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I’m in the grip of that dreadful affliction known as MTS. I have an irresistible urge to set up another tank; it’s keeping me awake at night. My wife thinks I’m having an affair, because I sit there with a dreamy far away look in my eyes plotting the next tank (at this stage I think you would prefer if I was actually having an affair).
Anyway due to a number of constraints, this is going to be a very small tank. My large tank is still not 100% there yet and already takes a lot of time in maintenance, so more large tanks at the moment. Also, don’t want the cost of a large tank, space in our apartment is a problem.

So my plan is to set up a small cube tank, 12”X12”x12” which is about 7 gals.

This will primarily an exercise in aquascaping but, of course you got have the fish, I’m thinking 2-3 female bettas.

So my questions are:
Do I need filtration? Would prefer to run without (cost and space).
If no filter, 100% water change weekly ok?
If doing 100%, what impact on the plants (sure it’s no going to be good)? Can I get away with smaller water changes and again how is this going to impact on the plants/fish?
If filter is absolutely unavoidable any recommendations?
I chose Bettas in order to avoid the filter, but if anyone has any other ideas on stocking a tank of this nature be glad to hear them. (There will be no heater, but live in the tropics and temp is pretty stable all year round –warm)

Thanks all

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

If you keep betta's only, filtration isn't a must, but better to have one, perhaps a sponge filter or a small Hang on the back filter. (Better not to have internal power filters because betta doesn't like strong current).

Never do 100% change, do a 20% to 30% weekly is good already. Doing 100% water change will change your water parameters and temperature too quickly, hence disturb your system.

Good luck on explaining to your wife that you didn't have an affair with another woman but fish

Such a small tank would require far too much of your time if you say that "My large tank is still not 100% there yet and already takes a lot of time in maintenanceare".
Smaller tanks require even more care and assuming that you can 'cut corners' by having no filtration and such drastic water changes are really a thing from the past! Changing 100% with goldfish is really not healthy for the fish, with tropicals (and bettas especially) it would be virtual torture and death. If this 'new found love' in your life is causing you internal turmoil, you will have to endure the pain of spending the cash and energy.

Ok filter it is. The filter is more of an aesthetic issue anyway bearing in mind this tank will be on my apartment workdesk.

amilner,
By maintenance I am referring to the work of keeping a large healthy planted tank looking good. It takes months to get it to grow in and look right and then almost daily attention to keep it that way.This is something I am quite happy to do but there are a limited number of hours in a day. Obviously a smaller tank with a lot less plants requires correspondingly less pruning, shaping, replanting etc. By no means to I intend to compromise on water quality or the health of the fish.I do a 25-30% water change (with just a bucket and vac) on the 65g every week, a 25-30% water change on a 7g even on a daily basis would not be a problem for me.

[span class="edited"][Edited by bensaf 2004-07-30 02:45][/span]

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Well seeing X is an unkown quantity, and a spurt is a drip under pressure. I am your man i suppose.

I would recommend a low power HOB filter, possibly a Penguin Biowheel Mini, or AquaClear Mini.

Betta's do not need filtration, but in your case, wanting it to be a planted tank and all, i would go with some filtration. The low powered HOB filters i suggested would be good, as they will not distress the Bettas and will not wash the plants around in such a small tank.

Changing 100% with goldfish is really not healthy for the fish, with tropicals (and bettas especially) it would be virtual torture and death.

I know many people who do 100% weekly water changes on their small Betta tanks. I am not against it, i see it as another branch of healthy fish keeping.

Anyways, in small tanks under 5 gallons, it is considered very difficult to keep them cycled, so many fish keepers scrap the filtration and turn to the total waterchanges. Which is okay in my books.

-- Gomer

Sorry for the double post..

Well if you were going to heavily plant the tank, why have any filtration at all? Plants readily use ammonia as a food source anyway.

Maybe go no filtration, and 50% waterchanges twice a week? I think that would work finely.

-- Gomer

I have some 2 gal betta tanks, no filtration, and planted.

substrate- sand. 2 30 % water changes weekly. I took a small 5 gal gravel vac/siphon thingy and took a hacksaw and cut the siphon part short enough to fit inot the betta tanks- works fine. I can siphon out the droppings right off the top of the sand.the plants dont get uprooted in the process. been doing it for over a year, no problems to the plants or fish, actually i use the betta tanks for growing out plants, such as bulbs, cuttings, baby plantlets ect.... as the tanks are so small, when the plants get to big, then i transplant them to bigger tanks and start again- or just prune them down.

Thnaks guys. Yes it will be heavily planted. The big tank seems to have reached a state of equilibrium where algae has almost ceased to exist and plants seem intent on growing out of the tank so at the moment I'm throwing away a lot of clippings each week. I will use these in the small tank and replace with fresh clippings when they get too big. I'll also be adding some petrified wood and some more plants of a size suitable for such a small tank.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.