Plants make amazing difference in keeping water clean!

(Yes, this is overstocked. An experiment on both fish habits and how much live plants make a difference in water quality...)




Plants:
Over 75% of the tank is full of a large variety of live plants.


Tank size:
10 gallons

Filter:
No filter

Water changes:
I top of the tanks evap weakly and 35% WC monthly.


Stocking:
8 female bettas
2 nerite snails
1 inca snail
6 bronz cory cats
Lots of MTS

All parameters etc:
Nitrate 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Copper 0ppm
Alkalinity 240
PH 8.5
Hardness 400ppm+
Chlorine 0


Everyone is happy and health. No aggression or stress... If this wasn't a live planted tank (and still non filtered) parameters would be deadly. I highly incourage everyone to go live planted, it makes the world of a difference!!!!

 

Awesome planted tank and stock for a 10 gallon. Just feel I need to say it could be achieved without live plants if willing to put in work with water changes and over filtering. Parameters wouldn't necessarily be deadly.

 

You forget to mention the most important parameter of ammonia.

I have planted and non-planted tanks. Both have very acceptable parameters. Plants do soak up a lot of nitrates but they do require more careful management. Good filtration and water changes make keeping a non-planted aquarium simpler in my experience.

 

I agree that plants do help considerably with water quality as well as providing a better environment for the fish in most cases. Of course there are some fish that are difficult to keep with plants, so its not always possible, and yes a bit more work is involved. but definitely worth it in most cases.

 

Awesome planted tank and stock for a 10 gallon. Just feel I need to say it could be achieved without live plants if willing to put in work with water changes and over filtering. Parameters wouldn't necessarily be deadly.

I forgot to mention, this is an unfiltered tank.

You forget to mention the most important parameter of ammonia.

I have planted and non-planted tanks. Both have very acceptable parameters. Plants do soak up a lot of nitrates but they do require more careful management. Good filtration and water changes make keeping a non-planted aquarium simpler in my experience.

Thought I added.. ammonia test added on!

 

Keeping fish without electric filters is a controversial subject NearMeBettas.

As humans have been keeping fish for thousands of years before we had electricity it’s nothing new but you can expect to face a lot of push back for writing about it. So much so that I am not so willing to post pictures of my efforts. A handful of rice fish in an outdoor terrestrial planted 40 gallon with a solar powered pump turning the water over .

Thanks for sharing your pictures and good luck.

My understand Is plants use ammonia as a food source?

 

Yep, that's why live plants are best. As TClare said, it isn't possible for all fish (like buenos airest tetras or some plecos) but absolutely do it if you can.

All 11 of my tanks are heavily-planted and very low maintenance. I have a 20 long faux blackwater with 1 betta, 12 strawberry rasboras, red ramshorns and bloody mary shrimp. It's a walstad (I found it 10 yrs ago, haven't gone without it since), very bright light to help the plants in tinted water and botanicals. I keep detritus as shrimp, snails & microorganisms use it. I only do 25% WCs every few months due to the small bioload. Most importantly, Val the Gal is extremely happy

 

My understand Is plants use ammonia as a food source?

Yes. Ammonia, Nitrate, and Nitrite.

Keeping fish without electric filters is a controversial subject NearMeBettas.

Yes, and thats pretty sad. It really depends on the circumstances and shouldn't be controversial at all. Live plants are really the best natural filter imo. Things like tank size, amount of live plants if any, and stocking can differ greatly and off of that you will want to choose your filtration method I any. With your rice fish pond for instance, you wouldn't really need a filter (or plants). I'm not against electric filters, but personally prefer not to have them. (All of my tanks are non electricly filtered) Another bonus is you don't have to worry about your filter malfunctioning and flooding your house.

As humans have been keeping fish for thousands of years before we had electricity it’s nothing new but you can expect to face a lot of push back for writing about it. So much so that I am not so willing to post pictures of my efforts. A handful of rice fish in an outdoor terrestrial planted 40 gallon with a solar powered pump turning the water over.

Sounds like a nice project, if you decide to ever share I would love to see pictures.

I agree that plants do help considerably with water quality as well as providing a better environment for the fish in most cases. Of course there are some fish that are difficult to keep with plants, so its not always possible, and yes a bit more work is involved. but definitely worth it in most cases.

I've also heard goldfish to be live plant eaters and destroyers lol. I've chosen low tech plants and have had no extra maintenance besides trimming things down, so it's been really easy for me. I know there are high maintenance plants though as well.

Plants do soak up a lot of nitrates but they do require more careful management.

Personally, I've chosen low tech plants and have had no extra maintenance besides trimming things down. They also don't just absorb Nitrate, but also ammonia and nitrite.

Keeping fish without electric filters is a controversial subject NearMeBettas. As humans have been keeping fish for thousands of years before we had electricity it’s nothing new but you can expect to face a lot of push back for writing about it. So much so that I am not so willing to post pictures of my efforts.

Ya, I am very surprised some troll hasn't commented yet lol. Fishlore is really nice compared to other forums though.

 

I'm certainly not against unfiltered tanks when done correctly... Natural ponds don't have them, fish can thrive.

My main concern in an aquarium would be oxygen levels bottoming out at night when plants respire? Having even a cheap air pump or filter would at least allow the gas exchange at waters surface.

 

I'm certainly not against unfiltered tanks when done correctly... Natural ponds don't have them, fish can thrive.

My main concern in an aquarium would be oxygen levels bottoming out at night when plants respire? Having even a cheap air pump or filter would at least allow the gas exchange at waters surface.

It's only required for water-breathing fish though. Labyrinth fish, bichirs, mudskippers and mystery snails don't need surface agitation because they take in most of their oxygen from the air

 

Someday I'm going to do this lol. Even though I'm pretty sure my 6.5 is planted heavily enough to be at that point, I still want to try to keep up with it. (Even though I'm really bad at that...)

 

I've also heard goldfish to be live plant eaters and destroyers lol. I've chosen low tech plants and have had no extra maintenance besides trimming things down, so it's been really easy for me. I know there are high maintenance plants though as well.

Severums are supposed to be completely incompatible with live plants, but I have kept mine (and festivums, also considered not to be plant friendly) for a year (the sev) with Vallisneria and java ferns, also water lettuce that I have to remove some of each week. I am even contemplating the apparently impossible, I may get some Uaru for my new big tank, by all accounts they will eat everything resembling a plant, even plastic ones. But if I do decide to get the Uaru I will still try to have at least some plants and may be able to keep replacing them from my other tanks. Tough, low tech ones only of course. It is mainly the thought of not having plants that slightly puts me off getting the Uaru and I haven't fully decided yet.

All my current tanks are well planted. I do use filters as well, but in my large (about 150 gallon) planted tank I only usually do about 20% water changes each week, occasionally less. Trimming, and collecting all the bits does take a bit of time though.

 

I have a tank going without any mechanical filtration or air movement. The current stocking is four guppies, an unknown number of bladder, Malaysian trumpet, and rams horn snails, and probably 100 or more neocaridina shrimp. I change water no more often than weekly, and sometimes I skip a week, with no apparent ill effects.

I'd probably categorize it as moderately planted.

5 Gallon Tank - My Experiment Tank at Work | Freshwater Aquarium Discussion Forum | 507052

 

I'm certainly not against unfiltered tanks when done correctly... Natural ponds don't have them, fish can thrive.

My main concern in an aquarium would be oxygen levels bottoming out at night when plants respire? Having even a cheap air pump or filter would at least allow the gas exchange at waters surface.

Yes, that is definitely a good point for some fish. My bettas and cories have a laberith organ and the corydoras have a organ that allows them to gulp air. I have a pump that circulates the gups bin, but only one in a rare while will I have it on.

I have a tank going without any mechanical filtration or air movement. The current stocking is four guppies, an unknown number of bladder, Malaysian trumpet, and rams horn snails, and probably 100 or more neocaridina shrimp. I change water no more often than weekly, and sometimes I skip a week, with no apparent ill effects.

I'd probably categorize it as moderately planted.

5 Gallon Tank - My Experiment Tank at Work | Freshwater Aquarium Discussion Forum | 507052

Yay, I finally get to see it lol! Looks supper nice. I love the (assuming albino koi??) gups and all the shrimp and snails. Looks supper nice.. Just females or do you have a male guppy in there?

I have a tank going without any mechanical filtration or air movement. The current stocking is four guppies, an unknown number of bladder, Malaysian trumpet, and rams horn snails, and probably 100 or more neocaridina shrimp. I change water no more often than weekly, and sometimes I skip a week, with no apparent ill effects.

I'd probably categorize it as moderately planted.

5 Gallon Tank - My Experiment Tank at Work | Freshwater Aquarium Discussion Forum | 507052

Yay, I finally get to see it lol! Looks supper nice. I love the (assuming albino koi??) gups and all the shrimp and snails. Looks supper nice.. Just females or do you have a male guppy in there?

 

. . . Yay, I finally get to see it lol! Looks supper nice. I love the (assuming albino koi??) gups and all the shrimp and snails. Looks supper nice.. Just females or do you have a male guppy in there?

Yes, they're albino koi guppies. In my opinion they're one of few guppy strains where the females are more attractive than the males.

There are three females and one male. They've been in there since January 18, but I haven't seen any fry. The owner of the LFS where I bought them said that particular strain is bad about eating fry, so maybe there have been some but they've been eaten before I saw them.

 

Severums are supposed to be completely incompatible with live plants, but I have kept mine (and festivums, also considered not to be plant friendly) for a year (the sev) with Vallisneria and java ferns, also water lettuce that I have to remove some of each week. I am even contemplating the apparently impossible, I may get some Uaru for my new big tank, by all accounts they will eat everything resembling a plant, even plastic ones. But if I do decide to get the Uaru I will still try to have at least some plants and may be able to keep replacing them from my other tanks. Tough, low tech ones only of course. It is mainly the thought of not having plants that slightly puts me off getting the Uaru and I haven't fully decided yet.

All my current tanks are well planted. I do use filters as well, but in my large (about 150 gallon) planted tank I only usually do about 20% water changes each week, occasionally less. Trimming, and collecting all the bits does take a bit of time though.

Same here. My goldfish are kept with duckweed - that's supposed to be impossible!

 

If you're interested in creating something that looks like those tanks one sees in those aquascaping competitions--be prepared to spend a lot of time. Such tanks require strong filtration, special lighting, CO2 injection, regular fertilization, frequent large water changes, and constant pruning. On the other extreme, I once had a 20 gallon planted tank using dirt I dug up from my back yard, no filter, no water changes, and very little pruning for over a year. This tank did fine.

Planted tanks can be extremely high to extremely low maintenance. It depends on one's goals and how the tank is set up. This being said, I agree with Redshark1. Nonplanted tanks are generally simpler to keep.