OK, here we are starting another blog! This time I am taking you on a journey with my fish tank. It’s been many years since I have had a fish tank. I have experience with both fresh water and saltwater but this one is going to be different. This one is going to be a brown water ecosystem tank built up using the Walsted Method as best I can understand it. My goals will be to make it as self-sustaining, low tech and cost savvy as I can.

I started out with this 55-gallon tank which I bought used off FaceBook marketplace for $50 and then had the joy of resealing! Scraping off the old seal (which was clearly old, thin, and on it’s way out) was kind fun but the caulking? That was… oooph. My caulking gun was bent and it took literally every ounce of strength I had. So the seals are super thick and messy but I don’t care. It also came with a rusty stand which I sanded and then spray painted this delightful silver and now I am ready to go!

I will be lining the bottom with large turkey grit. This is just a cheap way to buy 50 pounds of crushed granite. This will provide a good surface for beneficial bacteria to grow on and will be part of an all-natural filtration system since I have no rockscape planned.

Above that I will be putting a 4-inch layer of my home-made garden topsoil which took three years, lots of compost and bunny poo to make. It is black gold and I am sure the plants will LOVE it. To make it prettier and easier to use I first baked it to get rid of potentially hazardous bacteria and vermin and then sifted it until it was a fine black sand. Came out GORGEOUS.

I will then be adding plants to function as the other part of the filtration system and some fish! Can’t wait!