Ok that's weird.

[trennamw]

So I was whining about my broken filter in another thread, but now it's seeming that the tank is better without???

For 4 months, with the filter and plants, the ammonia and nitrite were zero but the nitrate was at 20 with weekly water changes of 50%.

I've kept waiting for the water to get bad, with the broken filter, and not only did it not ...

After 1 week of no filtration, nitrates are about 10.

Total ammonia shows a tiny bit (less than .25ppm) but toxic ammonia (by the pH/temp charts and a Seachem stick on that I know is working) is practically nothing. No nitrites.

At first I couldn't figure out how water could be "cleaner" with plants only, but I wonder ...

I read in Walstad's book that plants prefer ammonia. Could it be that the plants are taking up the ammonia before it goes through the cycle?

I'll keep a close eye on it and continue water changes but ... Hmm.

Plants are a huge ozelot sword, some crypt parva and microsword, and pennywort. And more to come.


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[PNWaquarist]

The API kit ammonia test sometimes gives false positives, where it appears that you have a very small amount of ammonia (solution is overwhelmingly yellow with a very slight hint of green). If your tank is cycled, do the nitrite test. If the solution is a clear, light blue (as opposed to a light greyish blue) it's unlikely that there's any appreciable ammonia in your tank.

 

[trennamw]

The API kit ammonia test sometimes gives false positives, where it appears that you have a very small amount of ammonia (solution is overwhelmingly yellow with a very slight hint of green). If your tank is cycled, do the nitrite test. If the solution is a clear, light blue (as opposed to a light greyish blue) it's unlikely that there's any appreciable ammonia in your tank.

Yeah it's clear bright blue on nitrites.

It's just so interesting that plants plus filter equaled ammonia-nitrite-nitrate of 0-0-20, and plants alone is 0-0-10.

All I can figure is the plants are now living off ammonia instead of nitrate?


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[PNWaquarist]

Is there anything in there circulating the water? If not, your readings may depend on where you sample from in the tank (not a good thing).

 

[trennamw]

Nothing circulating the water. But I took the sample after stirring everything up.

Well. Fish is way more active without the filter. So he's stirring things up a little.

But I'm going off Fishfur's experience that a betta and a lot of plants can be ok in a 2.5 without a filter. Having lost a lot of bettas learning about water quality I didn't believe it until I tested the water. I'm still skeptical, but I'll watch it.

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[PNWaquarist]

I'd get a new filter ASAP. You need water circulation for mechanical filtration and oxygenation. If you have an extra airstone laying around, that would help with the latter.

Edit: Do you have fish in there, or is it only plants?

 

[PNWaquarist]

Ah, didn't realize that it was a beta tank. One of the few species that would be OK in those conditions.

 

[trennamw]

Yeah, he seems really happy without the filter. He's out and about instead of hiding in the floating plants.

And the filter never really had any solids in it. He's very lightly fed and there are some Malaysian trumpet snails.


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[Mebbid]

Is there gravel in the tank?

 

[trennamw]

Is there gravel in the tank?

ADA aquasoil capped with nat geo fake sand.

I'm also a little afraid to take the filter out completely, wondering if all it's bacteria laden media is helping just by being in the water.


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