filter or not?

[sandro]

My betta's living in a 10 gallon, on his own. Up until now he's had an ugly gravel substrate with an undergravel filter. Also, the canopy is a cheap incandescent bulb one. I've just taken out the undergravel filter and replaced the gravel with sand. Tomorrow I'll be upgrading his lighting - I want to give him a planted tank.

Now ... it's going to be rather high output lighting, as I want some really nice ground cover. I've been told to leave the tank filter-less entirely because he might like it more. However, I'm not convinced since I do want to have a really nice planted tank, with a happy otto swimming around between them ...

I've never had a serious planted tank ... so ... should I leave out the filter, or go ahead and get the penguin mini bio-wheel I was thinking of? I know bettas like calm water ... but ... most bettas don't like in 10 gallon tanks with a variety of high-light plants

 

[Tempestuousfury]

You could get a sponge filter. Less water disturbance, so no ripped fins. You don't need mechanical filtration, really, if you do water changes.

 

[f250fisherman]

Plants need light, fertilizer, and co2. You have to either have fish to use the oxygen in the water, to produce the co2, or inject it. The less air bubbles in the tank, the better. The plants need food, so either have several fish create the waste for the plants to feed off of, or add fertilizer for aquarium plants. It depends on the plants as to how much light you need. Some only need 2 watts per gal, while others need 6 watts per gallon. Bettas can live in the planted tank, but they don't use up the oxygen, so you will need to inject co2. I know you can get plants to survive in tanks that don't meet these requirments, but to get them to flourish, you need to meet their needs.

 

[sandro]

Thanks for your replies. I'm aiming for 6 watts/gallon (more if possible, I was going to poke around one more LFS today to check out the options), I have ferts, and I was planning on injecting CO2. Would the use of a mechanical filter significantly reduce the CO2 levels as well, or is that more of a concern with bubble filters?

Also, what plants have bettas been known to like?

 

[Tempestuousfury]

That is primarily a concern when airstones and bars are placed in the tank. As for the mechanical filter, it won't upset the CO2. It'll allow for gas exchange, but it shouldn't be detrimental to the plants. I'm more worried the betta's fins getting ripped than the plants.

However, my 45 gallon plants are doing ok with my bubble bar in place, but in a samll tank it owuld make a far greater impact.

If that was java ferns, they can handle quite a bit of mishandling and bad conditions, though you seem to be on the right track.