Ten Gallon Unfiltered

[lovebuzz]

Hey

I've got a ten gallon tank unfiltered that has one betta and a snail. It's got some gravel and two rocks. I'm wondering how often to do a water change? I've been doing it every four days but my brother says every four weeks! Please tell me how often I should really do a water change.

P.S could you also tell me how often I would need to change it I added four white cloud minnows and a few shrimp?

 

[Synirr]

I give my 1 gallon betta bowls a 100% water change once a week, so I don't think you have to change a 10 gallon nearly as often as you do... If I were you, I'd just do weekly water changes.
As for adding some white clouds and shrimp, I'd recommend getting some filtration going. It may not be 100% necessary, but external filters for 10 gallons are relatively cheap and certainly beneficial

 

[AlexsDaddy]

At least get some airation for the minnows and shrimp. If you were to get a filter and cycle the tank though, it would save you the hassel of doing water changes every few days.... If you have an established tank you could soak the filter media in there for a couple weeks to start a bacteria colony. If you decide not to get a filter, get an ammonia test kit and test every couple days. Once you get ammonia readings do a big enough water change till you get a reading of 0 ppms of ammonia.

Edited to add: Depending on how many fish are in the tank now, it would be greatly benificial to get a filter and cycle the tank. With alot of fish in 1 tank, ammonia can build up quite quickly between uneaten food rotting and the fishies waste and eventually water changes won't keep up with it.

 

[lovebuzz]

So then....anyone in TO want to send me some filter media?

Just joking. Doing water changes for me will be fine, its not a big problem and I've been doing them every two to four days since august.

But my question is WITH THE BETTA AND SNAIL how often for wcs?

 

[AlexsDaddy]

If you don't have an ammonia test kit (a must for all fish keepers) get one and test every couple of days. As soon as you get ammonia readings do a change big enough to get rid of all of it. Hope this helps!

 

[Bignose]

The good part is that 10 gal can ameliorate mistake and neglect a lot better than a 1 gal bowl can. But, the biggest thing is that unless you do a 100% water change, you will never be rid of all the ammonia, you will only dilute it. Eventually, it will build up to toxic levels.

As an example: Let say your fish makes 1 unit of waste in one day. The concentration is units of waste/gallon -- so in one day the concentration is 1 unit/10 gal = 0.1 whereas in the 1 gal the concentration is 1.0.

So, after 4 days, the concentration is 0.4. Now, you do a 50% water change. The concentration is therefore 0.2. Four more says pass -- before the water change C=0.6 (C is concentration of waste), after the water change C=0.3

Day   before w.c.   after 50% w.c.  
===  =======   =========  
 4          0.4                  0.2
 8          0.6                  0.3
12         0.7                  0.35  
...
60        0.7999              0.39999

The concentration will approximately be 0.8 before every water change, and 0.4 after every water change. These will be changed depending on the % water change you do, but you cannot get to 0 waste after a water change unless it is a 100% water change.

The thing is, the concentration should be 0 for your fish's long-term health.

Go and buy a quiet little corner sponge filter, or a Penguin mini, so that instead of in two months you have consistent waste concentrations, the filter will have cycled, and you'll have no ammonia or nitrites, only nitrates, far less dangerous for your fish.

Then, you will only have to do water changes every few weeks, and your fish will be healthier in the long run. Unless you get a filter, I would not add any fish or shrimp at all.

 

[AlexsDaddy]

The good part is that 10 gal can ameliorate mistake and neglect a lot better than a 1 gal bowl can. But, the biggest thing is that unless you do a 100% water change, you will never be rid of all the ammonia, you will only dilute it. Eventually, it will build up to toxic levels.

As an example: Let say your fish makes 1 unit of waste in one day. The concentration is units of waste/gallon -- so in one day the concentration is 1 unit/10 gal = 0.1 whereas in the 1 gal the concentration is 1.0.

So, after 4 days, the concentration is 0.4. Now, you do a 50% water change. The concentration is therefore 0.2. Four more says pass -- before the water change C=0.6 (C is concentration of waste), after the water change C=0.3

Day   before w.c.   after 50% w.c.  
===  =======   =========  
 4          0.4                  0.2
 8          0.6                  0.3
12         0.7                  0.35  
...
60        0.7999              0.39999

The concentration will approximately be 0.8 before every water change, and 0.4 after every water change. These will be changed depending on the % water change you do, but you cannot get to 0 waste after a water change unless it is a 100% water change.

The thing is, the concentration should be 0 for your fish's long-term health.

Go and buy a quiet little corner sponge filter, or a Penguin mini, so that instead of in two months you have consistent waste concentrations, the filter will have cycled, and you'll have no ammonia or nitrites, only nitrates, far less dangerous for your fish.

Then, you will only have to do water changes every few weeks, and your fish will be healthier in the long run. Unless you get a filter, I would not add any fish or shrimp at all.

B) Well said.

 

[daniodude]

just buy a penguin mini with or without bio-wheel. around me, they are about $15 w/ bio-wheel(I would suggest the wheel). not horribly expensive. I would reduce your need for water changes greatly.

Daniodude

 

[StevieJack]

B) Well said.

I agree B) Nice Demo...

 

[lovebuzz]

whoa bignose i never realized that

I am quite lazy for a fishkeepr I guess I'll do it the "old fashioned" way, go buy a sponge filter, wait 8 weeks with a water change a week, and then call it cycled? Ha.

 

[AlexsDaddy]

You are going to have to get a coupel test kits. One that tests for ammonia, and another that tests for nitrItes, and nitrAtes. As you are cycling, you are going to want to start off with testing for ammonia every couple of days. Try to keep this level below at least 3 ppm's. Any level of ammonia is toxic for fishies, but for cycling reasons, try to keep it at least below 3 ppms. After the first week, start tesing for nitrItes and nitrAtes every couple days. If at all possible, try to keep NitrIte levels below 3 as well as nitrIte is also extremly toxic to fish. Continue testing every couple of days. Once you start reading 0 nitrItes, and 0 ammonia, you tank is cycled. Doing it this way is going to take a couple of months, and a lot of dedication on you part. If you want your fish to live a good healthy life, you have to keep their water peramiters good. When you do your water changes do not do them with a gravel vac. A lot of the benificial bacteria grow in the gravel, and gravel vacing will disturb them and may kill them off making the cycle take even longer. When your cycle is finished (0 ammonia, 0 nitrItes) do a couple of large water changes within a couple days of each other to get rid of the high nitrate levels that will build up throughout this process. Do not do these with a gravel vac. The soonest you should be able to gravel vack is 3-4 weeks after the cycle has completed. That will insure a good bacteria growth in not only the gravel but the filter as well. Once you have a cycled tank, you will want to test for nitrAtes every 3 or 4 days. You don't want this level any more then 20 ppm's. Most people recommend doing a 25-30% water change every couple weeks to keep this level down, but I test every 3-4 days, and when it's more than 20, I do a 25-30% change to get it down. Sorry for the long post, but I hope this helps! B)

 

[Synirr]

I've never even thought of having a 10 gallon without some sort of filtration... this is like a whole new concept for me.
Seriously though, richardpereira, if you're really a lazy fishkeeper, you ought to have a filter. Helps cut down on water changes, you know