The Puffer Forum

hydroponic (sorry for the spelling) ... where the plants provide the filtration and waste removal for the fish.

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work, I guess. But a sponge filter would be easier.

yes, I mentioned that. I also mentioned that going filterless is going to be pretty advanced stuff.

Cons: Grow out would be slow, plant selection is hit and miss. You would need to combine fast growers and slower pettier plants to begin with. Depending on the water source and availability of the plants many will not survive. Depending on plant selection you my need to add ferts, CO2 etc.. For a 10 gal if you are careful, you probably will not need to, but that is a lot of research. Fish waste vs plant intake is very tricky at best.

Pros: Once it is set up there is minimal maintenance..

As mentioned before (in chat), if you are comfortable with regular water changes and cleaning the filter, hydroponic may not be the best route at this point.

Plants don't remove everything that a fish produces. Hormones and so forth accumulate as well. You would still need to do water changes.

Yep true .. I forgot to mention that

Hey I would say down to preference, i always loved the cts more and at one time had 9 bettas altogether. As to the water hardness I have PH8.2 and none ever came from harm from it, just keep their water crystal clear. Love to see what you go for!

LilGreenPuffer wrote:Plants don't remove everything that a fish produces. Hormones and so forth accumulate as well. You would still need to do water changes.

You could go with the aquaponics system this way your tank water is used to water some sort of plant growth (it would have to be a substantial amount of plant matter and soil) then the run off would be able to to back into your tank. It has been done although tons mroe research would have to be done this is a good place to start.

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/aquaponic.html

if i have a tank with a HOB filter, will it hurt to have it heavily planted?

of course not.

The beta will actually like that as the HOB will case surface wakes and Beta prefer quiet waters

Live plants are always good!

okay thanks!

so this guy at the lfs said that a betta wouldnt do well in a ten gallon. he said a ten gallon would be too big, because they like being confined, and a ten gallon would stress him out. he said " in nature, they live in puddles. so you could just keep it in the tiny cup :'( obviously doesnt know what he is talking about!

Betta naturally live in rice paddies, that are shallow - but can be acres large. A ten gallon is fine for a betta, it's a common misconception that is everywhere. They think they live in puddles, but that would be one huge puddle... They are also a tropical fish, that need heat. I believe that if you desired, you could even get a larger tank, as long as it doesn't get too deep for them to reach the surface easily.

I think of it this way; Anyone can 'survive' living in a tent, or one of those efficiency one room apartments. Some people manage well in them. However, could you imagine the upgrade to living in a nice small house in comparison, or a mansion? Survivability and comfort are different things. He'd probably be the same person that would tell you a GSP would do GREAT in a 10gal, (or like my LFS said, when they told me my fahaka would be fine in a 10gal for the first year, and never need over 90 gal way down the road.)
A rice paddy farm:

compared to the 'cutesy' things humans love to stick them in:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Natures-Art-5-8-gal ... 1319wt_911

(just like in LGP's signature pic!)

Grrrr that guy does not know what he is on about..they do live in rice paddy fields and have been found in puddles but generally they deserve the best conditions possible! My prize boy Calcier had a 10g to himself and loved absolutely every minute of it! Depending on the betta's personality you could try things like khuli loaches, african dwarf frogs, lampeyes, rice fish etc. Or if wanted could put a divider in a 10g and have two bettas having 5g space each (just ensure good flow from one end of the tank to other).

I've seen the happiness of a betta moving into a 128 liter at my house, after living in a 1 liter at the LFS. WOW! He went swimming and swimming and swimming around, feeling like the world never stopped. But I have experienced one thing. Keeping a betta in a smaller tank (not size fish bowl, I'm not saying that) all by himself, actually has given a longer life of the betta than when I keep one in a large tank with other species. I don't know why, but I've experienced it several times.