Filterless clean water

[Phantom Thief]

I have a 2-3 gallon tank. Inside i have a coupla guppies (bout 10) 7 chinese carp, an algae eater and a betta. They all live peacefully. I have two plants, one has a pot in the water and leaves above, the other is completely underwater. NO problems either. Its all in a shady area. I've had this for 4 weeks. Last week, i did a partial water change(25%). Three days ago, it got a bit dirty. The next day, it started to get a little clearer. Yesterday it was quite clear. Today, it's CRYSTAL CLEAR. I don't get it. There's NO FILTER. How did it get so CLEAN? Please answer.

 

[guppymonkey]

I have no idea how your fish are alive. A 2 or 3 gallon tank can't have that many fish in it.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Phanthom Thief

No one needs filtration to keep a healthy tank. There is an old rule about tank capacity being one inch of fish per one gallon of water. This is without filtration. By adding filtration and/or aeration, you can increase the carrying capacity of the tank.

However, nothing you can do will allow your tiny little tank to successfully support as many fish as you claim to have.

Sounds like a fish tale to me.

 

[Scarab]

Not sure about your filter-less question...but I have to agree that there are way too many fish in that size of a tank. The chinese algae eater alone is going to get way to big even if it was in there by itself.

 

[CFC]

No one needs filtration to keep a healthy tank. There is an old rule about tank capacity being one inch of fish per one gallon of water. This is without filtration. By adding filtration and/or aeration, you can increase the carrying capacity of the tank.

Errm i dont quite think so, without filtration there is no way you could have a inch per gallon in a tank, imagine 30 adult tetras in a 30 gallon tank, without a filter the tank would soon be polluted and the tetras would die. You could probably get away with one fish in a 30 gallon tank with no filtration, the bacteria in the substrate would be able to deal with some of the the waste and the volume of water would allow extra time for th toxins to build up but you would still need to change half the water every week to keep it fresh.
The inch per gallon rule has nothing to do with filtration it is about the ammount of oxygen available to the inhabbitants, the only way to increase stocking limits is to increase the surface area of the water, either by adding external cannister filters or the addition of a airstone to the tank.

If anyone noticed phantom theif said his tank has only been set up 4 weeks and he has done a large water change just a week ago, my money says all his fish will be dead in two weeks tops, that is if he really has all those fish in a 3 gallon tank.

 

[smb]

Ummm this isn't the same chinese carp that gets 60 pounds and beyond is it?

 

[bgraber]

After reading the original post a coupla times, I find myself starting to chuckle for some reason... I'm wondering how you could even physically fit that many fish in that tank and have water too! Sounds like a rescue is in order here

 

[Phantom Thief]

Sorry. I'm a metric kinda guy, so actually i have no idea how big my tank is.Really. I'm not kiddin. Heck i dunno how big it is. But what i DO know is, all fishy doin fine no one die yet, all active.Eat like crazy(ok its an exxageration).Sorry that i messed up ) . I'm from Malaysia. All metric. So, if anyone tells me how many litres to a gallon or vice versa, i'll be able to give a more definite answer.Two last things, chinese carp become 60 pounds?!?!?! But it is ok cos i'm gonna get an outdoor pond next year, so they should be fine (unless they grow from 3 cm to 60 pound in 2 months ) I know pounds by the way. bout half a kg. The last thing is, are u guys using british gallon or american gallon?

Thanks.Hope I cleared up a bit of confusion

 

[Alien Anna]

Sorry. I'm a metric kinda guy, so actually i have no idea how big my tank is.Really. I'm not kiddin. Heck i dunno how big it is... I'm from Malaysia. All metric. So, if anyone tells me how many litres to a gallon or vice versa, i'll be able to give a more definite answer... I know pounds by the way. bout half a kg. The last thing is, are u guys using british gallon or american gallon?

4 litres is 1 US gallon. Generally people on the Internet use US gallons, which is 0.8 Imperial (British) gallons.

Alternatively, you could measure your tank dimensions and post that. It is easy for us to convert to volumn measurements.

But what i DO know is, all fishy doin fine no one die yet, all active.Eat like crazy(ok its an exxageration).

Your fish are probably OK at the moment but you can't see poisoning damage usually until its too late. Fish have this habit of keeling over suddenly, without warning. Do read the article in my sig if you haven't done so already - it might explain why.

Two last things, chinese carp become 60 pounds?!?!?! But it is ok cos i'm gonna get an outdoor pond next year, so they should be fine (unless they grow from 3 cm to 60 pound in 2 months )

An outdoor pond would be ideal but if you can move the project forward a bit, that would be useful. They can grow very fast and in a small tank they can become stunted and not grow properly.

 

[akhtar]

hello

nice achivment,

id love that to happen to me!!!

thanks bye

 

[ste2k3]

I don't think that the fish will live very long with out a filter. the plants will be taking up some of the waste but not all. you also have too many fish in there.

fine no one die yet

you should be looking to be able to say the fish are all really happy and doing great, not just to stay they are still alive. get your water tested and see what ammonia, nitrate, nitrite and ph are. if there is no ammonia or nitrite and there is under 30mg/l of nitrate and the ph is between 6.5 and 7.5, then i don't have a problem but I can't see it to be that way myself.

good luck

 

[Phantom Thief]

Hei guys. Thanks for all ur help . The dimensions for the tank are: 39 by 25 by 29 (all cm, please). And BTW, the only reason I said all my fish are 'alive' is cos lots of people sid they should be dead by now . They ARE NOT DEAD. And YES, they are ACTIVE and HAPPY (i dont claim to be a fish expert, but when i see them swimming round the tank, i can't come up with any other opinion). So someone please give me the capacity for the tank as i'm helpless in counting stuff in gallons or inches or yards. But i know 12 inches is one foot. and shaq is 7 ft.Thats all, really.

Good 'counting'

 

[ade]

Can I just mention that crystal clear water does not necessarily mean healthy water - I mean, the rain water outside my house this morning was crystal clear, but I sure as hell wouldn't trust it for my beloved fish.

We have a natural pond near us, which has beautifully clear water all year round, and yet I've never seen a living thing in there - strange?

Cheers

 

[ste2k3]

28 litres
6.5 gallons

 

[Where the river goes]

We have a natural pond near us, which has beautifully clear water all year round, and yet I've never seen a living thing in there - strange?

That water is most likely poison then.