10 Gallon Planted Tank (Walsad Method A.K.A Dirted Tank)

Ok so for a while now I have been wanting to do an all natural tank. Well a few days ago someone I know was throwing out a 10 gallon tank. So not being someone who wants the tank to go to waste, I offered him 10$ for the tank and he said "Take it". Well I took it home and started digging through my old aquarium junk I have compiled and found: 1 Incandescent Hood, 1 Tetra 5-15 gallon auto set heater (keeps water at pretty constant 75 degrees F), 1 Aquaclear 50 filter (cleaned sponge , removed carbon cause I heard Walsad methods don't need carbon packs, and bought new Bio media), 2 10 watt 6500k light spectrum Lights of America bulbs. I scrubbed the tank with Distilled white viniger to remove calcium build up. I took some blue painters tape and made a background out of it. Washed out some pool filter sand (new of course) and put it on the bottom for substrate right now. Filled and leak checked it. Hooked up heater, filter, light, and well that's where I am at right now.

Well I guess I will start from the top down, so my first question is: Will these 2 10 watt 6500k light spectrum Lights of America bulbs grow Java Fern, Moneywort, Dwarf Sag, Red ludwigia?

Second will the Aquaclear 50 with just the sponge filter and biomax be good for my tank since the activated carbon strips the disolved organic carbon out of water? Will it be to much flow or just enough ??

Third for the substrate I'm thinking about a super thin layer of unfired clay (like from hobby lobby), layer of Mircle Grow Organic Choice Potting soil grading from .5" to 1" front to back, capped with about .5" of pool filter sand. Will this be ok to grow the plants listed above.

Forth I don't want to have to use liquid fertilzers constantly, but I am thinking about running a Diy Co2 system once a week for a period of time and maybe dosing with seachem excel and flourish once a week. Would this be okay and if so how long to run co2 for ?

Fifth I know this is planted section but this is kinda dealing with them. For livestock in this tank I want to do 2 Bolivian Rams ( 1 male 1 female), 8 Panda corys, 1 Bristle nose pleco, and about 6 Crystal red shrimp. WIll these work together and with the plants ?

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Permalink Reply by Christian Harrington on December 29, 2012 at 11:47pm

this is a drawing of how i want this tank to look the rocks i want to be zebra rocks the forground plant is dwarf sag the one in middle of rocks red ludwiggia, the plant behind rocks java fern and the plants on either side of java fern is moneywort

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Permalink Reply by Alexander Newman on December 30, 2012 at 9:55am

Those lights will work fine, you did it right, I can't wait to see it.

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Permalink Reply by Christian Harrington on December 30, 2012 at 9:57am

havent done anything yet lol the actual pic of the tank is how it sets now i just trying to find out if that stuff will be correct before i buy lol

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Permalink Reply by GSP on December 31, 2012 at 5:04pm

if you are talking about co2 and ferts and stuff, you are not following the Diane Walstad method. You should read her book, The ecology of the planted aquarium.

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Permalink Reply by Christian Harrington on December 31, 2012 at 5:06pm

i dont want to have to use them what i was saying but i have to i will

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Permalink Reply by Christian Harrington on December 31, 2012 at 10:35pm

could you please email me the book snype2live@yahoo.com

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Permalink Reply by seth roach on January 1, 2013 at 6:24pm

GSP has you on the right track...walstead method is a lot more simple than almost all the tanks on this site the real trick to her method is to really not ever touch the tank, doing even a water change in a properly "walsteaded" tank will throw off the co2 levels and your plants will get used to an easily acquired carbon source and will get thrown off balance...good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy robinson on January 3, 2013 at 3:34pm

You don't need a whole layer of clay. take some clay out of package and let it dry out till its hard then break it into pieces and place a few pieces under each plant. It will make the process of cleaning and doing water changes extremely easy or easier.