Getting Away From Using Tank Filters

[10 Tanks]

Hello. Have followed an aggressive water change routine for several years and found I can stop doing some things. For one, I've stopped testing the tank water. I used to test it regularly, but found if I simply changed out a lot of water every week, the water chemistry remained steady. There was no need for using the chemistry set. Filtering the tank water was another thing I didn't need. The filter was just moving water that was already clean. Most of the filtration equipment I used stopped working within a few months anyway. The sponge filter was pretty good, but it mostly just mixed oxygen into the tank water. Large, weekly water changes maintained good oxygen levels too. Vacuuming the bottom material was another thing that became unnecessary. Everything in the tank is constantly dissolving in the water. So, by changing out the old water and replacing it with new, I was able to remove everything that had dissolved. The water change takes about 45 minutes and done every few days, makes keeping a tank easy.

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[GaryE6 5]

What fish species do you keep? What are their needs in terms of oxygen and water movement, which affects behaviour and health?

I'm honestly not convinced most of my filters do a whole lot since I too am a water changer. But I know from a species by species study of every fish I keep what their water movement preferences are, and I try to match that en route to creating an environment where they have a chance of acting as they do in nature.

For heavily (in my light stocking terms) stocked tanks, filters are an absolute necessity here.

If you're willing to do that research work, then I'll buy what you're saying. But I hope you're stocking at about one small fish per 5 gallon level after you've researched them. There are VERY few swamp fish in the hobby, and even they get water movement from wind produced surface movement.

The test kit and cycle approach is useful, but it also steers us away from studying behaviour and natural-like habitats. There's much more to filtration than just the cycle, and stagnant tanks are not welcomed habitats in nature. I do have some barely filtered tanks, with air driven sponges or box filters, but the inhabitants are very carefully chosen species from shallow swamps.

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello again. I think most tank keepers could eliminate the items I listed. If you did want to add a little aeration to the water you could. I'm using a small water pump with a spray bar attachment. But, I remove and replace most of the tank water weekly. So, the water pump isn't really necessary. You can certainly make this water keeping hobby more labor intensive if you wanted to keep a demanding species. But, I'm not sure most hobbyists do.

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[GaryE6 5]

You post this often, but you never have answered the question of what you keep. So let's try again!

Your definition of demanding species is interesting. I'd consider the very few still water species in the hobby to be demanding.

A lot of fish will stay alive in stagnant tanks, but shouldn't our goal be better than making a dry season puddle for them?

 

[anewbie]

All depends on species and density. Keeping a single swamp betta in a 29 - sure it will work fine. Keeping 30 cardinals in a 40 i have my doubt. keeping a fish that requires rapids - no way.

Keeping guppies your chances are better then if you are keeping blue rams.

Anyway if it works for you great but i think others should consider carefully for their setup.

 

[GaryE6 5]

I may appear to being hard on the OP, but this is not a newly presented idea from him or her. We can't post general statements like this (well, we can, but...) without being asked to be more precise. If our goal is to provide good homes for our fish (admittedly, not everyone's goal), we need to be less general. If I said "every tank needs a filter" I would be giving bad advice for the very few species who hate water movement.

Some killifish, some small Asian Rasbora relatives, some Danio types and some air breathing labyrinth fish thrive with no filter. Crank up a water flow on them and they'll be unhappy.

Guppies, swordtails (especially), mollies, most tetras, most Cichlids, corys etc inhabit streams where water movement is part of their lives. Most bread and butter fish can survive poor conditions, but should they have to?

We go wrong when we talk about "fish" without talking about groups or species of fish. Diversity matters.

It's a good discussion that could be helped with a little more information.