Nano Tank (FILTERLESS!!)

[Ashlyn]

I’ve just started my 3.5 cube nano tank, with a bunch of plants, my goal is for tank to be a little ecosystem with 99% plants and maybe 1-2 small fish. There’s currently 1 snail in here, how long till things start clearing up? 
 

*There is no filter, but there is quick cycle added, and under the sand you can see the Aqueon plant food pebbles. There is also some fertilizer tablets under the pebbles to insure root growth.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Nice. I have a 6 gallon cube, dirt substrate, with a gravel cap. No filter, no ferts, just dirt and a good light. 
 

When I first filled the tank, I filled and drained it probably 6 times to get as much loose dirt out as I could. 
 

My tank is almost 2 years old, has become an absolute Pearl Weed forest, and continues to crush. 

[Ashlyn]

Thanks! I didn’t think to drain and refill! I’ll do that. 
how long did you let your tank “cycle”?

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 10/2/2023 at 7:10 PM, Ashlyn said:

how long did you let your tank “cycle”?

I don’t remember exactly. I waited for the plants to start growing well, added a couple Nerite snails, and then I added 6 CPD’s. 
 

Is your soil going to leech ammonia? If so, I would wait for that to subside/wait for the plants to start growing well and some algae to appear. 

[Ashlyn]

I got aquatic soil, so I think I should be safe, however I do want to want for the monte carlos to finish the ground coverage before I add anything else.

 

I did a quick water change and the water looks much better! The tannins from the wood look to still be leaking. 
thanks for you help 🙂

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Ya no problem at all! 
 

My best advice would be to just get on a normal routine of testing and water changes. 
 

Also, the only real issue I’ve had with my dirted/no filter tank is I’ve had green water twice. I think the first time the plants just weren’t mature enough, and then I was on vacation and skipped a week of maintenance. The second time, is because I was adding a tiny amount of Easy Green trying to help the red root floaters. Both times I got though it by doing extra water changes. 
 

A filterless tank is just a little bit different from a tank with a filter, in my experience. 
 

I hope yours does well!

[Odd Duck]

On 10/2/2023 at 9:11 PM, Ashlyn said:

I got aquatic soil, so I think I should be safe, however I do want to want for the monte carlos to finish the ground coverage before I add anything else.

 

I did a quick water change and the water looks much better! The tannins from the wood look to still be leaking. 
thanks for you help 🙂

Nearly all the aquatic soils leach ammonia.  That’s what makes them a “soil” vs just gravel.  Do you have a test kit?  Of test strips?  Drop test kits are considered more accurate but I’ve not found big differences between the strips and drop kits.  Mostly I don’t need an exact number, just trends or presence/absence depending on the parameters I’m concerned about testing in any given situation.

I don’t know your fishkeeping experience, but are you aware that a 3.5 gallon is extremely small for fish?  Nearly all fish need a bigger tank than that plus the smaller the tank the more difficult it can be to keep the parameters steady.  I generally recommend shrimp only, maybe a small snail or 2 in a tank that size.  It can be done with a couple very small fish, but it takes significant dedication and usually more frequent maintenance to keep fish happy and healthy in such a small tank.  Plus extremely careful selection of fish.  Most small fish are shoaling fish and like to be in a group.  A group of 6 or more is too big for a 3.5 G in nearly any species bigger than microrasbora and they are borderline for comfort in such a small tank.

Did you have a species in mind for your micro tank?

[Matt B]

Wow, this is so cool. I think I have the same tank! It has been my experimental tank! What I have is the 3.7 gal Imagitarium.  I removed the internal filter system and just have a cube! It has gone through many changes. Started out with no filter and then added... nano sponge filter, horticulture sand plants, Triops,  then Cherry shrimp, tried 3 different lights. I've actually got a 100 watt coop heater in it!  It's incredible how such a small tank does so well! I love it !

[Ashlyn]

On 10/2/2023 at 8:00 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

On 10/2/2023 at 11:35 PM, Odd Duck said:

Nearly all the aquatic soils leach ammonia.  That’s what makes them a “soil” vs just gravel.  Do you have a test kit?  Of test strips?  Drop test kits are considered more accurate but I’ve not found big differences between the strips and drop kits.  Mostly I don’t need an exact number, just trends or presence/absence depending on the parameters I’m concerned about testing in any given situation.

I don’t know your fishkeeping experience, but are you aware that a 3.5 gallon is extremely small for fish?  Nearly all fish need a bigger tank than that plus the smaller the tank the more difficult it can be to keep the parameters steady.  I generally recommend shrimp only, maybe a small snail or 2 in a tank that size.  It can be done with a couple very small fish, but it takes significant dedication and usually more frequent maintenance to keep fish happy and healthy in such a small tank.  Plus extremely careful selection of fish.  Most small fish are shoaling fish and like to be in a group.  A group of 6 or more is too big for a 3.5 G in nearly any species bigger than microrasbora and they are borderline for comfort in such a small tank.

Did you have a species in mind for your micro tank?

 

yes I have a test kit, however right now Im waiting for the plants to take affect and root in. Without a filter there’a not going to be a cycle so it’s a different process than a filtered tank.

I have several tanks from 15 gallon to 150 being well established.

nano tanks without a filter spoke to me because of the live ecosystem, so that’s what I’m trying to do. I want this to be more of a focus on the plants than the fish. 
 

as for fish I’m thinking maybe an angel fish, or maybe even a pufferfish! Just kidding…. Just a snail and maybe an endler at some point but that’s it. 

On 10/3/2023 at 9:10 PM, Matt B said:

Wow, this is so cool. I think I have the same tank! It has been my experimental tank! What I have is the 3.7 gal Imagitarium.  I removed the internal filter system and just have a cube! It has gone through many changes. Started out with no filter and then added... nano sponge filter, horticulture sand plants, Triops,  then Cherry shrimp, tried 3 different lights. I've actually got a 100 watt coop heater in it!  It's incredible how such a small tank does so well! I love it !

It does look like the same tank! I wanted to really focus on the plants themself and the ecosystem so I’m trying my hand at a nano tank!

[Matt B]

I've never used dirted or aquatic soils. They seem a little tricky to me, I haven't gotten brave enough to attempt them. Next adventure.. . What I do have, is a mixture of small and large gravels, that contain a lot of 'stuff'.   Tanks that have been up and running for a long time with guppies and no gravel vacuuming. The plants seem to love it. I have used a lot of root tabs in the past, maybe that makes them semi-dirted? ha ha. I do dose easy green.  It's the bulb plants that I like. Had several melt completely back, I removed the bulbs and after drying them for a month, put them back in and they took off!  So many unexpected things happen in these glass boxes full of water! 

[Matt B]