Reply With QuoteNo if it's quite planted . Sponge filter with air pump better imo
I plan to buy a 30cm length tank for guppies
do I need to install air pump?
No if it's quite planted . Sponge filter with air pump better imo
Loving crypts <3
Is the pump needed because if the number of fishes or because of the volume of water?Originally Posted by TheAquarist
i don't use any pump for my 15cm tank, the fishes stil looks ok
There is no electricity at my desk, Could experts also tell me what plants I can add if I don't want to have soil in my tank?
i am thinking of Carpet grass at the bottom, any idea if that can be done without soil?
In general, small tanks crowded with alot of fishes will accumulate toxic levels very quickly, conversely large tank volumes with just a few fishes will accumulate toxic levels more slowly... this is usually referred to as the "carrying capacity" of a tank. If the bio-load exceeds the carrying capacity of the tank volume, then the tank environment will become harmful for the fishes very quickly.
Filters help to process the waste material and convert them into less harmful compounds (which can then be removed by water changes or taken up by plants as nutrients), thereby improving the carrying capacity of the tank. So its possible to maintain higher bio-loads in a tank, if its well filtered and cleaned properly.
Without a filter, you will just need to keep the fish bio-load as low as possible, so that the toxic levels don't accumulate as quickly.
If there is no electricity at your desk, i assume you can't have dedicated aquarium lights on the tank too? Most plants need light to photosynthesize and grow, so if you can't have dedicated light for them and can only rely on ambient light, then you'll just have to use plants which can survive in very low-light environments.
Common plants which can survive with just ambient light are anubias, java ferns or mosses (depending on the level of ambient lights, they may only just survive but not grow much). They are tied to wood or rocks too, so substrate is not required.
Carpet grass (ie. hair grass) can be grown tied to rocks or mesh without substrate too, but they do need ample light to grow, otherwise they'll eventually just melt and rot away, contributing to the waste in the tank.... same goes for other grass-effect plants like riccia or UG, they all need ample lights to grow.
You could try moss tied to mesh though, they might work in environments with only ambient light... may not grow much, but at least wouldn't melt away so quickly.
Last edited by Urban Aquaria; 27th Jul 2014 at 11:43.
Which brand or type of tank do you suggest to buy since mine is without pump ?
Any tank would be fine, just depends on the dimensions you can fit on your desk and your budget, have to shop around to see which you like... do make sure the tank is at least made with good workmanship though, check that it doesn't leak or crack during usage.
Experts could you recommend me an air pump for the tank?
Which one to buy and how much?
thanks
Is there also an ati pump that allows me to switch on led or air pump separately?
If you can get a power socket to plug it in, then the GEX brand or Ocean Free brand air pumps are quite good, the smaller models work out to less than S$10. If no power source, then have to look at the battery operated ones.
Haven't seen an air pump that comes with inbuilt LED lights, maybe you can check online and see.
How should I transfer the guppies from my 18cm tank to the 30cm tank?
do I pour all the water from 18cm tank ?
how many days do I need to leave the water in 30cm tank overnight?
Since there is no substrate, just transfer the water and fishes from the 18cm tank to the new 30cm tank, then top-up the rest of the water using fresh water (make sure to use de-chlorinator to treat the water beforehand).
Its usually not necessary to leave the water overnight as the de-chlorinator should make the water safe for immediate usage. If you are worried, then can also just let the de-chlorinated water to sit for a day or two before adding into the tank.
I don't have De-chlorinator.. Will that be a problem?
Nope. Just let the water sit for a day or two before using it
Loving crypts <3
Good to hear that. What's the use of de-chlorinator btw?
You have not been using de-chlorinator for your tank water? It is highly recommended to use that from now on to make the water safe for the tank's beneficial bacteria and livestock.
Tap water contains chlorine and chloramines which are meant to kill off harmful bacteria and pathogens in the water so that its safer for human consumption, but if those compounds are not removed for aquariums, they will also kill the beneficial bacteria in the tank too (so toxic compounds like ammonia will not get converted properly as the tank cycle will keep resetting). In addition, chlorine and chloramine damage fish gills and cause issues with their health.
Just letting the water sit overnight with aeration will usually off-gas most of the chlorine, but chloramine is designed to be more persistent and will linger on in the water so there will still be some residual amounts in it. Some people don't believe in (or are not aware of) using de-chlorinators and just age their water before using in their tank, and they report no issues... but its a risk they take when it comes to the overall proper function the tank cycle and the health of the fishes.
Public water works sometimes change the levels of chlorine and chloramines due to various source water conditions, so the practice of just aging water may become inadequate to clear those compounds and then people begin to wonder why their more sensitive fishes suddenly start gasping and dying, or their tank cycle suddenly crash and reset, and the water becomes all cloudy due to the excessive build up of unprocessed waste material.
De-chlorinators will effectively remove both the chlorine and chloramines in tap water within a few minutes of treatment, so it solves that issue and many of them also help to detoxify ammonia too. You can look at products like Seachem Prime, which is a popular tried and tested de-chlorinator that works well.
Last edited by Urban Aquaria; 28th Jul 2014 at 22:20.
Is it too late to add de-chlorinator if I have already moved the fishes into new tank?
Since all the water in the tank is untreated, you can just add the de-chlorinator into the new tank, just dose the recommended amount (as indicated on the bottle instructions) for the whole tank volume. Use a cup to scoop some water and pour back a few times to circulate the treatment effectively around the tank (since there is no filter to move the water around).
After that, you only need to dose the de-chlorinator into the new tap water whenever you do a water change.
UA thanks for your advises. Does LFS in sg sell mesh for grass?
how much does it cost for a 30cm tank?
You can check at places like C328 or Seaview (probably many other LFS sell it too), have to look for the stainless steel or plastic ones that don't rust underwater.
For a 30cm tank the base area is relatively small so the mesh should just cost a few dollars... sometimes you can even buy the grass and plants already nicely tied to stainless steel mesh, that'll save you all the extra work of having to tie them.
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