Filterless 110 goldfish stock tank

[kfelton22]

Is it possible to filter and oxygenate a 110 Rubbermaid stock tank that has 3 medium comet goldfish with plants alone and no filter? I am trying to grow anacharis elodea in there (recently added a few stems and soon will add some hydrilla from a local pond we fish. My eventual goal is a heavily planted tank for the fish.

 

[Crazyhermitcrab]

No, plants do not filter tanks. They remove a little nitrate. You need a cycled tank with a filter. Even in my heavily planted tanks I run triple filtrattion

 

[icydeath]

I agree with him. You should run heavy filtration. Maybe two emperor 400's and a supplementary sponge filter.

Since you have a stock tank it may be hard to run a HOB on it... You may want to invest in a canister filter (I prefer eheim). Or run a sponge filter (go on King of DIY Aquariums youtube channel and search for it) along with a pond filter. They are usually boxes with sponge and a power pump.

 

[kfelton22]

I just want to keep the fish alive temporarily until I can get an actual pond built. I measure ammonia and nitrites regularly and they continue to measure 0ppm. Nitrates are at 5ppm or less. They seem to really enjoy the space. I will do water changes when the parameters start to get out of whack but for now all is well. I would like to build a pond before fall. With a filter, waterfall, and all that. There are only 3 comets in there currently and eventually I will put the other two out there. So 5 max in the pond.