2.5 gallon tank - What kind of filter?

My grandpa gave me a 2.5 gallon tank he found in his basement. I want to make it a RCS tank. What kind of filter should I get for a tank this small?

 

If you have a good light source, I would turn it into a Walstad tank so you don't need a filter. The plants will act as a filter.



or..

a sponge filter.

 

I haven't kept a tank that tiny in a dozen years nor have I done shrimp. But I do know they have s tiny bioload. Penplax makes a tiny box filter that runs off an airpump. The full starter setup is around $15. I ran one as my secondary filter for years before upgrading to a sponge last month.

Do you even need a filter for the shrimp?

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If you have a good light source, I would turn it into a Walstad tank so you don't need a filter. The plants will act as a filter.



or..

a sponge filter.

I think I'll try the Walstad method. How exactly does the tank cycle? Is it the soil that starts it?

 

I think I'll try the Walstad method. How exactly does the tank cycle? Is it the soil that starts it?

It's a combination of the soil and plants. You have to plant heavy from the beginning. I would also suggest waiting a month to add anything living.

I prefer using Organic Miracle Grow choice as your substrate and cap it off with sand or gravel. A couple members here have use this method for their shrimp tanks.

 

Do I need to do anything to the dirt before putting it in the tank?