Filter System for a 1 Gallon Tank

[dalmation1080]

Okay first of all I do not want any criticism for having a small tank. If your going to complain about it, please leave now. Its a tank I enjoy and the fish all seem very happy.
Anyway I won 5 tiny little fish at our local state fair and purchased the 1 gallon starter tank kit they sell at Walmart. It said it came with an under gravel filter system but I don't understand how it works? All it is, is a piece of plastic with holes in it. There is no hook up to anything. How is this supposed to be used?
Also is there any other gentle choices for a filtration system for a 1 gallon tank?



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[dalmation1080]

Also I did purchase some lily bulbs too. I grew some before but I don't know, does having live plants help the water any?


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[dalmation1080]

Will this work?


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[keegster803]

That should work, but the bio load is going to be a jerk, but it should still do the job


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[dalmation1080]

Well I purchased one and I am going to try it out. Should be here in the next few days.


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[keegster803]

Well have fun


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[keegster803]

Glad I could help


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[Mebbid]

An under gravel filter works by pulling water through the gravel and through that lift tube. The gravel in the tank acts as the filter media. It's hard to clean but it works.

What are you going to do when the gold fish grow a bit? Do you have testing equipment for the tank?

 

[absolutangel04]

It is like Mebbid said with the UG. That tank comes with a little airstone that sits at the bottom of the tube.
As for that other little filter, will it work? Depends on what you want. Is it enough for 5 goldfish? No. It will also take up space in an already small space. Will it move around the water in there and pull it through a filter pad? Yes.

 

[dalmation1080]

The only thing the setup I have now is bubble the water. It doesn't do anything besides push water out. The under gravel "filter" does nothing and I am left with cloudy water. All I want is for the filter to keep the water clear.


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[dalmation1080]

When I get the new filter I will be taking the air stone and middle tube out to give them more room. The internal filter says it will oxygenate the water (with bubbles) and filter.


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[ScaryFatKidGT]

When I get the new filter I will be taking the air stone and middle tube out to give them more room. The internal filter says it will oxygenate the water (with bubbles) and filter.


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The surface movment of the "waterfall" will oxygenate the tank.

Wont those fish all get pretty big being gold fish?

Make sure you keep up on water changes being a new tank.

 

[fort384]

Whether you want to hear it or not, I am sorry to say this tank is inappropriate to house the fish you have, irregardless of the filter selection you make. UGFs work pretty good if the bioload is normal.

 

[fort384]

The only thing the setup I have now is bubble the water. It doesn't do anything besides push water out. The under gravel "filter" does nothing and I am left with cloudy water. All I want is for the filter to keep the water clear.


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This is how a UGF works. If the water is cloudy it's most likely a bacterial bloom due to a cycling tank.

 

[Mebbid]

The water isn't clear because there is a bacterial bloom. The fish you have in there are creating ammonia which is toxic to fish. There are bacteria suspended in your water that consume the ammonia and convert it to nitrite. There are more bacteria that consume that and convert it to nitrate.

If your ammonia level rises above .25ppm then you need to do a 50% water change. Failure to do that places the fish at risk since ammonia burns their gills. This is going to require 1 - 2 50% water changes daily to keep the fish safe for the next month at least. Failure to do that will sentence your fish to a fairly terrible death. If they were in a properly sized tank then you would probably be able to do 2 water changes weekly.

 

[DragonFish71]

Okay first of all I do not want any criticism for having a small tank. If your going to complain about it, please leave now. Its a tank I enjoy and the fish all seem very happy.
Anyway I won 5 tiny little fish at our local state fair and purchased the 1 gallon starter tank kit they sell at Walmart. It said it came with an under gravel filter system but I don't understand how it works? All it is, is a piece of plastic with holes in it. There is no hook up to anything. How is this supposed to be used?
Also is there any other gentle choices for a filtration system for a 1 gallon tank? View attachment 245945



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Sorry, but you do not get to dictate how a person responds about your tank size when we have a rule on this site about the ethical treatment of the critters we keep. Only the site staff, like us mods or the admins are allowed that responsibility.

As others have stated, unfortunately those 5 "tiny" fish can grow to be about a foot long each. I have a few of them in my pond. The tank that you have them in is inadequate. The new filter will work, for now, but you will have a future of daily water changes and unhappy fish.

I'd strongly suggest if you plan on keeping them and keeping them healthy, that you get past the "criticism and complaining", realize that even though they are fish they are still living creatures and treat them with care instead of dismissing them as disposable.

 

[dalmation1080]

I am feeding my fish and they have clean water. How the heck is that unethical? Hello they are fish... Obviously I have some different opinions than you all.


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[Mebbid]

I am feeding my fish and they have clean water. How the heck is that unethical? Hello they are fish... Obviously I have some different opinions than you all.


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The cloudy water alone tells us that your water isn't clean. It's unethical treatment because you obviously know your tank is too small. Combining that with an uncycled tank and an obscene number of fish in a tank that small means your fish are going to die unless you do something different. You don't want to hear it obviously, but you have heard what needs to be done. What you do after that means the cause of death for pets that you took responsibly for is solely on your shoulders.

Just so you know, those fish should live for 10+ years if cared for properly.

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Wow you people are a bunch of crazies


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I'm sorry but what makes you think that it is fair to the fish to keep them in a hideously undersized tank? You obviously know the tank is too small, I recommend trying to relocate the fish to a pond as most tanks are inappropriate for them. Sorry if the responses were not what you wanted to hear but the users on here all all concerned for the well being of our animals.

 

[dalmation1080]

Ill keep my fish in the tank I have. They are not getting a bigger one, [mod edit]


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