5 Gal Walstad Betta Tank Vs. Bowl

Hi! I’m completely new to this forum and have a lot of questions, just a warning!

So I’ve been researching Walstad method tanks for a while now, and debating over a 5 gallon tank (Marineland Contour 5 gal), or a 5 gallon bowl/cylindrical tank. Listed below are some pros and cons.

Marineland Contour 5 Gallon
Pros:
- comes with LED lights
- has filter with multiple settings
- inexpensive, good reviews

Cons:
- has a flimsy plastic covering over the back section of the tank, although it has a glass lid in the front
- is taller vs wide, I know bettas prefer a longer, rather than taller, tank

Questions:
1. So the Walstad method recommends very low wattage per gallon, and this tank has a 50-watt LED white and blue light. Is there any way to switch this out? (In case any of you out there have experience with this tank)

2. Will it really affect a betta that much if it is tall? I plan on having a lot of plants (duckweed, anubias nana, java fern, amazon sword, possibly some ludwigia, and dwarf hair grass), with some stones and driftwood.

3. Would you consider the investment worth it if I take out the lights? Also, I know water movement is helpful, but exactly how necessary is having the filter? (As many reviews say it is a strong but quiet filter, I do plan on blocking the flow with a sponge)

5 Gallon Bowl (none particular in mind)
Pros:
- (Kind of dumb) I really like the aesthetic of having a rounded tank, with the hardscape extending out.
- Seems pretty spacious, considering how much desk space it would take up

Cons:
- Some people say it is disconcerting for the fish to have a rounded view, while others disagree. I have no opinion, the closest tank I’ve ever had to being round only had a slightly rounded front.
- I would need to purchase a light (any recommendations?) and perhaps a filter (again, recommendations? I am a very light sleeper, so preferably a quiet one)

Questions:
1. Is this a stupid idea? Bettas can jump, and my bowl would be lidless...
2. Would you recommend this over a tank?

My plan for the tank:
Driftwood
Small stones
Assorted plants (duckweed, anubias nana, java fern, amazon sword, ludwigia, dwarf hair grass)
A male betta
A couple shrimp (red cherry)
Maybe a nerite?

It would cycle for a month or two, with the plants, introducing the shrimp and/or snails a bit earlier than the fish.

More questions (sorry guys!)
1. Previously, I have had driftwood in my tanks. It was so pretty; all branchy and stuff, however it grew a ton of feathery white algae which would not come off even with a bleaching for a week in the California sun, and copious scrubbing. Is there any way to prevent this?

2. Sand or gravel? I have no preference, just want to know which would look better, which can support plants better, etc.

3. What other inexpensive plants would you recommend? What brand of soil?

4. After the first year, when the nutrients of the soil dissipate, will the bio load of the betta, shrimp, and snails be enough to support the tank?

5. How frequent should my water changes be after the tank is stable? Also, how much?

Thank you so much for reading this whole message.

 

Have you checked out Foo The Flowerhorn channel?
He does both bowls and tank styles.
I used his vids when I setup my betta tank.

 

I know nothing about walstad tanks, but for your 5 gallon tank option, have you considered getting aqueon's 5.5 gal that's just the tank? It'd allow you to choose whatever lighting is best, rather than worrying about what a kit comes with - also probably cheaper

But I know what you mean about liking bowls - my mother loves them (I allowed her to kidnap one of my bettas to put in one on her desk (yes large enough, trust me I made sure he's all set), have not noticed any difference in behavior due to curved sides, but that doesn't mean there isn't any) I've also noticed my bettas seem much more active in long rather than tall tanks. Keep in mind, in the wild, they patrol territories that are like 3ft square and about 6 inches deep (Average) so that's a lot of back an forth they're designed for, y'know?

As for leaving the tank/bowl without a lid, if you're worried you can always put saran wrap on the top. It's not super pretty, but it's rather functional.


I just fold the edge of the tape so it's easy to get up for feeding, and I can flip it up over the bar light so it's out of the way. I usually poke a couple (very small) holes in the top for airflow

 

I can't speak on the walsted method as I have no experience with it at all. However I can offer the follow;

From what I've read about lighting in general it's not just about wattage per gallon. The temperature (colour) of the light and lumens (brightness) also play a significant roll with specifically LEDs in mind. The wattage per gallon comes from the use of incandescent lights.

I think it would be worth if it you're limited on space and like the aesthetic of the sleek glass top tank with the built in filter. If you have a petsmart you could perhaps take a look at the Top Fin Engage. It's got a similar style but doesn't come with a light.

Usually the difference between long v tall is pretty minimal unless you have an older betta or one with large, heavy fins. You may want to provide things like the betta hammock by zoomed.

I would go with the marineland over the bowl- partially because of the round walls making it difficult to tell where the glass is but also because of the lack of lid. Lidless tanks can be ok but I wouldn't advise them for bettas. Your plan would make an excellent shrimp bowl though!

Pretty much all driftwood will grow that gross algae in the beginning. If you had a nerite in there at the time it would munch away at is until it was gone. There's no real way to stop this from happening to new wood.

I personally prefer sand just for ease of cleaning. With gravel you would want to vacuum fairly regularly to get the waste that fell between the pebbles which takes time and patience and would risk up-rooting your plants. With sand the waste is clearly visible for you to just siphon up.

As for plants I think you nailed most of the ones you have planned. I really like the look of putting pothos and lucky bamboo in the filter. You'd have to take the little lid off and it would help if you filled it with something like hydroponic clay balls but you can also just let their roots free float.

 

Have you checked out Foo the Flowerhorn channel?
He does both bowls and tank styles.
I used his vids when I setup my betta tank.

Ambie, yes I have, and I love his channel so so much! The only problem is that he doesn’t provide a whole lot of info about the method itself, he posts (super amazing) videos of his tanks (also super amazing) and while watching his videos was the trigger for me to want to create a walstad tank, I do really want some details about nano tanks in general. Thanks for your recommendation though!

 

Ambie, yes I have, and I love his channel so so much! The only problem is that he doesn’t provide a whole lot of info about the method itself, he posts (super amazing) videos of his tanks (also super amazing) and while watching his videos was the trigger for me to want to create a walstad tank, I do really want some details about nano tanks in general. Thanks for your recommendation though!

Ok just checking if you had some of the basic info.

As to some of your questions.

Sand is more recommended because gravel can mess up more delicate roots.
But gravel will allow waste to fertilize your plants. Or find a gravel with smaller granules if you want the waste to reach the soil. Sand does a better job of capping in my opinion.

Soil should be a Organic soil. (I use Nature's care Organic raised bed soil) Other kinds are Miracle gro organic choice & Top Soil. Some people remineralize soil by soaking it in dechlorinated water then allowing it to dry in the sun. I've personally never do that.

Other Fast growing plants are pearlweed, hornwort, Bacopa, Rotala, pennywort, dwarf sag and watersprite.

As for water changes:
This is straight from Diana Walstad book, Which I recommend you check out she the creator of walstad. She also has updated to LED lights in her latest redo of the book Ecology of the Planted Aquarium a Practical Manual and Scientific Treatis.

Do water changes as needed [some soils often require frequent water changes the first two months to remove miscellaneous toxins (e.g., wood oils) released by the soil. Also, new soils invariably release algae-stimulating nutrients (Nitrogen) the first couple months.] After tank is established, water changes can be very infrequent.

Lighting: For LED she been recommending Beamswork ea and if you already have a bulb fixture she recommends the Feit (GLP24FS/12W/LED) bulbs.

I don't use driftwood so i'm no help there.

And you definitely need something with a lid. If you have a glass cutter near you they can cut a piece to fit a bowl if you really want a bowl.

Hope this helps.


Also check out @plantedtanknerd on instagram.

 

I can't speak on the walsted method as I have no experience with it at all. However I can offer the follow;

I think it would be worth if it you're limited on space and like the aesthetic of the sleek glass top tank with the built in filter. If you have a petsmart you could perhaps take a look at the Top Fin Engage. It's got a similar style but doesn't come with a light.

Are there lights you’d recommend? Ideally I’d like a white light; however that’s my preference and may not be best for the plants.

 

Are there lights you’d recommend? Ideally I’d like a white light; however that’s my preference and may not be best for the plants.

I personally really like using just normal growlights made for indoor gardening- though they're either purple or very yellow. The Nicrew lights are a pretty popular lower budget light too. They have a line specifically for planted tanks but I feel like you should be able to make any of them work. There are also some clip on lights made for plants as well but they tend to be a bit more expensive for some reason. Keep in mind these prices are in Canadian as that's where I'm from- if you're in the USA they will be cheaper.