Need advice for a low-maintenance / self-sustaining planted pond setup
Hi everyone! I’m planning to build a small aquatic ecosystem at my village house and would love some ideas from people experienced with Walstad / natural ponds.
I currently have a few options for the container:
An old plastic water tank that I can use as a tub
Buy a medium/large plastic tub
Build a small cement tank/pond specifically for this
My dream is to have something like a natural planted pond with fish, shrimp, snails, or whatever livestock would be suitable.
The biggest challenge is that this is at my village house, and I’ll only visit once every 1–2 months. So I won’t be able to:
Feed fish daily
Clean the tank regularly
Do frequent water changes
I’m hoping to create a stable biological ecosystem where plants, microorganisms, substrate, etc. do most of the work naturally.
I’m open to using a filter if it’s genuinely necessary, but ideally I’d love a no-filter / low-tech / natural setup.
What would you recommend for this situation?
Plastic tub vs cement tank?
What size would you recommend?
Which plants would work best?
What fish/shrimp/snails could survive with very little human intervention?
Would a Walstad-style setup work for this?
How should I design the substrate and ecosystem from the beginning?
What are the biggest risks if I’m away for 1–2 months?
Budget is also a consideration, so I’m looking for something practical rather than an expensive aquarium setup.
I’d really appreciate examples/photos of similar setups if anyone has them. Thanks! 🌱🐟