# Plant-only tank question



## ShrimpieLove (Apr 26, 2010)

Hi everyone! 
I recently aquired a small 2.5 gallon tank and was thinking of using it as a bare tank to just hold and grow plants... No fish. Can i do that without a filter? Just do water changes? Ive only kept plants in my tanks with fish/filter/ferts before so im wondering how to just keep plants without filter etc.
Any tips on this would be appreciated


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

I would use a small filter, just to provide some movement. A cheap HOB filter will do (Big Al's has some for under $10, but they are made in China...only time will tell how well they perform).


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## arinsi (Mar 14, 2010)

yes flowing water is a good idea
it gets rid of the surface scum if it agitates the top
and bacteria can grow in stagnant water

there may or may not be a little algae

my 50g is currently plant only not counting the 1 ghost shrimp


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## fishclubgirl (Mar 4, 2010)

I sometimes have a "holding" tank for plants and flowing water is a must. Had to tear it down when I needed a tank for some angelfish eggs. Removed all the plants and realised there was fry. A friend's rosy barbs had laid eggs all over the plants he'd given me. Ended up with 20 of them.So it didn't stay a plants only tank for too long!!


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## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

if you want some anubias let me know  I took down my 10G tonight to prepare for the contest.


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

Darkblade48 said:


> I would use a small filter, just to provide some movement. A cheap HOB filter will do (Big Al's has some for under $10, but they are made in China...only time will tell how well they perform).


If I recall correctly, the brand is BOYU or something similar, I was going to buy it and a separate 2.5G for the same reason, but I realized that I'd also need to buy a light and plants and had no room for it. But the BOYU filter did not seem to have a gph rate printed on the box so additional research is needed.

I think today is the last day that the Marineland Minis are are sale for $10.


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## ShrimpieLove (Apr 26, 2010)

would an air bubbler be enough for water movement, if I keep up with water changes ?


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## waj8 (Jun 30, 2010)

The purpose of water movement is to give the plants better access to CO2. In a high light and CO2 injected tank the water movement is essential to break up the still water at the surface of the plant leaves and to replenish the CO2 right next to the leaf. If you are not injecting CO2 then a bubbler is a really good idea. That way the plants will at least have access to ambient CO2 levels. I don't think you need the filter if you are not injecting CO2 and there are no fish. I would think about a bigger tank and a soil substrate to grow out plants. It's a very cheap way to do it and looks are not that important. You can get a junky used tank for very cheap. If you put the tank in the right spot you can even use sunlight for lighting.


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