Tank Setup

[westb182]

I got a 2Gal bowl for my betta and I bought some live plants. Plants are doing great, and they are growing, and betta is happy, but I was wondering if there is anything I can do so I dont have to keep changing the water - get it to sustain itself?
Its been set up for over a month, passed the NH3 cycle. Can I get snails or something to clean up the tank?
It has no pump, no filter.
any way to do it without getting a filter?

 

[lisie]

As long as there's a fish in there, and therefore waste is being produced, you'll ALWAYS have to change water. A filter doesn't filter out wastes either, all it does is harbor bacteria that will convert ammonia into nitrites and nitrites into nitrates, which is less harmful to fish. In fishkeeping, water changes is just a part of life. You'll need to do a 100% water change every 5 days in a bowl that size. Also, the bowl is too small for anything more than just one betta... a snail produces a lot of waste.

 

[westb182]

Ah so no way even if the tank is cycled not to do 100% water changes?
Oh well.

 

[_cRaCkEr_]

100% water change is fine as long as you use aged water

 

[jollysue]

A filtered tank using activated carbon does filter out waste. It does not convert ammonia or nitrites. The cycle is Ammonia to Nitrites to Nitrates. The nitrAtes then must be changed out in water changes, when oxygen is also added (which your plants do too, but not at any tank stocking levels.). The bacteria that convert the Ammonia and NitrItes live in higher concentration in the filter media because it is wet/dry and highly oxygenated. A tank is a closed system so there is no where for old water to go or fresh water to enter.

I don't know what a cycled tank without a filter is??? A cycled tank is one where bacteria has built up to a point to handle the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate cycle. That doesn't happen with an unfiltered bowl--that I ever heard.

Aged water is water that has sat for approximately 24 hours, and the chlorine has evaporated. The water can also be treated with declorinator.

For my smaller unfiltered bowls I have water that is denatured (has been sitting for over 24 hours.) Change the water weekly. I know 2 gallon containers are a pain to change. I keep them near a water drain. I use about four quarts of denatured water (what I usually have on hand at room temperature) then add 4 quarts again in a few days. So with 2 usg containers, I can actually go longer than a week without a problem, I believe.

One advantage to planted is that the plants will use waste as fertilizer. But the water still needs to be changed to take the old water out and add new water.

 

[westb182]

K
Ive been doing water changes weekly, fish are doing fine, and so are the plants.
I was wondering if there was a way to get the tank clean cause its not like I do a 100% water change weekly for my 150gal tank...

 

[jollysue]

Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm missing something here.

Filtered 150 USG tank if not too over stocked with good filtration does not necessarily need water changes weekly and certainly not 100 %. But an unfiltered 2 gal bowl planted or not needs the water changed. Once a week near 100% is a good routine.

What am I missing?

 

[wendywc]

If you only want to do partial water changes, then get a small filter or sponge filter. Or even better get a small tank setup, like one of these. http/aquariumguys.com/aquariumkits.html

With your bowl, I would heed the above advise.

 

[jollysue]

I probably got too complex. Sorry.

 

[westb182]

Ah,
Thanks