low Maintenance planted tank questions

[checkerboard]

For low maintenance tanks, non-CO2, Diana Walstad style, do we need to dose in the initial stages since I assume the plants might not have taken root to draw nutrients from the soil substrate?

Also, for plants that are not rooted in the substrate, for instance, moss or ferns tied to wood, will the nutrients in the water column be sufficient for their growth (however slow)?

[bclee]

DW advocates zero water column fertisation. However, personally, I do dose a little KNO3 about monthly and nothing else.

I have Anubias tied to the driftwood. No problem with nutrient deficiency.

BC

[mandz]

For low maintenance tanks, non-CO2, Diana Walstad style, do we need to dose in the initial stages since I assume the plants might not have taken root to draw nutrients from the soil substrate?

Also, for plants that are not rooted in the substrate, for instance, moss or ferns tied to wood, will the nutrients in the water column be sufficient for their growth (however slow)?

Hi, I have a low main 4ft with zero fertilisation. plants are slow growing but are growing well. definitely achievable. My nanas and ferns are not rooted and they have been growing fine as well.

[budak]

I would go for no-dosing at all, except for a little excess fish food. The point of this method seems to be getting the plants to operate at a rather lower level of existence, with steady but much slower growth rates than high energy setups.

[Lam_wn]

Hi,
just a question to add:
how often and what percentage WC would you add to this setup? The nitrates are not as easily absorbed are they? and even so not completely so there should be unwanted build up right?
thanks

[Kev0055]

For low maintenance tanks, non-CO2, Diana Walstad style, do we need to dose in the initial stages since I assume the plants might not have taken root to draw nutrients from the soil substrate?

Also, for plants that are not rooted in the substrate, for instance, moss or ferns tied to wood, will the nutrients in the water column be sufficient for their growth (however slow)?

I am setting up 2 tanks using DW's method, the first has equal substrate thickness of around 2.5cm each. The other has more soil and less gravel. around 1.5cm. The first tank is planted with hairgrass - which takes quite a long while (round 3 weeks) to grow their roots towards into soil substrate.

I plant the hairgrass in the other shallow gravel tank closer to the soil and already one of the hairgrass clumps has grown roots into the soil.

I am using a floating bag of Riccia contained within a fine net to absorb the excess nutrients.

Hope this helps.