# Do I really need a filter?



## jrtiberius (Dec 1, 2005)

I been raising bettas for a while and never used filter. I have a ten gallon that I intend to populate sparingly with fish but heavily with plants... Do I really need a filter?


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## random_alias (Nov 7, 2005)

There are varying opinions on the necessity of using a filter in a well planted, sparsely populated tank. 

It is my opinion that, no matter how balanced your bioload is to your plant mass, filtration helps. I think it speeds up the development of benefitial bacteria colonies because it causes water movement and it directs this movement over material that is easily colonized.

Mechanical filtration helps when setting up a new tank because you are likely to have stressed/injured plants that may shed leaves. With no water movement, this dead material can easily drop and remain hidden, left to slowly decompose. Using filtration helps catch these sheddings, or at least suspend them in the water column for you to notice them and remove them. 

When you dose ANYTHING, water circulation aids in getting the stuff to the plants. Sure, chemicals dissolve and are slowly passed from molecule to molecule in a water suspension, but water movement has to increase the effectiveness of this transfer. It's similar to pouring sugar in water and letting it sit versus stirring the water.

I've set up planted tanks with filtration from the start and without filtration. On the tanks I started without filtration, I always ended up adding filtration soon after the initial setup because I wanted to decrease my cycle time and because I could tell the water was stagnant and needed movement to keep detritus from settling. 

Anecdotal story: I setup a 2.5g planted nano. The substrate I used was leaching NH4 into my water column. It seemed like no matter how many water changes I did (within reason) the NH4 would temporarily drop, then reestablish itself. I had a small pump in the tank for circulation so there was water movement. I added a small HOT filter and seeded it with filter material from an established tank. Within 2 days the NH4 began dropping. I wanted to be certain it was the filter and not just coincidental timing with the natural cycling of the tank or the exhaustion of the leeching NH4 from the substrate, so I removed the filter. The NH4 began rising again. I added the filter back again and within a few days the NH4 had dropped. 

I could have established the tank without filtration, but it would have taken longer before I could safely add shrimp. When a new tank is balancing, you want to get algae eaters in there ASAP.

Proper filtration seems to help increase tank health on all fronts.

Is a filter necessary? No. Some people have very nice planted tanks that do not utilize filters.


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

If the tank is going to be stocked sparingly and you will be doing the appropriate weekly water changes, then no you won't need a filter. You will want to provide something for water current though. I have a 20 gallon long tank that is filterless and it has done well now for well over a year, first with two clown loaches and now with seven killifish. I do run a airstone 24/7 and it has DIY c02.


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## RTR (Oct 28, 2005)

I agree that filters can be optional, but current is always needed IMHO. If you are pumping water anyway, how much extra effort does it require to use filtration with the device that is moving the water?


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## jrtiberius (Dec 1, 2005)

"Proper filtration seems to help increase tank health on all fronts."

"You will want to provide something for water current though."

Thanks guys, seems like a filter is the way to go. Bettas with long finnage do great in tank with no current, but I Don't relish doing 10 gallon full water changes, so a filter it is. Thanks for the help.


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## imatrout (May 12, 2005)

Check this site out. You'll be surprised what can be done without a filter.
www.naturalaquariums.com


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## Raphael (Nov 27, 2005)

You don't NEED a filter but you will have to do water chnages more than usual.


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