frogster221

i came up with this crazy idea of a miniature biome tank (biology class) i was wondering if there was such a way to create a natural and complete ecosystem. it would have producers and consumers and plants. if my thinking is correct it should end up just like the natural habitat that the fish were from. plants would produce oxygen and use nitrites nitrates and ammonia. the fish would produce carbon dioxide for the plants. most fish will eat algae when they are hungry enough. filtering would be done by scavengers and plants. if im thinking straight the only thing i would have to do is turn on the lights add water as it evaporate and clean the front of the tank as algae grows on it. if this is possible please tell me. and if its been done before. ive done this with my pond i havent done anything but clean out the leaves in my pond in over a year but i still keep atleast 6 goldfish and 1 frog in there. i might try experimenting with a 2 gallon tank with nothing in it but water light and algae and see how that goes.

Angela_96

There is actually a guy on fishgeeks that does something like that w/ his tanks... he doesn't use a filter in his tanks... maybe you should go to the fishgeeks forum and look for it... he has experimented w/ neons and planted tanks and a bright light... I remember reading about it.. really neat stuff!

frogster221

i couldnt find the thread but do you know how he did it

Angela_96

Well those links didn't work, search under author beaslbob that is the member who does that.

Angela_96

http://www.aquaria.info/index.php?na...497&highlight=

try that link

heres the one on the "neon nano"
http://www.aquaria.info/index.php?na...wtopic&t=64318

frogster221

the articles i read there all say i need a filter im trying toget rid of the filter thanks though

Angela_96

no prob... that was the only one I could think of close to what you were doing.. I thought for sure that he didn't use a filter either..

KittieKat

i honestly think that yeah its possible only because everything is... but i dont think it would work out too well... depending on the size of the tank and the number of plants and fish that reside within the tank might vary ur results but fish live in their own toilet... it needs to be flushed every so often. out in the wild, waters are always flowing in some way.. whether it be like a river or an underground stream. either way the pollutants that are extra from the plants not converting them are getting taking out and fresh rain water fills in for the water taking in by the "waterbed cleaning system". idk have fun

frogster221

i wrote that respose before i got the other thread with the links that worked. he didnt use a filter he did the same thing i want to dobutwith guppies(a really really hardy fish) i want to do it with an entire community of fish but what he did was still amazing

Angela_96

yea he was very well documented on his stuff too.. very interesting! and proved his points!

joy613

There is a great book by Diana Walstad on natural planted tanks. on another forum aquaticplantcentral there are several people that have used her ideas. It goes so far as some people using natural light. If you use enough plants you won't have to use a filter but the bio load is very important. Not feeding the fish might be a problem, unless we are talking dwarf puffer then you will have to really have a lot of snails.

frogster221

i was thinking of making a community natural tank it would heve guppys with zebra danios and lots of shrimp and a hardy algae eater and lots of plants. what would be better for a substrate sand or gravel i dont want to do the plant substrates its not natural. but i would probably keep it heated because in winter here it can get cold indoors. would that work and does any body know of a hardy algae eater