# Lowest Possible maintanance Tank



## Jim Lamb (Jun 6, 2012)

Hello, 

I've recently been inspired to start my own aquarium. Due to my job however, i am usually away for up to 8 weeks at a time! I was wondering what the ideal set up for an aquarium for someone in my situation would be (if any). I'm considering a heavily plant based aquarium with some shrimp and no fish?? 
(It would be in a 30 gallon tank)

Let me know your thoughts or comments!


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## Bigmike (May 18, 2012)

I don't think there's much that can live with you gone 2 months.....


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

+1 on the idea that keeping an aquarium would be a bad idea with you gone for so long. Typical tank maintenance should happen once a week, but if you did keep fish, I would say their health would suffer from the lack of it. Not to mention, how would you feed them? Even snails need to eat more then algae


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

I can see forum member beaslbob coming in on this one...

Me, I can't see it working and being worth it. If you are away eight weeks with no one to care for your tank, you will have issues with evaporation, water quality and potential power blackouts. If you go ahead, I would filter with air driven sponges, which would need a high volume air pump. It's hard to get a quiet one without opting for very expensive linear piston technology.
You would have to plant the heck out of it, with low light mosses, ferns and such. Get it growing over a few months and seed it with daphnia from a local pond. See if a small population takes. 
Then, in a 30 gallon without water changes, get a pair (no more) of a tiny swamp fish - Florida's Ellasoma evergladei, Pseudepiplatys from Africa - something tiny. Such fish can be hard to find. You need something small enough to feed on the micro-organisms established in the tank. In a 30, you could probably sustain a pair or two of maximum one inch fish.

That might work, but it would be a dark, weedy tank without a lot to see in it. A lot could go wrong, and not much could go right....
Someone else wll probably discuss shrimp - I don't like or keep them, and am therefore a lousy source of info on them (except as fish food).


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## Crazy (Mar 1, 2012)

honestly if it is possible, and the fish can remain healthy, you will need a big tank that is very lightly stocked and very heavily planted. If you can get it well cycled before you have to go and use an autofeeder it may be possible. The biggest thing is keeping the nitrates below 40ppm, and plants can assist in that, however with you being gone for such long stretches unless you have someone that can help with your tank there are no promises. And regardless of what someone will eventually end up saying, use a filter and a good one at that, the fish and plants do need them.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

8wks is too long for evaporation alone. Keeping it covered may slow it down, but you would still loose somewhere around 1.5g per week.

I would recommend against getting a tank if it goes that long. Not that it can't per se, but why have it? It's kind of like getting a new pet and then leaving, or a new boat that you never get to use, etc... You could come home to a tank full of dead fish and a very stinky house.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Jim Lamb said:


> Hello,
> 
> I've recently been inspired to start my own aquarium. Due to my job however, i am usually away for up to 8 weeks at a time! I was wondering what the ideal set up for an aquarium for someone in my situation would be (if any). I'm considering a heavily plant based aquarium with some shrimp and no fish??
> (It would be in a 30 gallon tank)
> ...


Beaslbob Here. *old dude LOL

I agree the 8 weeks is a long time.

but with my planted methods I have gone for up to 3 weeks with no maintenance. and routinely go 1-2 weeks with no problems.

If you have you lights on a timer and can have someone feed the fish 3 times you could go IMHO for 8 weeks.

And that would be for a tank with a heavy bioload of fish also.

Of course one reason for that IMHO would be evaporation is reduced with no circulation or mechanical filters.


just my .02


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Jim Lamb said:


> I'm considering a heavily plant based aquarium with some shrimp and no fish??


8 weeks is a long time to leave a tank, I'd be worried about doing it with fish but I don't see why it couldn't work with shrimp in a heavily planted tank. Red Cherry shrimp are hardy, easy to keep and pretty and won't need to be fed a lot in a planted tank.

Lots of plants and moss and driftwood as decor will harbor lots of stuff for them to eat.

Feed lightly when you are there so that the population is mostly being sustained by the tank anyway. If the population is getting too large remove some shrimp.

Minimize evaporation, with a good lid. Red Cherry Shrimp are fine on the cool side so don't overheat. Make sure if the water does get low nothing like filters or heaters will break because of sticking out of the water.

Put lights on a timer. About 7hrs a day.

Stick to a low light, low tech setup because it doesn't need so much upkeep.

I'd do a DIY dirt substrate because it grows plants well without having to dose ferts. I also think it encourages microorganisms which would help support the shrimp.


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## clep.berry (Mar 4, 2012)

You could probably have a healthy mosquito breeding tank.
cb


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

clep.berry said:


> You could probably have a healthy mosquito breeding tank.
> cb


*r2*r2*r2*r2

only not with the fish eating the larvae

my .02


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## Jim Lamb (Jun 6, 2012)

thanks for all the prompt feedback, this is quite an active forum it seems. The consensus seems to be that fish would not be a good idea for me, so i'll stay away from that. I am strongly leaning toward shrimp now as Snail described. 

I posted a similar question on a shrimp forum. They said theoretically shrimp would work, however many plant fertilizers are not compatible with shrimp so i would need to do some research to find one that is. (or possibly not use fertilizer??)

Worst case scenario it will be an exclusively planted aquarium for now.

I've been looking at filters as well, which type of filter would you guys say is the lowest maintenance??!? Been considering Hob's and canisters, not sure if there are any other types.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

If you are away for long stretches, neither. Sponge only. Air pump and sponge. It restarts after power blackouts and doesn't contribute to evaporation. If the water gets low, it doesn't overheat or run dry.


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

I'm with people with saying that fish do need maintainence, there's no avoiding it. Even really densely planted tanks need to be cleaned once in awhile. Here's a thread (TPT, sorry) that might give you some ideas. Tom's Bucket O' Mud (semi self-sustaining aquarium)


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

navigator black said:


> If you are away for long stretches, neither. Sponge only. Air pump and sponge. It restarts after power blackouts and doesn't contribute to evaporation. If the water gets low, it doesn't overheat or run dry.


+1 to that. who knows when you might have a power outage, just be sure to put the air pump above the aquarium, that way it doesn't drain all of your water onto your floor.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Jim Lamb said:


> thanks for all the prompt feedback, this is quite an active forum it seems. The consensus seems to be that fish would not be a good idea for me, so i'll stay away from that. I am strongly leaning toward shrimp now as Snail described.
> 
> I posted a similar question on a shrimp forum. They said theoretically shrimp would work, however many plant fertilizers are not compatible with shrimp so i would need to do some research to find one that is. (or possibly not use fertilizer??)
> 
> ...


FWIW I just use the thriving plants to filter my tanks. *old dude

my .02


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## clep.berry (Mar 4, 2012)

If it looks like a septic tank, smells like a septic tank... it must be Bob's fish tank.
cb


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

clep.berry said:


> If it looks like a septic tank, smells like a septic tank... it must be Bob's fish tank.
> cb


*r2*r2*r2


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Lets not turn this into another Bob bashing thread, regardless of what anyone thinks of his methods, there are enough of them already.

Actually in this case a filterless tank is not a bad idea, with just plants and shrimp it should do fine. Even so it's usually best to have a small powerhead or air stone running for circulation. And if you have that you might as well have a sponge filter attached to it. I am a big fan of canister filters but with no fish in the tank it would be way overkill IMO and as navigator black said less can go wrong with a sponge filter when you are not there.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

fertilizer: I would skip on regular dosing, you are not going to be there to do it regularly anyway. Doing it every day then stopping suddenly for two months will just cause you problems. 

I suggest a nutrient rich substrate. A nutrient rich substrate cuts down on the need for ferts. There are good commercial plant substrates available which would be the easiest but they tend to be expensive. If you want to save money and are willing to fiddle about with it you can also do your own DIY soil based substrate. IMO either one is good a good choice for growing plants.

If you do need ferts I suggest slow releasing root tablets.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Not really true that plant ferts aren't compatible with shrimp. Many, many shrimp tanks out there with CO2, ferts, etc.. Some may not be, but I would think they are few and far between. Very small traces of copper will not harm shrimp.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

I agree, lots of people use ferts for shrimp tanks, you just have to watch out you don't overdo it. For the purpose of keeping the tank low maintenance as possible though i would avoid regular dosing or CO2.


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## BBradbury (Apr 22, 2011)

Jim Lamb said:


> Hello,
> 
> I've recently been inspired to start my own aquarium. Due to my job however, i am usually away for up to 8 weeks at a time! I was wondering what the ideal set up for an aquarium for someone in my situation would be (if any). I'm considering a heavily plant based aquarium with some shrimp and no fish??
> (It would be in a 30 gallon tank)
> ...


Hello Jim...

In theory, you can set up a tank, with fish and plants that could go extended periods without much maintenance. The key plant in such a tank is called "Chinese Evergreen". It will thrive in low light, but is grown emersed. The roots must be in the tank water and the leaves grow above the water. I have such a tank I'm working on and will have it finished in a few days.

Here are the particulars: 45 gallon tall with a T12, 6500K bulb for the benefit of the standard aquatic plants. The tank cover is a bifold canopy with the front half lifted up exposing the water surface.

Use a plastic lattice cut to fit the area above the water and then cuts made in the lattice to accomodate small plastic pots. Cut the bottoms out of the pots and put those into the lattice. Get several small Chinese Evergreen plants from Lowe's or wherever and rinse all the potting mixture off the plant roots. Carefully push the plant into the pots and you're done.

The plant roots use the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates from the fish waste, so there's really no need for a water change. You will need to replace the water lost to evaporation.

That's basically it!

B


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## BBradbury (Apr 22, 2011)

Hello again Jim...

Well, here it is. A tank, that in theory, won't require routine water changes. The Chinese Evergreen or any varieties of "Aglaonema" emersed in the tank will use up the dissolved wastes and keep the water pure. With the exception of topping off the tank due to water evaporation, no water changes are needed.

If you need the particulars, then get a copy of D. C. Johnson's paperback titled "Never Change Your Fish Water Again". The pics attached are a variation of his much larger, 150 gallon tank. 

Will be checking the water chemistry a couple of times per week to see how good a job the new plants do of keeping the water pure.

Above everything else, have fun.

B


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## Auban (Aug 8, 2010)

i routinely set up tanks that i never do water changes on. i simply leave the lights on 24/7. i set the tank up initialy with everything the inhabitant is going to eat and then never touch it again. when the inhabitants eventually die, i just start over again.

sounds cruel?
it actually mimics nature quite nicely, and the inhabitants live long lives(for what they are).

Triops Longicaudatus, the tadpole shrimp.


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## meBNme (Oct 7, 2011)

.


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## meBNme (Oct 7, 2011)

Ahhhhh whadda you guys know???

THe OP just needs a large enough tank and 8 weeks will be fine!
I think that famous guy up in Canada only has to do tank maintenance ever few months on his............ 50,000 gallon basement tank.

See?? Just need a big enough tank that's all!

A complete ecosystem with everything from airopaima and 6 ft catfish to guppies all in one tank.


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## Auban (Aug 8, 2010)

...
...
i want one...


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Cool tank, the OP want's to do it in a 30 gallon though. Harder to set up a compete ecosystem for fish in a 30 gallon


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