs, before and after:

You have such gorgeous tanks....

 

I do believe that I may have developed tank envy.🤔

Well done, I love the 3 nano lined up like that.

[Streetwise]

Thanks for the compliments! Since I returned to freshwater, I have only done organic soil tanks, besides those with just wood, epiphytes, mulm, and snails, so they are my baseline. I need a decent staycation to do more with my tanks, since I really only have four with fish, two others with shrimp, and I haven’t gotten any new inhabitants for maybe a year.

If you want to try organic soil tanks or nano/pico tanks, don’t feel any pressure to stock them. I love doing wet houseplants with my extra plants and wood.

Cheers!

[Patrick_G]

On 9/30/2021 at 7:11 PM, Atitagain said:

ive been kinda intimidated to do nano tanks because I’ve always heard how hard it is to keep parameters stable. I just had a 3 1/2G set up for 6 months with no plants and did fine with it. Might break it back out and give it another go. Lol my MTS is out of control!

Beautiful tanks and interesting journal. 

I was having trouble with my three gallon after going filterless. @Streetwiseadvised me to just leave it alone and he was right. I’m not totally hands off but it’s much easier than expected. 

[Streetwise]

I just want to say a few things about this slice of the hobby:

Dirted: please do not use this non-word. It makes it sound like organic soil is an afterthought, and not the first layer.

Walstad Method: There is no such thing. I love her book, and I return to it all the time. I don’t have any arguments with her text or advice. However, she does not define a method or technique. She gives us science and advice.

This is why I use the term, organic soil aquarium. If I mess up in my setup, it is not a Walstad issue, it is a Streetwise issue.

[Guppysnail]

On 10/1/2021 at 7:38 PM, Streetwise said:

I just want to say a few things about this slice of the hobby:

Dirted: please do not use this non-word. It makes it sound like organic soil is an afterthought, and not the first layer.

Walstad Method: There is no such thing. I love her book, and I return to it all the time. I don’t have any arguments with her text or advice. However, she does not define a method or technique. She gives us science and advice.

This is why I use the term, organic soil aquarium. If I mess up in my setup, it is not a Walstad issue, it is a Streetwise issue.

Thank you for the clarification. I have never used organic soil except as a kid just collecting things. I often wondered at what each of the terms meant. I like how you have separated the scientist from the method 😁. I always appreciate your knowledge sharing. 

[Torrey]

On 10/1/2021 at 5:38 PM, Streetwise said:

I just want to say a few things about this slice of the hobby:

Dirted: please do not use this non-word. It makes it sound like organic soil is an afterthought, and not the first layer.

Walstad Method: There is no such thing. I love her book, and I return to it all the time. I don’t have any arguments with her text or advice. However, she does not define a method or technique. She gives us science and advice.

This is why I use the term, organic soil aquarium. If I mess up in my setup, it is not a Walstad issue, it is a Streetwise issue.

Technically, all soil is organic. 

Otherwise, there would be no carbon.

::ducks and runs away::

[Hobbit]

On 10/2/2021 at 1:18 AM, Torrey said:

Technically, all soil is organic. 

Otherwise, there would be no carbon.

::ducks and runs away::

😜 Looks like we have a smarty pants in the class! 😜

On 10/1/2021 at 7:38 PM, Streetwise said:

Dirted: please do not use this non-word.

Of course I don’t want to police someone’s language and create another barrier to feeling like someone’s part of this hobby. However, this does remind me of working at a botanic gardens and learning that gardeners say “soil,” not “dirt.” Soil is what you grow plants in; dirt is what you sweep out of your house.

[Patrick_G]

On 10/1/2021 at 10:18 PM, Torrey said:

Technically, all soil is organic. 

Otherwise, there would be no carbon.

::ducks and runs away::

You sound like my Biochemist father! He’s always ready to argue about the connotations of the word organic. 😆

[Streetwise]

Well, we had fun with my little hot-take! 😆 Maybe I should say topsoil. I don’t mind the term dirt, it is just ‘dirted’ that grinds my gravel. For the so-called ‘Walstad Method’, perhaps I should have said it is a fan-creation, and is subjective. I am certainly a fan, and try to do my best.

I have described my tanks as Walstad tanks in the past. Maybe the better term is Walstad-inspired.

Cheers!

[Torrey]

On 10/2/2021 at 1:30 PM, Streetwise said:

Well, we had fun with my little hot-take! 😆 Maybe I should say topsoil. I don’t mind the term dirt, it is just ‘dirted’ that grinds my gravel. For the so-called ‘Walstad Method’, perhaps I should have said it is a fan-creation, and is subjective. I am certainly a fan, and try to do my best.

Cheers!

What's really funny/ironic is I learned about Diana via my BIL, only a couple of years ago. 

I had a dirted German tank (I just used the name that was in the book, lol) in the 70's because Ocracoke Island has lots of energy outages due to storms. According to a book I had at the time, Germans made "glass houses for small fish with plants growing out of the dirt".

At this point in my life, I don't get too hung up on terminology, as 90% of english is appropriated from other languages. 

It's more important (to me) to speak kindly, and to check in frequently to make sure what I am intending to communicate is what is actually being understood by the other person. 

I only "argue semantics" with people I have learned to trust, that they will appreciate my sense of humor (dry, and a bit warped).

On 10/2/2021 at 10:51 AM, Patrick_G said:

You sound like my Biochemist father! He’s always ready to argue about the connotations of the word organic. 😆

You'll have to thank my organic chemistry teacher, we spent 3 semesters making fun of organic water, and asking hippies if they wanted organic items (carbonized due to redox reactions during cooking🤣)

[Odd Duck]

I hate being ORD!  I get one back, then another, then out again!  I approve of you all!  😆 

I use dirted sometimes because that’s become the terminology, but I dislike the term as well.  Usually try to use dirt capped with sand.

I’m another that likes to be very clear, my job very much depends on it and it’s my personal style, anyway.

By the time you have completed the required pre-vet courses, you are usually one class away from a minor in organic and inorganic chem, biology, and zoology - lots of ‘ologies.  Then you take 4 more years of classes with lots more ‘ologies.  Whew, how did I even survive? 

[Torrey]

On 10/2/2021 at 4:57 PM, Odd Duck said:

I hate being ORD!  I get one back, then another, then out again!  I approve of you all!  😆 

I use dirted sometimes because that’s become the terminology, but I dislike the term as well.  Usually try to use dirt capped with sand.

I’m another that likes to be very clear, my job very much depends on it and it’s my personal style, anyway.

By the time you have completed the required pre-vet courses, you are usually one class away from a minor in organic and inorganic chem, biology, and zoology - lots of ‘ologies.  Then you take 4 more years of classes with lots more ‘ologies.  Whew, how did I even survive? 

🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

 

ORD.... again🙄

I somehow forgot you worked in veterinary medicine @Odd Duck

My daughter was at NMSU getting the reqs out of the way for Vet school at OSU or NMSU.... but had my gorgeous grandboos instead. 

She just introduced her FIL to the concept of endlers in the stock tanks to keep the algea under control for the horses this summer. 

One of the colts was so focused on watching the fish, it fell in the stock tank, head first🤣

[Odd Duck]

On 10/2/2021 at 8:12 PM, Torrey said:

🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

 

ORD.... again🙄

I somehow forgot you worked in veterinary medicine @Odd Duck

My daughter was at NMSU getting the reqs out of the way for Vet school at OSU or NMSU.... but had my gorgeous grandboos instead. 

She just introduced her FIL to the concept of endlers in the stock tanks to keep the algea under control for the horses this summer. 

One of the colts was so focused on watching the fish, it fell in the stock tank, head first🤣

I’m ORD more than I have them.

Grandboos are probably worth it!  And that’s hysterical about the colt!  🤣 

Edited October 3, 2021 by Odd Duck

[Streetwise]

Feeding time:

[Atitagain]

I’ll be getting Ecology of the planted aquarium delivered Saturday, is there any other books or sources of information you would recommend? After reading this book and studying up a bit more I’m gonna try an organic soil tank, probably a 10G. Also maybe I missed if you talked much about it but do you have invertebrates, worms, ect in your tanks or is all plants and fish? I would imagine it’s a lot more?

[Streetwise]

[Atitagain]

On 10/15/2021 at 11:26 PM, Streetwise said:

This is so amazing the layout, lighting, angle of the shot, so dark but detailed at the base if you focus in, and overall just a beautiful scape. 👍

[Streetwise]

Thank you @Atitagain! Without scrolling back in the the thread, please guess the size of that aquarium! 😎

[Atitagain]

On 10/16/2021 at 7:55 PM, Streetwise said:

Thank you @Atitagain! Without scrolling back in the the thread, please guess the size of that aquarium! 😎

😂 🤣🤣if I remember correctly I think your 3 cubes are 5G each. As soon as I say that tho I wanna say 15G. But I’m going with my gut 5G.

[Streetwise]

It is a 1.25 gallon wet houseplant.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I appreciate how hard these are to balance having had my own experience with tanks under 5 gallons. I love the tannins and the depth you achieve with your scapes. 

[Streetwise]

Thank you, @Beardedbillygoat1975. My tanks are pretty simple and very low-effort. I do have nice local water.

That pico tank is one of a few that I run without fish. Anyone could do the same. If you love plants like I do, it is just as sweet.

[Streetwise]