Finally! (Pics to Follow!)

[Bettanewbie60]

Originally Posted by Relic

Agreed.
Though...from what I understand a true NPT should be pretty much self sustaining as far as the plant care is concerned?

Yes the true NPT via Walstad will have no added Co2 or ferts...this is what I am going to do..hopefully!

[andakin]

Originally Posted by Relic

Looks good. It's my understanding that with the use of potting soil, there is no need for CO2...the carbon is created naturally within the tank. The trick is not to have any surface disruption so the CO2 is not dissipated. I recommend an internal filter or if your filter is adjustable make sure the outflow is below the surface.

We definitely have conflicts of opinions.

Can potting soil really generate CO2 naturally? I would like to find out more if that's true.

I make an effort to circulate the surface as much as I can. This helps produce oxygen for the fish to breath and reduces the surface layer of protein. Stagnant water is less than ideal.

As for CO2, you don't need a fancy system. A home made one is only a few dollars.

[Relic]

Originally Posted by andakin

We definitely have conflicts of opinions.

Can potting soil really generate CO2 naturally? I would like to find out more if that's true.

I make an effort to circulate the surface as much as I can. This helps produce oxygen for the fish to breath and reduces the surface layer of protein. Stagnant water is less than ideal.

As for CO2, you don't need a fancy system. A home made one is only a few dollars.

Producing Co2 is ONE of the main reasons people starting using soil in their aquariums....the Co2 is produced by the decomposition of the soil. That is not an opinion...it's a fact. Circulating the water is great...especially for a planted tank that has fish in it. agitating the surface is fine as well, but you are degassing the Co2 when this is done...which defeats the whole purpose of using a soil substrate.
Once you agitate the surface you'll need to inject Co2 into the water column to make up for the Co2 that is lost from the naturally produced gas caused by the soil, Which will be escaping the tank via the agitation....and once you do this you no longer have a TRUE NPT.
A true NPT has a soil substrate, is heavy planted, generally low-mid lighting and has no surface agitation and no chemicals used in the aid of growing plants. Circulating a true NPT is fine and is usually done with internal filters...the use of floating plants is also recommended.
The idea is to create a whole self sustaining system. The trick is balancing the whole system...very few can do it. I don't think I could.

[Bettanewbie60]

Originally Posted by Relic

Producing Co2 is ONE of the main reasons people starting using soil in their aquariums....the Co2 is produced by the decomposition of the soil. That is not an opinion...it's a fact. Circulating the water is great...especially for a planted tank that has fish in it. agitating the surface is fine as well, but you are degassing the Co2 when this is done...which defeats the whole purpose of using a soil substrate.
Once you agitate the surface you'll need to inject Co2 into the water column to make up for the Co2 that is lost from the naturally produced gas caused by the soil, Which will be escaping the tank via the agitation....and once you do this you no longer have a TRUE NPT.
A true NPT has a soil substrate, is heavy planted, generally low-mid lighting and has no surface agitation and no chemicals used in the aid of growing plants. Circulating a true NPT is fine and is usually done with internal filters...the use of floating plants is also recommended.
The idea is to create a whole self sustaining system. The trick is balancing the whole system...very few can do it. I don't think I could.

+1^ this is why I am doing this..I want a TRUE NPT...OFL is helping me, thank goodness..I'm a bit anxious but determined!

[kfryman]

I have a NPT, I added T5s, started dosing ferts, will be adding CO2.... I love the benefits from the soil though. You get amazing results, especially when the soil has become matured.

A tank with low lighting won't run out of ferts very fast. Slap some T5s and you need to fertilize, or you get algae... This is because the plants are growing way more and using more nutrients. The soil will help a lot, but adding Seachem Flourish is also good. NPTs can have have anything added to them. The meaning of an NPT is natural planted so any NPT is still a NPT.

I am using an airstone at night for a variety of reasons, when I have diy co2 I don't want to gas my fish and it provides agitagtion to get the stupid biofilm off. (If you have other fish besides bettas, biofilm is bad as gas exchange is very low.

[Bettanewbie60]

Again, just a difference of opinion as to what constitutes an NPT...for me it means, no ferts or CO2...thus the Walstad method. To me "natural" excludes those things..you could just refer to it as Low tech versus High tech.

[Hopeseeker]

Originally Posted by xjenuhfur

So pretty! What are the red plants in there? (:

Dwarf Lily....It was the only one of four bulbs that actually decided to grow. Once it sprouted, within a week it was huge!

[Hopeseeker]

Originally Posted by Bettanewbie60

That looks awesome! I am so excited to get mine going...I am trying not to use any Co2 or ferts in mine...Walstad method I'm hoping. I don't think OFL uses any in hers, but I may be mistaken. So with the filter, do you just take the cartridge out and let it run that way, or do you put something else in the filter area?

My filter is an internal filter: Fluval U2 it cames with 3 filter medias: Sponge, some sort of ceramic type stuff for good bacteria to cling to, and carbon. I just took the carbon out.

[Hopeseeker]

I want to thank everyone for the compliments, all the info about NPTs and all the info on CO2!!!

[Bettanewbie60]

Originally Posted by Hopeseeker

My filter is an internal filter: Fluval U2 it cames with 3 filter medias: Sponge, some sort of ceramic type stuff for good bacteria to cling to, and carbon. I just took the carbon out.

Thanks...I have a Whisper Internal filter I will be using...can I just put some AQ sponge in it?