is a pump/filter needed for fishless tank

telecaster

I bought a starter tank in Aldi today

http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/special_buys3_15306.htm

The pump filter is bonkers loud.

I was thinking about using the tank just for aquascaping, to keep plants rather than fish.

Do I need the pump filter to keep plants alive?

Also do I need to cycle the tank before I add plants or can I do that once the water is up to temperature?

thanks

Silverfish

You'd probably need some form of water agitation and movement to prevent stagnation, I'd imagine.

Cookie_Monster

LOL @ the ad

fish not included

Silverfish

I don't think that tank is actually suited for fish at all!

The aquascaping sounds cool.

telecaster

Silverfish wrote: »

The aquascaping sounds cool.

I figure less fish will die this way.

thanks for your advice, I may just run the pump when I'm not in the room.

Silverfish

telecaster wrote: »

I figure less fish will die this way.

thanks for your advice, I may just run the pump when I'm not in the room.

Is it removable? You could probably get a quieter one.

I've 3 tanks going in this room, you stop hearing it after a while, it just becomes background noise.

Limerick Bandit

Silverfish wrote: »

I don't think that tank is actually suited for fish at all!

Why would you think that

Limerick Bandit

telecaster wrote: »

The pump filter is bonkers loud.

You might have an air lock in it, give it a shake and see if bubbles come out it might get quieter, but you will need some sort of pump in there just to keep the water moving, you don't want too much surface agitation because it will drive off c02.

Get a good substrate too, the plants will need something to root into also the bulb that came with the tank might have to be changed if im in aldi tomorrow ill have a look and see how the tank would suit plants.

Cookie_Monster

Limerick Bandit wrote: »

Why would you think that

cos its so small.

godtabh

Silverfish wrote: »

I don't think that tank is actually suited for fish at all!

The aquascaping sounds cool.

What?

A fish tank not suitable for fish?

Silverfish

I said it tongue in cheek, it's suitable for some small fish that don't grow, guppies or danios or whatever.
It's not suitable for goldfish or the quantity of fish they have pictured.

Fish bowls aren't suitable for fish, but they are still sold.

Anyway, my comments appear to have dragged the thread off topic so for that I apologise.

godtabh

Silverfish wrote: »

I said it tongue in cheek, it's suitable for some small fish that don't grow, guppies or danios or whatever.
It's not suitable for goldfish or the quantity of fish they have pictured.

Fish bowls aren't suitable for fish, but they are still sold.

Anyway, my comments appear to have dragged the thread off topic so for that I apologise.

Its probably not suitable for the people who buy them. Thats usually the biggest problem people who buy with out researching what they are buying

telecaster

thanks for the advice, pump is a little quieter having run overnight, it was blowing at full pelt so I've tweaked it back a good bit and that has helped too.

new substrate, new bulb, I can see this bargain was really just a gateway to expenditure!

I may get a shoal of neons/cardinals to animate the tank in a few weeks, if only to placate the befuddlement of family members who are unable to fathom why I'd buy a fishtank without the intention of buying fish.

Limerick Bandit

:pac:

telecaster wrote: »

thanks for the advice, pump is a little quieter having run overnight, it was blowing at full pelt so I've tweaked it back a good bit and that has helped too.

new substrate, new bulb, I can see this bargain was really just a gateway to expenditure!

I may get a shoal of neons/cardinals to animate the tank in a few weeks, if only to placate the befuddlement of family members who are unable to fathom why I'd buy a fishtank without the intention of buying fish.

Its not cheap, I have spent a few grand and a lot of time on fish and plants but when you get it right they look great

For a small tank its a bit cheaper you can spend as much or as little as you like.

A cheap substrate would be compost but you would need to do some research on it and it might be too solw a start up for you.

As for fish, a single shoal is best for a planted thank, A shoal of endlers would look great they are like a small guppy you could have loads of them and they look great

This is my 300L tank its 4ft wide



These are endlers



Lots of options

Silverfish

Money well spent, that is gorgeous.

telecaster

looks great LB

what is the name of the mossy plant carpeting its way around the front of your tank on the right?

your pic is making me nostalgic for the 4 footer I had years ago before I moved abroad...had some cracking big Angelfish in it, and an expensive discus genocide come to think of it.

Limerick Bandit

The carpeting plant is Hemianthus callitrichoides or for short its called HC

breadandjam

telecaster wrote: »

Do I need the pump filter to keep plants alive?

No you don't- plants will grow quite happily without water agitation and once the plants are thriving the water will not become stagnant

Also do I need to cycle the tank before I add plants or can I do that once the water is up to temperature?

No - actually adding plants will help the tank to cycle faster

For loads more info on filterless planted tanks have a look at this website http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/el-natural/26458-what-el-natural-step-step.html

thanks