New fish bowl setup questions

I am inspired by the whole 'no-filter' fish bowls that have a lot of plants in them. I am looking to create one myself and have already ordered a 3g Bowl, but I do have a few questions hopefully you all can pitch in and answer.

1. I am going full inert substrate since I have no experience with aqua soil and to be honest, I am a bit scared to try that. If I was to add sand and have some flourish root tabs under the substrate, will a dwarf hairgrass carpet grow without CO2? I am aware they grow slower but is it possible to have a full carpet with root tabs only?

2. As for the inhabitants, I was thinking of adding 1-2 red cherry shrimps, and I probably am going to add them anyways. But can a small female betta live in a 3g bowl? Again, I am not fixated on the betta, but if there is a chance that a female betta can grow up in that 3g, I might think about it since I can then transfer the same betta to my 20g when they grow up.


Any replies would be helpful.
Thanks!

 

I am inspired by the whole 'no-filter' fish bowls that have a lot of plants in them. I am looking to create one myself and have already ordered a 3g Bowl, but I do have a few questions hopefully you all can pitch in and answer.

1. I am going full inert substrate since I have no experience with aqua soil and to be honest, I am a bit scared to try that. If I was to add sand and have some flourish root tabs under the substrate, will a dwarf hairgrass carpet grow without CO2? I am aware they grow slower but is it possible to have a full carpet with root tabs only?

2. As for the inhabitants, I was thinking of adding 1-2 red cherry shrimps, and I probably am going to add them anyways. But can a small female betta live in a 3g bowl? Again, I am not fixated on the betta, but if there is a chance that a female betta can grow up in that 3g, I might think about it since I can then transfer the same betta to my 20g when they grow up.


Any replies would be helpful.
Thanks!

What about a dirted bowl covered in a layer of the sand? DHG is gonna have a really hard time with just root tabs unless you do dwarf sag instead which would do better.

3g is too small for a betta imo, I would stick with the shrimp. You could try some least killifish in there. They are tiny tiny and could do okay provided the bowl is very planted and there is some copepods or other tiny organisms for them to monch on from time to time. Or otherwise called Aufwuchs. You could keep the betta just for her to grow but remember they jump so you would need a lid.

 

I am inspired by the whole 'no-filter' fish bowls that have a lot of plants in them. I am looking to create one myself and have already ordered a 3g Bowl, but I do have a few questions hopefully you all can pitch in and answer.

1. I am going full inert substrate since I have no experience with aqua soil and to be honest, I am a bit scared to try that. If I was to add sand and have some flourish root tabs under the substrate, will a dwarf hairgrass carpet grow without CO2? I am aware they grow slower but is it possible to have a full carpet with root tabs only?

2. As for the inhabitants, I was thinking of adding 1-2 red cherry shrimps, and I probably am going to add them anyways. But can a small female betta live in a 3g bowl? Again, I am not fixated on the betta, but if there is a chance that a female betta can grow up in that 3g, I might think about it since I can then transfer the same betta to my 20g when they grow up.


Any replies would be helpful.
Thanks!

A bowl with a small shrimp population sounds really stunning, but to achieve that, you will have to let it mature for a while.

Shrimp do much better in maturer tanks (especially as you want to go no filter). They will love the heavy planting though, so best to let the plants grow in for a while first anyway.

Sand and Flourish tabs are fine for many plants, but I feel a dwarf hair grass carpet will struggle with that. Sagittaria subulata may do better, but it's a different look of course.

I recommend something like tropica substrate (not an aqua soil, but it does hold nutrients). It needs to be capped, so you can still have that nice sand look. It will just be an additional aid to the roots. That might be a better plan for some more fussy plants.

For your second questions, like I said earlier: shrimp prefer maturer tanks. You don't wanna waste money on them dying off because the tank was too young. They really are very sensitive. It might be a better bet to get some "pest" snails as your primary life stock, and ammonia source. You can later remove them with traps or an assassin snail. Not nerites though, as they will just leave the bowl!

Unfortunately, a betta (even a female or a plakat) is not suited to something with no heater and no filter. They need pristine water and prefer the higher ranges of tropical water temperatures. Their minimum tank size is also 5 gallons, so 3 gallons is really not great. I know it would look really beautiful, but it wouldn't be good for the fish itself.

Some people might tell you they will be fine, but they really wouldn't be. They would get sick quickly and definitely not live long.

As an alternative, you could see if there are any nano coldwater fish that can be kept in small sizes? I can't think of any off the bat, but I honestly haven't looked at the needs of tiny fish much. I'm not sure there will be any fish suited to the size and no filter thing, but you could always wait it out and invest in some of the rarer colourings of shrimp?

Hopefully I've helped, and enjoy scaping the bowl! The heavy planting will make it gorgeous.

 

A bowl with a small shrimp population sounds really stunning, but to achieve that, you will have to let it mature for a while.

Shrimp do much better in maturer tanks (especially as you want to go no filter). They will love the heavy planting though, so best to let the plants grow in for a while first anyway.

Sand and Flourish tabs are fine for many plants, but I feel a dwarf hair grass carpet will struggle with that. Sagittaria subulata may do better, but it's a different look of course.

I recommend something like tropica substrate (not an aqua soil, but it does hold nutrients). It needs to be capped, so you can still have that nice sand look. It will just be an additional aid to the roots. That might be a better plan for some more fussy plants.

For your second questions, like I said earlier: shrimp prefer maturer tanks. You don't wanna waste money on them dying off because the tank was too young. They really are very sensitive. It might be a better bet to get some "pest" snails as your primary life stock, and ammonia source. You can later remove them with traps or an assassin snail. Not nerites though, as they will just leave the bowl!

Unfortunately, a betta (even a female or a plakat) is not suited to something with no heater and no filter. They need pristine water and prefer the higher ranges of tropical water temperatures. Their minimum tank size is also 5 gallons, so 3 gallons is really not great. I know it would look really beautiful, but it wouldn't be good for the fish itself.

Some people might tell you they will be fine, but they really wouldn't be. They would get sick quickly and definitely not live long.

As an alternative, you could see if there are any nano coldwater fish that can be kept in small sizes? I can't think of any off the bat, but I honestly haven't looked at the needs of tiny fish much. I'm not sure there will be any fish suited to the size and no filter thing, but you could always wait it out and invest in some of the rarer colourings of shrimp?

Hopefully I've helped, and enjoy scaping the bowl! The heavy planting will make it gorgeous.

Thanks a bunch!!!

Dwarf sag sounds interesting, and I am looking online where I can buy them now. My plan is to add my baby java ferns from my main tank to the bowl, some duckweed maybe and a few photos plants in the back to create an overgrown look. Are there any other plants I can carpet with no co2 and just root tabs and sand?

So Bettas are a no go. How many shrimp do u think I can add when my bowl is matured?

As for the maturing the bowl part, can i just throw in some plants and add sea chem flourish that I have right now and start growing algae? Is that maturing or is the cycling processes u mean by maturing?

What about a dirted bowl covered in a layer of the sand? DHG is gonna have a really hard time with just root tabs unless you do dwarf sag instead which would do better.

3g is too small for a betta imo, I would stick with the shrimp. You could try some least killifish in there. They are tiny tiny and could do okay provided the bowl is very planted and there is some copepods or other tiny organisms for them to monch on from time to time. Or otherwise called Aufwuchs. You could keep the betta just for her to grow but remember they jump so you would need a lid.

What kind of dirt shoul I use? I have potting mix laying around but I heard it has too much nutrients that will cause a massive algae bloom

 

I have a 3 gallon with cherry shrimp that I've had for almost a year and they do very well in there. I used sand and plants from an established tank for BB to get it started. I used java fern since it doesn't have to be planted as well as the moss they sell for bettas (the shrimp LOVE that). I really think you'll enjoy your new project.

 

I have a 3 gallon with cherry shrimp that I've had for almost a year and they do very well in there. I used sand and plants from an established tank for BB to get it started. I used java fern since it doesn't have to be planted as well as the moss they sell for bettas (the shrimp LOVE that). I really think you'll enjoy your new project.

I was stoked to start building one when I saw MD fishtank's no-filter bowl videos. Are those the only two plants you used? Did u have some kind of nutrients in your substrate?

 

I was stoked to start building one when I saw MD fishtank's no-filter bowl videos. Are those the only two plants you used? Did u have some kind of nutrients in your substrate?

I took EVERYTHING from my main tank, so it was already cycled. Yes, those are the only plants I have in there and no, I don't use any other nutrients (other than the fish poo that was in the sand substrate I transferred).

 

I have found I don't need to add any kind of ferts to my shrimp bowl. It too is a 3 gallon bowl. I call it 2.5 because it will only hold 3 gallons of water if it is filled to the rim. I don't fill it to the rim. It seems the shrimp provide everything the plants need.

Just about any plant I put in there soon outgrows the bowl and has to be thinned. The substrate is gravel. I put one crypt in there. Within 6 months I had to remove it because it was growing so well. When I removed it I actually removed 6 plants. I had guppy grass in there for a while but had to thin it weekly. Baby shrimp clung to it while removing it. It was a chore catching them and putting them back in the bowl.

The main plants in there right now are hornwort and subwassertang. Both grow like weeds but only have to be thinned once a month or so. I replaced the crypt with a small java fern. It is now growing fast. Before long I am going to have to take part of it out of there. The plants grow so well and so thick it makes it difficult to see the shrimp.

I do run a sponge filter in this bowl so it may react different than your bowl with no filtration. I started with 10 cherry shrimp in a bowl that had been maturing for at least a year before I got brave enough to actually put shrimp in it. Of course you don't have to wait that long.

After about 1 1/2 years they now number in the hundreds. If you would like to follow my shrimp bowl journey this is the thread I finally have Shrimp in my Bowl | Cherry Shrimp Forum | 459267

 

I

I have found I don't need to add any kind of ferts to my shrimp bowl. It too is a 3 gallon bowl. I call it 2.5 because it will only hold 3 gallons of water if it is filled to the rim. I don't fill it to the rim. It seems the shrimp provide everything the plants need.

Just about any plant I put in there soon outgrows the bowl and has to be thinned. The substrate is gravel. I put one crypt in there. Within 6 months I had to remove it because it was growing so well. When I removed it I actually removed 6 plants. I had guppy grass in there for a while but had to thin it weekly. Baby shrimp clung to it while removing it. It was a chore catching them and putting them back in the bowl.

The main plants in there right now are hornwort and subwassertang. Both grow like weeds but only have to be thinned once a month or so. I replaced the crypt with a small java fern. It is now growing fast. Before long I am going to have to take part of it out of there. The plants grow so well and so thick it makes it difficult to see the shrimp.

I do run a sponge filter in this bowl so it may react different than your bowl with no filtration. I started with 10 cherry shrimp in a bowl that had been maturing for at least a year before I got brave enough to actually put shrimp in it. Of course you don't have to wait that long.

After about 1 1/2 years they now number in the hundreds. If you would like to follow my shrimp bowl journey this is the thread I finally have Shrimp in my Bowl | Cherry Shrimp Forum | 459267

I'm wondering how u managed to fit a sponge filter in there. Is it like a really small sponge filter? I was deffinetly thinking of adding guppy grass since I find it really interesting.

 

Thanks a bunch!!!

Dwarf sag sounds interesting, and I am looking online where I can buy them now. My plan is to add my baby java ferns from my main tank to the bowl, some duckweed maybe and a few photos plants in the back to create an overgrown look. Are there any other plants I can carpet with no co2 and just root tabs and sand?

So Bettas are a no go. How many shrimp do u think I can add when my bowl is matured?

As for the maturing the bowl part, can i just throw in some plants and add sea chem flourish that I have right now and start growing algae? Is that maturing or is the cycling processes u mean by maturing?

What kind of dirt shoul I use? I have potting mix laying around but I heard it has too much nutrients that will cause a massive algae bloom

Just use a completely organic soil. This one is available in most stores Kellogg Garden Organics 2 cu. ft. All Natural Garden Soil for Flowers and Vegetables-6850 - The Home Depot

I have not had any issue with my dirted bowl. In fact its done so well I made another vase but I changed some stuff up to test the difference. So far capped soil is my favorite compared to aqua soils or just inert sand. My bowl has been up for a couple months and plants are pearling constantly! I would add shrimp however leeches have made their way in the tank somehow. So now my bowl is a leech house instead lol

I made a whole build on my bowl :
Marmaaa's 4g Walstad Bowl | Freshwater Aquarium Builds Forum | 505928

 

I

I'm wondering how u managed to fit a sponge filter in there. Is it like a really small sponge filter? I was deffinetly thinking of adding guppy grass since I find it really interesting.

When you get your bowl you will probably see there is plenty of room for a small sponge filter. This one from aquarium coop is the one I have in there Coarse Sponge Filter | Aquarium Filter for Fish Tanks | Fish Filter

 

When you get your bowl you will probably see there is plenty of room for a small sponge filter. This one from aquarium coop is the one I have in there Coarse Sponge Filter | Aquarium Filter for Fish Tanks | Fish Filter

I guess I will have to wait and see what my bowl looks like. I will be looking on amazon for some sponge filters in the meantime

Just use a completely organic soil. This one is available in most stores Kellogg Garden Organics 2 cu. ft. All Natural Garden Soil for Flowers and Vegetables-6850 - The Home Depot

I have not had any issue with my dirted bowl. In fact its done so well I made another vase but I changed some stuff up to test the difference. So far capped soil is my favorite compared to aqua soils or just inert sand. My bowl has been up for a couple months and plants are pearling constantly! I would add shrimp however leeches have made their way in the tank somehow. So now my bowl is a leech house instead lol

I made a whole build on my bowl :
Marmaaa's 4g Walstad Bowl | Freshwater Aquarium Builds Forum | 505928

Seems like dirted tanks have a lot of good stuff in it. I couldn't find the soil you sent me in stock in my home depot. Does this work? Miracle Go Garden Soil

 

I guess I will have to wait and see what my bowl looks like. I will be looking on amazon for some sponge filters in the meantime

Seems like dirted tanks have a lot of good stuff in it. I couldn't find the soil you sent me in stock in my home depot. Does this work? Miracle Go Garden Soil

I dont think that one will work, most have chemicals thats arent okay for tanks. It needs to have organic on it or very plain cheap topsoil also works rlly good. What topsoil is available in your stores? Check if Lowes has the first one available?

 

I dont think that one will work, most have chemicals thats arent okay for tanks. It needs to have organic on it or very plain cheap topsoil also works rlly good. What topsoil is available in your stores? Check if Lowes has the first one available?

Heres the one from home depot Topsoil- Home depot
And here's the one from lowes Topsoil Lowes

I also have this cow manure organic compost, Is that a viable option for the substrate?

 

Thanks a bunch!!!

Dwarf sag sounds interesting, and I am looking online where I can buy them now. My plan is to add my baby java ferns from my main tank to the bowl, some duckweed maybe and a few photos plants in the back to create an overgrown look. Are there any other plants I can carpet with no co2 and just root tabs and sand?

So Bettas are a no go. How many shrimp do u think I can add when my bowl is matured?

As for the maturing the bowl part, can i just throw in some plants and add sea chem flourish that I have right now and start growing algae? Is that maturing or is the cycling processes u mean by maturing?

What kind of dirt shoul I use? I have potting mix laying around but I heard it has too much nutrients that will cause a massive algae bloom

Sorry I haven't been online for a while!
Dwarf sag is really nice, but very slow growing in a lot of cases. If you want a very easy, no co2 plant which shrimp will love, I would suggest hydrocotyle tripartita (species Japan). If it's lacking for light, it can grow up into a little bush but this plant is amazing because you can manually push it down regularly when it grows up, and eventually it will just grow across. If there's enough light it will grow across the substrate too.

I believe you can have about 30 cherry shrimp (as a size guide) in 5 gallons, so I would think you'd be okay having 15 or so.

Maturing means that the plants have taken strong root and are showing signs of new growth (can take a month depending on conditions and specific species of plants). That a healthy biofilm has developed, as the shrimp will feed of that. Some algae - you don't have to specifically grow it - that they can eat. You can add an Indian Almond Leaf a little while before the shrimp are added so it gets a little soft in advance. Shrimp will love the eat from the leaf. And yes, definitely the cycle. Food, beneficial bacteria and stability in the parameters are the 3 things that need to establish first.

I know the last bit isn't directed at me, but a layer of soil or organic potting mix under some other substrate can be great as long as you have plants that will use that. I think it can release a lot of ammonia and nitrate at the start.

 

If you want a very easy, no co2 plant which shrimp will love, I would suggest hydrocotyle tripartita (species Japan)

Just found out that it is available on amazon. I'm going to look into it today and ask my parents if they are willing to buy it.

As of right now, I don't really have any plants in mind that are substrate feeders. So for now I am probably going to skip over the idea of having a soil substrate. My bowl arrives today so I think I will just add PFS and maybe add root tabs later down in the road if I ever want to add root feeders.

I think, for now, I will stick with java ferns, duckweed, and the hydrocoele tripartia you suggested. If I was to cycle this tank by adding ammonia, would placing a few ceramic rings from my 5 month established tank quick start it?

Also thanks a lot for the information!

 

Do you already have the duckweed? I ended up with some in my bowl. I am constantly removing it. I think I finally got the last piece out and then before long more has grown. If i don't keep on top of it it will cover the top of the bowl. Add it if you like it but be prepared to keep it under control.

The ceramic rings might help but won't work as well just sitting in the bowl as they would if they were placed in a filter.

 

Do you already have the duckweed? I ended up with some in my bowl. I am constantly removing it. I think I finally got the last piece out and then before long more has grown. If i don't keep on top of it it will cover the top of the bowl. Add it if you like it but be prepared to keep it under control.

The ceramic rings might help but won't work as well just sitting in the bowl as they would if they were placed in a filter.

I do have duckweed but it isn't doing too well (yes I know, somehow I am killing duckweed when I want it to grow) In my post Duckweed dying off/ Not doing well my duckweed had purple/brown spots and some people told me that it was just getting 'tanned' from the lighting. No one really gave me a strong answer as to why my giant duckweed wasn't growing. I thought maybe there wasn't enough space for the duckweed to grow so I removed majority of it out and it still isn't growing

 

I do have duckweed but it isn't doing too well (yes I know, somehow I am killing duckweed when I want it to grow) In my post Duckweed dying off/ Not doing well my duckweed had purple/brown spots and some people told me that it was just getting 'tanned' from the lighting. No one really gave me a strong answer as to why my giant duckweed wasn't growing. I thought maybe there wasn't enough space for the duckweed to grow so I removed majority of it out and it still isn't growing

It really is difficult to give a definitive answer as to why what is happening is happening. Some plants just simply do not like our water. A plant that does fantastic for me may die on you and one that struggles for me may grow like a weed for you. The only floating plant that does well for me is frog bit and the duckweed. I see you said giant duckweed so what you have is different than the duckweed growing in my tanks.

Sometimes a plant will do well in one of my tanks and slowly dies off in others. Hornwort is a perfect example. It grows like wildfire in my shrimp bowl but slowly dies off in my big tank.

Amazon Swords, Jungle Val and Water Wisteria are supposed to be an easy plants to grow. None of them fare well in my tanks.Various mosses just turn brown and die but subwassertang does really well.

All this to say, it is possible your giant duckweed may do fantastic in the new bowl even though it struggles in your other tank. Only time will answer that question.

 

It really is difficult to give a definitive answer as to why what is happening is happening. Some plants just simply do not like our water. A plant that does fantastic for me may die on you and one that struggles for me may grow like a weed for you. The only floating plant that does well for me is frog bit and the duckweed. I see you said giant duckweed so what you have is different than the duckweed growing in my tanks.

Sometimes a plant will do well in one of my tanks and slowly dies off in others. Hornwort is a perfect example. It grows like wildfire in my shrimp bowl but slowly dies off in my big tank.

Amazon Swords, Jungle Val and Water Wisteria are supposed to be an easy plants to grow. None of them fare well in my tanks.Various mosses just turn brown and die but subwassertang does really well.

All this to say, it is possible your giant duckweed may do fantastic in the new bowl even though it struggles in your other tank. Only time will answer that question.

Guess we will just have to wait and see

When you get your bowl you will probably see there is plenty of room for a small sponge filter

No kidding. Just got my bowl and it seems huge. I'm excited to start working on it tomorrow. I will keep you guys updated and will let y'all know if I have any more questions!

 

Looking forward to updates on this bowl