The Best Plants For Walstad Method Tanks! (Five Easy Plants For Planted Tanks)

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The Best Plants For Walstad Method Tanks! (Five Easy Plants For Planted Tanks)
In this video, I share my top 5 favorite plants for the Walstad method, focusing on natural water purification and maintaining stable water parameters in your aquarium. If you're looking for the best plants for the Walstad method, this video is for you!
Featured Plants:
Limnophila Sessiliflora: This is arguably the best submerged plant for Walstad method tanks. Its rapid growth rate helps to consume a lot of ammonium and nitrate, providing ample surface area for beneficial bacteria to thrive. The leaves of Limnophila Sessiliflora offer a significant surface for bacteria to grow, aiding in the biological filtration of your tank. One pot of Limnophila Sessiliflora can be enough for a small Walstad tank, making it a cost-effective choice. However, it’s important to monitor the nitrate levels to prevent the plant from turning brown due to nutrient deficiency.
Salvinia Auriculata: A powerful floating plant that excels in nitrate consumption, helping to balance the nitrogen cycle in your tank. Salvinia Auriculata is great for Walstad method tanks due to its easy access to CO2 from the atmosphere, promoting rapid growth and effective nutrient uptake. It’s easy to propagate by moving a couple of leaves to another tank, where new shoots will quickly sprout. The variable leaf size of Salvinia Auriculata can also give you an early warning about nutrient levels in your tank.
Rotala Rotundifolia: Known for its moderate growth rate, this plant helps maintain safe water parameters without needing frequent trimming. Rotala Rotundifolia is a versatile stem plant that can thrive in various light conditions. It’s often preferred over other stem plants due to its slower growth rate, reducing the need for constant maintenance. This plant is widely available and usually affordable, making it a practical choice for many aquarists.
Pearlweed (Hemianthus micranthemoides): Despite its advanced classification, this plant is thriving in my tanks with both high and low light conditions. Pearlweed is an excellent choice for the Walstad method, as it helps maintain stable water parameters by absorbing excess nutrients. It’s currently growing well in my guppy tank with a medium output light and in a shrimp tank with low light. Although there is some browning in the shrimp tank, this is likely due to low nutrient levels rather than insufficient light.
Hygrophila Polysperma: This plant grows in unpredictable directions, providing a unique aesthetic but requiring careful placement to avoid light blocking. Both the regular and Rosanervig variants of Hygrophila Polysperma work well in Walstad tanks. The Rosanervig variant has a unique pink hue, making it a standout addition to any aquarium. Although I no longer have this plant in my tanks, it remains a great option for those looking to enhance their Walstad method setups.
If you're interested in the best plants for the Walstad method, don't miss out on my in-depth discussion and tips on how to keep these plants thriving. Whether you're new to the Walstad method or looking to optimize your tank, these plants will help you create a balanced and beautiful aquatic environment.
The Walstad method is gaining popularity for its natural approach to aquarium maintenance, and choosing the right plants is crucial for success. The plants featured in this video are all excellent choices for maintaining safe and stable water parameters, promoting natural water purification, and enhancing the overall aesthetic of your tank.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:26 - Walstad Plant 1
02:45 - Walstad Plant 2
05:29 - Walstad Plant 3
08:06 - Walstad Plant 4
10:14 - Walstad Plant 5
Some of the links in this video description may be affiliate links meaning I earn a small commission from any purchases made.

[@eveningclicks7767]

Nice video! Glad to see my favorite floating plant in the list hehe :)

[@GlassBoxDiaries]

Cheers mate :) I love Salvinia, have it in all my tanks :)

[@chsrower6715]

Where do you get the plant rings?

[@GlassBoxDiaries]

Etsy :)

[@heaven7360]

Just wondering, whats the difference between Fluval Stratum, or ADA aquatic soil and "dirt"? My first thought is the amount of nutrients. I hear so many terms. for substrste.

[@GlassBoxDiaries]

I'm not 100% sure if i'm honest mate.
I think Fluval Stratum is a cheap aquasoil that is mainly used to buffer pH levels in tanks to safely lower the pH for fish and certain types of caridina shrimp. This only lasts around 6 months though so after that it acts like a normal soil. Its still perfectly fine for planted tanks and its what I use in some of mine as fish poop provides nutrients to the plants anyway.
Never used ADA Amazonia but to my knowledge its a really expensive aquasoil, at least here and its presoaked to contain more nutrients but can cause problems during the cycle due to the amount of nutrients in the tank.
Regular dirt can be broken down into different categories too as some have higher minerals due to the harvesting area, some have stuff artificially added to increase nutrients and stuff but its generally the cheapest. It has the highest nutrient content though so usually needs a capping layer for safe use in an aquarium without ammonia spikes.

[@joewwilliams]

I'm no expert, but I have experience with "Walstad" tanks and high tech tanks using aqua soil. My experience:
While they seem similar on the surface (both are substrates that provide nutrients) they're fundamentally different in composition. The "aqua soils" are generally made of some sort of volcanic rock or clay that has been enriched with available nutrients that slowly release over time. The particles are more uniform in shape and the "soil" doesn't "decompose", though it may fall apart over time. Potting "soil" (what Walstad recommends in her book) is made of organic material (and additives like perlite or vermiculite for drainage in pots) that slowly *decomposes* over time. This process is more long term, but is also a bit more messy. This is why we usually "cap" these soils with sand or gravel.

[@juliansierra1097]

Hey, I have a planted tank using soil capped with about an inch and half of sand. all my stem plants end up having rotting roots. not sure if you have any suggestions. Also love the channel!

[@GlassBoxDiaries]

Cheers mate, it could be due to issues with the top soil layer being anaerobic. You can try poking something thin like a sewing needle into the substrate to get air into it.
Another potential issue is the type of soil used. I use regular top soil but a friend of mine used potting soil in his shrimp jar and had a bunch of issues from the start. He rebuild it with top soil and hasn't had any issues since.

[@ThermicLight]

How deep are you planting them? They should only be within the sand. Otherwise if it's deep in the soil the roots can suffer from an over abundance of nutrients.