Filterless tanks

[Wills]

I can hear the gasp from here! But yes, I want to set up a filterless tank, relying on plants alone to be the filtration system.

The tank is a 30 litre tank, I'm setting it up in my home office. I've got a choice of 2 tanks, one is a shallow 2 foot tank and the other is a more traditional cube shape. The main purpose of the tank is for it to house a Ramshorn snail colony for me to 'harvest' for my Red Eye Red Tail Puffers as their tank is now fully devoid of snails and something most puffer owners have to do. I may try some other species of snails too, maybe a Rabbit species or quite like Cappuccinos too.

So hopefully the only kit on the tank will be the light and a small heater. I've been looking at these but not sure on the fixed temperature setting? I don't think its too much of an issue but does anyone have experience of it not being a good idea?

https://www.swelluk.com/aquarium-systems-visitherm-mini-submersible-heaters-10w-25w
https://www.swelluk.com/aqua-one-nano-preset-heater

For the plants I want to get some Riparium style plants but need to research the best options for a smaller tank, then for planting I'm not sure which way to go. If I do the shallow tank it was really hard last time I planted it to make it work super well so maybe I favour the taller tank? Which would give better options for fast growers like Valis and Limnophilla, maybe some penny wort?

I do wonder if I'll eventually add fish or not... given my hard water some of the smaller schoolers like Celestial Pearls, Emerald Rasboras or Rummy Nose Rasboras could be a cool choice. Just a couple of Platies might be nice and simple too (I'd go just males)? Not sure which at this stage and plants would have to have taken over.

Wills

 

[Deleted member 149562]

I have used these before, granted not preset but extremely reliable and user friendly...and ultra slim too, so ideal for small spaces

Aquael Platinum Heater 50W - Glass Aquarium Heater

Aquarium Heater with thermostat for fish tanks by Aquael

www.pro-shrimp.co.uk

or

Superfish PRO Heater 50W - Aquarium Heater

Superfish Aquarium Heater with thermostat for fish tanks

www.pro-shrimp.co.uk

Pro-Shrimp are really good on value for the smaller aquariums and equipment (they have live snails and shrimp too and live plants). Next day delivery by DHL or 2 day delivery by Royal Mail.

I have used the firm for several years

(I have used Swell in the past too but always go back to Pro-Shrimp for better choice and value)

 

[Wills]

I have used these before, granted not preset but extremely reliable and user friendly...and ultra slim too, so ideal for small spaces

Aquael Platinum Heater 50W - Glass Aquarium Heater

Aquarium Heater with thermostat for fish tanks by Aquael

www.pro-shrimp.co.uk

or

Superfish PRO Heater 50W - Aquarium Heater

Superfish Aquarium Heater with thermostat for fish tanks

www.pro-shrimp.co.uk

Pro-Shrimp are really good on value for the smaller aquariums and equipment (they have live snails and shrimp too and live plants). Next day delivery by DHL or 2 day delivery by Royal Mail.

I have used the firm for several years

(I have used Swell in the past too but always go back to Pro-Shrimp for better choice and value)

Love pro shrimp! I had forgotten them though so thanks for reminding me

Would you go with the adjustable heaters over the fixed? I liked the other two as its just a small black rectangle that would be pretty easy to hide.

Wills

 

[Deleted member 149562]

I have a preset Eheim heater in my 200 litre that is rated to 300 litres yet it almost never managed to get to the preset temperature so ended up getting another one for the other end of the aquarium

So as much as preset are convenient, I am yet to be convinced of their reliability tbh.

 

[Beastije]

I just want to mention that rabbit snail (tylomelania) are really large, consume a lot of matter and if not fed properly they eat plants. Feeding them means providing vegetables for several hours/days, which can foul water if not caught or eaten at some point. They also want a water at 27° C , which may present with oxygen difficulties in a no filter tank just due to no water movement.
They like to roam around, so the tank should ideally be a 60cm long I would hazzard.

I would also not recommend brotia herculea , as it is again very large, likes a lot of water movement, mine eats plants like crazy too maybe better choice would be a smaller snail, like other brotia species, even though they are real hard to keep alive.

 

[GaryE]

A 3o ltr unfiltered isn't one I'd add fish to, but it'd work just fine for your other plans. If I were adding fish, they would absolutely have to be swamp origin fish, and you won't find many hard water tropical swamps.

 

[Beastije]

Btw why are you considering the heater at all, at least for summer? I have two heater less tanks, I even cut off my house heating and they are both at 22°C for the last month (though did cut the house heat quite recently).
Specifically ramhorns and other "pest" snails dont care about temperature. I have a 3l jar full of leftover egeria densa and about 20 of Physa acuta in it, which is most common pest here, and have a 20liter vase or so with leftover hornwort, which is going through some leave shedding, so it is generating lot of mess, and the snails breed quite fast there. I do a water change of 50% once a month or so, or add water if it evaporates and the vase is filled with snails growing fast to larger size, not too many though because I didnt add any there to begin with.

 

[Beastije]

I mean I couldnt call mine tanks, sure, and without light it wont really handle any plants that have requirements, but for snails, they work I even saw the walstad method bowls, looked amazing too, no clue about snails there though

 

[Wills]

A 3o ltr unfiltered isn't one I'd add fish to, but it'd work just fine for your other plans. If I were adding fish, they would absolutely have to be swamp origin fish, and you won't find many hard water tropical swamps.

Thats why I mentioned the dwarf rasboras https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/celestichthys-erythromicron/ I think these would be a good choice, from Lake Inle which is super close to my tap water, small fish that lives in the margins of the lake and packs in a lot of colour for the size. Like I say though most likely a snail only tank so I'll enjoy the scaping side of it as much as the inhabitants . In no real rush to get fish in, you'll see from my journals that I take things slow

Btw why are you considering the heater at all, at least for summer? I have two heater less tanks, I even cut off my house heating and they are both at 22°C for the last month (though did cut the house heat quite recently).
Specifically ramhorns and other "pest" snails dont care about temperature. I have a 3l jar full of leftover egeria densa and about 20 of Physa acuta in it, which is most common pest here, and have a 20liter vase or so with leftover hornwort, which is going through some leave shedding, so it is generating lot of mess, and the snails breed quite fast there. I do a water change of 50% once a month or so, or add water if it evaporates and the vase is filled with snails growing fast to larger size, not too many though because I didnt add any there to begin with.

I would definitely need a heater as it gets pretty cold, thanks for the advice on the fancy snails too, not something I had thought of and not looked into them having specific needs. Bit ignorant I know but assumed they were similar to the pest snails you mentioned.

 

[GaryE]

When I had Celestichthys (I babysat them for a friend who was away for a few months) they didn't take a lot of filtration, but they did have oxygen needs, and a certain sensitivity to pollution. I'm very skeptical of unfiltered tanks, even if in the killie hobby I participate in, they are used by many successful breeders. Stillwater fish often have adaptations to lower oxygen, like many of the bettas or other Anabantoid fish that breathe surface air.

 

[Wills]

When I had Celestichthys (I babysat them for a friend who was away for a few months) they didn't take a lot of filtration, but they did have oxygen needs, and a certain sensitivity to pollution. I'm very skeptical of unfiltered tanks, even if in the killie hobby I participate in, they are used by many successful breeders. Stillwater fish often have adaptations to lower oxygen, like many of the bettas or other Anabantoid fish that breathe surface air.

Ah that’s an interesting point I hadn’t taken into account in terms of oxygen and movement I wonder if I can find a small hob filter? The reason I was going to go filterless was it’s going on a built in unit and I usually use externals so wouldn’t be able to get pipe work through but I can get a cable through.

 

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