Wuestion About Water Changes

[puppyjess123]

Okay say it was a 5 gallon with a heater gravel some ornaments and just a male betta and it didn't have a filter how often would you need to do water changes?

Thanks lucy

 

[Phoenixbaby]

id say every 2 days

 

[Syphoniera]

Okay say it was a 5 gallon with a heater gravel some ornaments and just a male betta and it didn't have a filter how often would you need to do water changes?

Thanks lucy

I'm sure somebody else will provide far better info than I can, but here's a suggestion, at any rate.

If you're not doing a filter, are you putting some plants in?
Because not only will that help oxygenate the water when lights are on the tank, (albeit the reverse in the dark, which matters less with a surface-breathing Betta, of course) but they'll help suck up ammonia, depending on what type and how well they're doing.

If you do this, ultimately you'll be able to go with weekly water changes.

As others have recommended in previous threads you've likely seen, fast-growing plants like Water Wisteria, Pennywort, (which can also be used floating, as long as not too much light is blocked from the other plants, or surface from the betta,) Egeria Densa, (one of my personal favorites) Cardamine Lyrata, various Hygro, etc. can make the world of difference to your fish's health and safety.

Duckweed is a fabulous ammonia-sucker but can be a right, royal pain in some other respects.

If you don't want to go the earth-based, gravel-capped, low-maintenance Walstad route, a few plant tabs strategically placed and a little Flourish would be great in encouraging plant growth.
If you set up the tank with a suitable light level and plenty of nice, healthy, fast-growing plants and snails, it'll cycle; the plants will act also as surfaces to become populated with nitrifying bacteria to act in concert with the detoxifying process of the plants, although, of course, every addition to the bio-load, such as that of the betta, will require a catch-up which may likely result, as you know, in a mini-cycle, which must be borne in mind, although well-grown plants may well absorb this essentially as it's produced.

The snails act both as clean-up crew and ammonia producers, feeding the plants as well as the nitrifying bacteria, although I think ferts are important, especially in the early days, if using inert gravel.

Bigger snails can sometimes be a problem in smaller tanks and can't get onto the smaller leaves to clean them.

Despite the popular prejudice, I personally think Ramshorns are great.
Mine actually ate cyanobacteria; unfortunately, Bettas sometimes do pick on them and even kill them (sniff) and in the end I pretty much ran out and had to go with the pond snail type, which do clean leaves and whatnot where you can't see or get at them, but aren't as good as Ramshorns as far as I'm concerned.
Any snail overload can be picked out, but they will eat dying/diseased sections out of leaves in where they can't be easily seen and help prevent algae problems, as well as supplying nutrients for the plants, and a good number would be desirable, in my opinion.

Without a filter, it's essential that the tank itself must effectively perform as a unit.
Every surface within carries nitrifying bacteria - the more plants, the more double-duty performed, to a point, of course.
If you can attain about 40% plant growth, once the tank has properly established and stabilized, you should be able to go lower-maintenance.

If you decide to go fish-in, even with the plants you'll likely be looking at daily (depending) water changes gradually reducing in accordance with the situation, especially as they may not be active at first and taking time to produce new growth - or even dropping leaves from shock/emersed growth.

But whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll get more advice than you'll know what to do with.

And it's exciting to plan, isn't it, especially with a betta as the goal...

 

[puppyjess123]

Okay i'll think i'll change and just get a elite stingray sponge filter. I'd stick in main tank for about a month then its cycled! Putt that in with a about 5 plants a peice of bogwood and an ornament turn on heater and filter light and put the betta in. Okay? Also how often water changes WITH a filter>

 

[Phoenixbaby]

with a 5 gallon ur still looking at once a week

 

[Honeythorn]

I have a filtered and planted 5 gal and I do a 50% water change once a week.