self sustaining tank

[spiketooth]

I am going to be gone for six months on a deployment, is it possible to have a tank with no fish, just shrimp and snail be self sustaining?

Edit: there would be plants of course

 

[azmodan]

It is possible but at the very least you'd need to have a way to add treated water that replaces that which has evaporated. I'd recommend maybe looking a little into the Walstad method: Walstad method - The Free Freshwater and Saltwater Aquarium Encyclopedia Anyone Can Edit - The Aquarium Wiki

 

[NYgiantsRP]

With a ton of plants, and a few snails and shrimp it should be fine, but like the prior poster said, you would need to replace the evaporated water.

 

[Glow light tetra]

You will still have to do water changes regardless

 

[spiketooth]

You will still have to do water changes regardless

Why would i still need pwc?

 

[MMantelli]

To replace the minerals in the water the plants and inverts use up and for its buffering capabilities.

 

[spiketooth]

Thats not the only buffer tho the bio product by shrimp and shrimp should be good enough for them to grow and provide for the shrimp and snails

 

[azmodan]

With the right amount and right types of plants it is possible to be able to get away with no PWCs, although it's not especially easy to achieve such a balance. There are a couple of other threads on this topic that can be searched for on this forum, as well as some particularly detailed ones on TPT. It does tend to be a lot easier with larger sized tanks, too.

 

[MMantelli]

Thats not the only buffer tho the bio product by shrimp and shrimp should be good enough for them to grow and provide for the shrimp and snails

I did not know that...thanks

 

[spiketooth]

To replace the minerals in the water the plants and inverts use up and for its buffering capabilities.

You might be right. It would be a 40 gal tank., i will have to research more to make sure that plants and invert dont use anythung else in the water that only a pwc would provide. Only buffer i know that could go down is the kh. But hay i dont know everything so i could be wrong. I have read did something like this with a small container and a goldfish. Did not go to mich into details

 

[NYgiantsRP]

To replace the minerals in the water the plants and inverts use up and for its buffering capabilities.

It's not a MUST, they will survive otherwise, just not optimally.

 

[spiketooth]

i will be having someone add water that evaps just dont trust them to take care of any fish. I am goimg to rehome them soon then monitor the tank see howbit does with just 4 otos shrimp and snails. I never feed my otos in the past 4 months so i know they can live off the algae that grows in the tank. Between all them should be enogh bio for the plants to feed off of

 

[NYgiantsRP]

Make sure you have a timer for the lights.

 

[BBradbury]

Self-Sustaining Tank

I am going to be gone for six months on a deployment, is it possible to have a tank with no fish, just shrimp and snail be self sustaining?

Edit: there would be plants of course

Hello Spike...

It's definitely possible, but it will still need some attention. Self-sustaining tanks don't require the standard maintenance like water changes, servicing filters and such, but still need to have water replaced due to evaporation and plants trimmed. It's the emersed land plants that replace mechanical filtration.

Might be best to break down the tank or leave it as is and have someone tend to it while you're gone.

I understand deployments, I went on 3.

B

 

[spiketooth]

Hello Spike...

It's definitely possible, but it will still need some attention. Self-sustaining tanks don't require the standard maintenance like water changes, servicing filters and such, but still need to have water replaced due to evaporation and plants trimmed. It's the emersed land plants that replace mechanical filtration.

Might be best to break down the tank or leave it as is and have someone tend to it while you're gone.

I understand deployments, I went on 3.

B

It was a thought, just the nature of the beast but hay i was the one that raised my right hand

 

[Glow light tetra]

Shrimp still produce a Small amount of ammonia and even if you fill the tank from top to bottom with ammonia absorbing plants, you will still have to do water changes.

 

[spiketooth]

Shrimp still produce a Small amount of ammonia and even if you fill the tank from top to bottom with ammonia absorbing plants, you will still have to do water changes.

dont think this is true, i have read a few web sites were people have done this with a goldfish

 

[jcolon]

Hello Spike...

It's definitely possible, but it will still need some attention. Self-sustaining tanks don't require the standard maintenance like water changes, servicing filters and such, but still need to have water replaced due to evaporation and plants trimmed. It's the emersed land plants that replace mechanical filtration.

Might be best to break down the tank or leave it as is and have someone tend to it while you're gone.

I understand deployments, I went on 3.

B

+1. There's practically no such thing as a completely self - sustaining system on such a small (aquarium size) scale. Water, minerals and other such nutrients have to be properly replenished. Replacing the evaporated water just can't be understated.

 

[BBradbury]

Self-Sustaining Tank

Terraphyte tanks don't require mechanical filtration of any kind, but still need some maintenance, though very minimal. I have a 20 G that's been running several months with no water changes. I just top off the water a couple of times a week, because the tank is open and there's a considerable amount of evaporation.

The plant's roots tank in all forms of nitrogen, so the fish have pure water conditions and their wastes fertilize the plant. I have to trim the emersed plants weekly or they'd eventually cover the tank.

B

 

[spiketooth]

Shrimp still produce a Small amount of ammonia and even if you fill the tank from top to bottom with ammonia absorbing plants, you will still have to do water changes.

Thats why the tank cycled to take care of the ammo, then turned into nitrate. Plants will absorb both ammo and nitrate. Becuase there bio load is small it will be a endless cycle. The poop will also break down into phosphate will will be use in the photo process of the plant. So water change would not be needed