Self sustaining tank

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GodFan

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Ok so i heard of somebody doing this and was thinking about trying it with my 5 gallon (to small but I might try anyway) If anybody has done this then please tell me about your setup and provide pics!
Here are the criteria:
No water changes for at least 3 months
No feeding (except for dried leaves for shrimp)
No c02 or ferts

Bonus criteria:
No water changes EVER
No topoffs
Self timed lighting

I had a good idea for the setup largly based on another persons so tell me what you think and add your own!
Low light plants EVERYWHERE to absorb nitrates and waste. Red cherry shrimp (given time to breed tp provide fish food) and another fish (betta?) to eat only shrimplets. I dont know how to safely add dried leaves though....
 
A self sustained tank isn't really a possibility IMO.

Just from what I've read in other threads on this topic, seems a lot of variables that will be hard to get just right.
 
While it's possible to make an aquarium highly sustainable, I don't think it's reasonable to create a perfectly sustainable aquarium. Even the most isolated lakes have to receive some sort of water uptake or they dry up. The only way to prevent evaporation would be to create a completely sealed container - at which point you would have to hope that the plants inside would provide enough O2 to keep the critters alive.
 
To me, a self sustaining tank would take a lot of the fun out of the hobby. For me, the set up and up keep is part of the fun :)
 
And if it was sealed then you'd have to hope that the amounts of plants you have don't use all that O2 during the night causing the critters to suffocate.

It can be possible for a low maintenance tank but it seems you are trying to create more of a Eco system, something which is extremely difficult.
 
It doesnt have to be entirely self sustained. I understand some stuff will be requiered like top offs (I though somebody may have had an idea) but no feeding and rare water changes is possible.
 
GodFan said:
Not if they are small fish. And Im not going to let them get hurt. If water quality goes south I will step in.
Click to expand...

I'd suggest A LOT of reading before attempting this. There are some out there that are strong believers it can be done and believe they have done it themselves. Myself am skeptical. We just can't replicate everything in nature while at the same time not touching the tank.
Good luck to you!
 
Ive often thought about this too. I have lost days thinking about it. Feeding is easy, get an auto feeder. Top offs are easy, so to speak. My idea would however require a sump. In this sump you would have a float valve (like in the back of your toilet) This will maintain a constant water level. Eliminating top offs. OK, so thats feeding and top offs. Now for the auto cleaning, this is alittle tricky. You are going to need plants and a clean-up crew. Plants will use up your nitrates, eliminating your PWC's. your clean up crew will take care of extra food from the auto feeder. Now, with plants you need ferts and with the auto top-off you need Prime. Thats easy. Aqua medic makes a liquid auto doser.

There ya have it a self running taank
 
Correct me if I'm wrong but when evaporation takes place the ammo, trites and trAtes are left behind?

If that's the case then it will soon become a toxic stew where anything less than major action will quickly kill of any critters you stock.
 
Lowryder said:
Ive often thought about this too. I have lost days thinking about it. Feeding is easy, get an auto feeder. Top offs are easy, so to speak. My idea would however require a sump. In this sump you would have a float valve (like in the back of your toilet) This will maintain a constant water level. Eliminating top offs. OK, so thats feeding and top offs. Now for the auto cleaning, this is alittle tricky. You are going to need plants and a clean-up crew. Plants will use up your nitrates, eliminating your PWC's. your clean up crew will take care of extra food from the auto feeder. Now, with plants you need ferts and with the auto top-off you need Prime. Thats easy. Aqua medic makes a liquid auto doser.

There ya have it a self running taank
Click to expand...

Feeding will always produce wastes in a fish tank, either by food not being eaten or through the waste produced by the fish.

Plants won't be able to absorb the sheer quantity of trAtes that would build up as the fish waste decomposed.

As for clean up, most "clean up" species are sensitive to water Params, and this would still produce yet more fish waste that will produce ammo.
 
Scouser said:
Correct me if I'm wrong but when evaporation takes place the ammo, trites and trAtes are left behind?

QUOTE]


thats why you have a filter with bacteria. Its the nitrogen cycle. the only thing left will be nitrates and plants 'eat' them

I dont do PWC's on my 15g planted and I actually have to dose potassium nitrate because without it I have no nitrates for my plants.
Click to expand...
 
Lowryder said:
Do you mean TDS? I have very soft water. But for the argument of a sustained tank you can just use ro/di
Click to expand...

Yes TDS. Typo lol. RO/DI would not fix that problem. If no water is being removed (except evaporation) then it will continue to build.
 
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