Setup Planted Low Tech Betta Fish Tank | Aquaponic Aquarium

How to Setup a Planted Low Tech Betta Fish Tank - Aquaponic Aquarium with No Filter, No CO2, No Heater and No Fertilizers:

Aquarists normally keep betta fish in small bowls which do not mean that your betta is happy & healthy. When betta is stressed, it might get sick. Do not add betta fish in an aquarium that contains less than five gallons of water. Large tanks are always a good choice for betta & other fish.

There should be lots of space for swimming in your fish tank & bettas like hiding in live plants. Another advantage of live plants is that they consume harmful byproducts of organic waste. Live plants can be used as an aquaponic filter which does not need any power & can efficiently clean your aquarium water. Fish are less stressed when they are surrounded by plants & they feel very relaxed when hiding in the plants. Plants can imitate the wild habitat of fish inside the aquarium. Betta needs more oxygen that live plants provide in the availability of tank lights.

How to Setup a Planted Low Tech Betta Fish Tank?

It is possible to setup a betta aquarium with no filter, no heater, no CO2, or no fertilizers. Aquaponic aquariums are cheap, easy to setup & require low maintenance.

How to setup an aquaponic aquarium for betta fish:

How to setup an aquaponic aquarium for betta fish

If you want to save money then do not add a filter, heater, CO2, or fertilizers. Live plants can be used as a natural filter. Keep many plants in the aquarium for quick & efficient cleaning. Many aquarists keep betta without using any heater in aquariums because they keep their tank inside their room which stays at room temperature. Betta release carbon dioxide & absorb oxygen. Live plants absorb carbon dioxide in the availability of tank lights for photosynthesis. During this process, they release oxygen which will oxygenate water so keeping more plants will add more oxygen to the tank water. Byproducts of organic waste act as fertilizers for live plants. So, there is no need to add extra fertilizers if you have betta or any other fish in the aquarium.

 

How to setup a low-tech betta aquarium without using any filter, CO2, fertilizers or heater:

How to setup a low-tech Betta aquarium

Size of Aquarium:

Do not keep your betta in a one-gallon aquarium. Choose a minimum of 5-gallon aquarium for your betta fish. I think that larger aquariums have lots of free-swimming space & can hold many plants that betta needs. In small aquariums, you might experience the problem of ammonia spikes which means high levels of ammonia especially if your aquarium has no or few live plants. Also, it will be easier to maintain a large aquarium. If your aquarium has many plants then it is a bonus for betta because it will keep betta healthy & happy.

 

Betta Aquarium Mates:

Bettas are often semi-aggressive but every one of them has a different temperament. Some of them are hostile & they will battle against each other but others will live peacefully. I think that keeping one betta in an aquarium is a good choice. But if you are looking for tank mates that could live peacefully with betta then observe them for a period of 3 days & remove newly added fish if you notice any fight. Add the following tank mates at your own risk: Ghost Shrimp, Cory Catfish, Mystery Snails, Neon Tetras, Harlequin Rasbora, Kuhli Loach or Ember Tetras.

 

Filter is not needed in Betta aquarium:

Betta fish tank with no heater

Betta likes to live in oxygen rich aquarium water & live plants will really help in oxygenating water. Your aquarium will need more regular water changes if you do not want to add a tank filter. I think that a 40 percent water change is good for your fish in case you are not planning an aquarium filter. But it depends on the size of the aquarium & the number of fish. If your aquarium size is small then it will need more regular water changes because you have a high risk of ammonia spike. Also, if you are keeping tank mates with betta then there will be more waste & hence there will be a high danger of ammonia spike.

 

Betta aquarium does not require a Heater:

The requirement of the filter depends on your location & placement of the aquarium. If you are living in a place where temperatures do not fall below 24 Degree Celsius then a tank heater is not required. Also, if your aquarium is placed inside the room then there is no need for a heater. Use a thermometer for checking temperature regularly.

 

Betta aquarium does not need Fertilizers:

For healthy plants, fertilizers are needed that can help them in growth. Fish poop, leftover food & other debris release toxic chemicals that act as fertilizers for the plants. There is no need to add additional fertilizers if your aquarium has fish.

 

Extra CO2 is not required in Betta aquarium:

Live plants absorb carbon dioxide in the availability of lights for photosynthesis which is required for healthy growth. Aquarium plants do not need additional CO2 because fish absorb oxygen & release CO2. If you are keeping live plants & bettas in a single fish tank, then no extra carbon dioxide is needed. Additionally, fish will have access to more oxygen & less carbon dioxide that is also vital for the health of the aquarium water.

Conclusion:

Aquaponic fish tanks are best for betta because they are very cheap & easy to setup. The maintenance of aquaponic aquariums is simple & it provides enough swimming space for the betta. Live plants provide a comfortable environment for betta & imitate a natural habitat.