[IanHulett]

Hi guys.

I have a male betta fish in a 10 gallon tank. I have 1 pond snail that I'm trying to get reproducing very quickly on purpose. The tank is filled with algae and I am welcoming a small "invasion" of these pond snails. When they're everywhere, I will release my assassin snails to keep them under control.

I have a sword plant that's just barely surviving because I had been using my bettas fish top (which had a great light) on my 10 gallon tank for my 3 hermit crabs. I had the tank in front of my bedroom window to help with photosynthesis. It didn't work. The plant began to die and lost a huge amount of foliage. I got a top for my hermit crabs now so the the top that has the light is back on my fish tank. I will get another plant (actually many) to help control the co2 in the tank and then I'll remove the fake plants completely.

Unfortunately, when I changed the substrate from the gravel I had to sand, I removed the pond snails so when I put the top back on,about 2-3 weeks later, I have an explosion of algae. It's even in my filter. I am unfortunately down to 1 pond snail who seems VERY happy now that I released him back into the tank. So, he's going crazy over the algae.

Now I'm waiting for him to start to take over that way I can release my assassins into the tank to keep that under control.

Now I'm left with 1 thing. All the fecal matter and other waste products left behind by a growing population.
I was going to add a clam or two to my tank but then I've read that they need a cool fast moving stream of water to survive and bettas can't survive in that. So, clams are out of the picture. Is there anything I can add to make the aquarium self sufficient?

I'm trying to make it so I don't have to change the water... ever. 10 gallons is too much to try to change every month. I think this is possible because it happens naturally. No one has to manually change the water in a lake, because the animals and plants that are in there take care of it all. I want to try to imitate this as best as possible.

I think betta fish behavior is unique depending on the betta fish, so let me give you an idea of my betta fishes attitude.

I heard that African Dwarf frogs are safe to add to a betta fish tank and they would get along. So I put 3 of them in with Freddy and he murdered every single one of them. So, I'm looking for something he is not going to kill. Is there such a thing that I can look for?

 

[IanHulett]

Just to add one thing, even if I have to upgrade to a bigger tank to make this possible, I'll do it anyway. I just want to make it so the only thing I have to do ever is feed the fish.

 

[xShainax]

You have to change the water even if the tank has plants in it just not as often and your betta has shown he is too aggressive to be housed with anything.

 

[IanHulett]

Shrimp has an exoskeleton. My snails have shells and they are still alive. African dwarf frogs don't have an exoskeleton which I think is why he was able to kill them. Is shrimp okay? I hear they keep ammonia down naturally.

 

[xShainax]

Betta's eat ghost shrimp. I know that from experience when I saw one eating a tiny one. If you really want a tank mate for him I suggest you get the assassin snail, then get a mystery snail

 

[marshallsea]

Water doesn't have to be changed in lakes and rivers because the ratio of fish to gallons of water is so small that the water never gets as bad as in a tank where the ratio is of fish to water is so great.

 

[LittleBettaFish]

I can't see why you would get a fish tank and not ever want to do a water change. Particularly in a 10 gallon tank where you would most likely only have to expend about ten to fifteen minutes once a week on maintenance.

Shrimp don't keep ammonia down. I don't know where you heard that.

Are you familiar with the practice of cycling a tank? If not I suggest doing some reading up on it.

It is possible to have a tank where minimal water changes are done, but you do not sound like you have the experience necessary to undertake something like that.

 

[peachii]

Water changes accomplish one thing in a heavily planted self-sufficient tank - they lower the build up and remove /add the nutrients and things back into and out of the tank. A google search would better explain it but in a 10 gallon tank, it's simply not possible to never, ever do water changes and still have healthy fish. I'd guess it would take a huge 500 gallon or larger pond/tank to get the no water change ever accomplished with a self-sustaining tank.

 

[IanHulett]

To LittleBettaFish
The place I heard it from was answers.yahoo.com. The one who's been selected as best answer said that Shrimp prevents ammonia buildup because the shrimp eats any gunk that causes it before it has a chance to send out ammonia.

This is the thread:
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090829043619AAXF9q2
it's listed as 3.

And it was chosen by voters.

 

[xShainax]

Only an uneducated fish owner would believe that

 

[peachii]

Shrimp do eat dead plant matter, help keep the tank algae free but they do not eat the poop, mulm and waste from the bottom of the tank. Nor do they provide the nutrients needed for a healthy water balance to keep the TDS from going crazy.

What About Topping Off the Fish Tank Between Water Changes?

Do not just "top off the tank" to replace water that "disappears." This water that is disappearing is evaporating, and it leaves behind all the impurities that were in it to begin with. This means that as you just top off the tank, you are making your water harder until it will eventually no longer be able to support fish.
Additionally, if there are even trace amounts of heavy metals or other toxic substances in the water, you are giving your fish more and more of these every time you top off the tank. Most municipal water systems have at trace levels of at least one potentially hazardous substance, but in minuscule amounts these should never be trouble for you or your fish. Furthermore, by not removing water from the tank from time to time, you allow build up of waste products not removed by the filter (such as Nitrate), which are potentially hazardous to the fish and encourage algae growth.
Usually, if there is significant evaporation between water changes, you are either going far too long between water changes, or there is something wrong with the aquarium setup or equipment that is causing or encouraging evaporation.

Keep in mind betta tanks with the higher recommended temperatures for them do see a fair bit of evaporation if you do not have a lid on your tank.

 

[RowdyBetta]

Just a friendly word of advice: Never trust yahoo answers.

 

[LittleBettaFish]

Yeah it's not only the 'big three' (ammonia, nitrites and nitrates) that you are removing/replenishing with water changes.

Also in a natural environment I would assume that rain would act as one giant water change, flushing out a system and diluting toxins.

 

[IanHulett]

Is there a plant or snail or anything (preferably alive) that can keep ammonia levels down? I want to try to keep the setup as natural as possible. I just took out all my fake plants and planted a lily bulb in the sand and right now, I'm boiling all the germs off of a nice looking perfectly smooth rock I found on the ground and when I'm finished, I'm going to stick it in my tank (unless even after boiling it is not safe... is it?). Any other ways I can keep my tank natural? What other plants would you recommend I get for my tank? I just like the natural look better than artificial. I heard it's beneficial too.

 

[MattsBettas]

NPTs are as close as you can get to natural/ecosystem in a closed system- http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=114575

You will always need to do water changes... Even if your three big levels test at zero. Dissolved organic compounds, etc are still in the water and can be harmful.

 

[IanHulett]

NPTs are as close as you can get to natural/ecosystem in a closed system- http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=114575

I clicked the link and saw something about soil. So, about that, I can't use garden soil or potting soil because it's not meant for aquariums plus it has chemical fertilizers and other things that are harmful to fish, snails, aqua plants etc. Not to mention the soil never settles to the bottom. I put a cup of potting soil into a bowl filled with water one day to see if I had the right soil to grow edible rice grass but the soil floated, I tried loose and packed soil and the between then gave up on trying to grow rice because I couldn't find any soil suitable for standing water. I may not be a good fish owner (and I have NO problem admitting that;-)), but I am a highly experienced gardener. In fact, gardening is my specialty and it's what I do for a living right now. What will I need as far as aquarium soil is concerned? Is there a brand you'd recommend for this? Or is sand all I really need for my goal?

 

[MattsBettas]

The soil is what makes the ecosystem work... Go read the thread throughly, you will see that you cap the soil with sand to keep it from floating and use specific brands/types of soil.

 

[Stone]

Well there is one way to not have to do water changes, do not keep any fish snails or shrimp in the tank only plants, you wil always have to do some sort of water change even if the tank is heavily planted just not as many, I do 5 gallons a week on my 46 gallon tank not so much out of keeping the big 3 at 0-0-0 more about getting rid of the dissolved organic compounds and keeping the water crystal clear

 

[IanHulett]

LOL that pond snail is STILL feeding on all that algae. Hahaha!

The soil is what makes the ecosystem work... Go read the thread throughly, you will see that you cap the soil with sand to keep it from floating and use specific brands/types of soil.

As I'm still getting used to the basics of marine life care, do you think you can give me a rating of between 1 and 10 for the difficulty of this set up? 10 being the hardest, and 1 being the easiest?

And also, I have a thermometer to monitor the temp. Do I need other gauges too to monitor the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels and other things too?

 

[marshallsea]

LOL that pond snail is STILL feeding on all that algae. Hahaha!



As I'm still getting used to the basics of marine life care, do you think you can give me a rating of between 1 and 10 for the difficulty of this set up? 10 being the hardest, and 1 being the easiest?

And also, I have a thermometer to monitor the temp. Do I need other gauges too to monitor the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels and other things too?

Ammonia gauges are junk, get an API master test kit. About $30 but last a long time. You shouldn't have to explode the snail population then get assassins, they have a way of naturally controlling their own population to balance with your tank.

IME, if you have one pond snail, you have more than one.