Filter advice needed (for fire bellies)

[evut]

Hi, I've got a large tank (3ft x 1 ft) which I'd like to fill with 7-8 inches of water. I'm not sure what a good filter would be so if you could recommend a good one it would really help (has to be available in the UK). I've noticed that a lot of internal filters need replacement cartridges which I believe makes running them quite expensive. If there are good filters which don't need replacement media (or not too often or something cheap) then I'd definitely prefer that.
Biggest issue of course is the low water level - it's difficult to understand from the descriptions on the internet if a filter can be used in such conditions or not.
I'm planning to keep the bottom bare and maybe (if it's a good idea?) put a couple of seed trays in with some substrate for plants.
Many thanks for your help!

 

[Greatwtehunter]

With that amount of water I would go with having no filter at all. It would probably just create to much current and add un-needed heat to the water. Just get lots of plants and do 2 or 3 10% water changes a week and they will be happy as can be. Thats just another option to consider.

 

[michael]

What animals will you be keeping in the tank? With that information we could better ascertain your filter needs.

 

[evut]

Thanks for your replies.
I'm thinking of getting 4 fire bellied newts. (maybe the Japanese ones if I can get them).
If I start the tank without the filter, how would it work? Just put tap water with treatment in and the plants and decorations? Also, will I be able to add a small filter later (if I decide to get one)?

 

[michael]

For 4 fire belly newts in that big of a tank with lots of plants I'd go with no filter or a bubble up sponge filter. I have 6 Kanto Japanese newts in a 10 gallon tank with a sponge filter and they are fine.

 

[KJ_29]

Hi Eva,
I tried a lot of filter set-ups in my fire-bellys' tank. The filters created a fairly strong current, and heated up the water in the tank. I agree with Michael and Justin that a tank with lots of live plants and no filter is a good approach. Azhael recommended this to me initially. I'm pretty sure that it's a beneficial option; my newts are, seemingly, much much happier with my current set-up than with a filter

 

[evut]

Hi! It's nice that you all have the same opinion on filters - makes it so much easier for me

Karl and Michael, please can you tell me how often you change water (same as Justin?)? And do you use any water conditioners? I've filled the tank with tap water and added some Aquatan http://www.sera.de/index.php?id=648&L=1
I will hopefully order plants tomorrow and get some stones and wood in. Next week I'd like to get the newts. Does this sound ok? Will I need to change the water in the meantime or just leave it? Thanks again!

 

[merk199]

I have been mulling over this filterless idea for my cynops when they go aquatic. Do you provide any sort of slight water movement at all or is it just lots of plants, and wc 3 times a week? I have kept reef tanks, and currently have a planted freshwater tank. So I am having a hard time getting over the no water movement issue though I frequently see it mentioned here.

 

[Greatwtehunter]

Karl and Michael, please can you tell me how often you change water (same as Justin?)? And do you use any water conditioners? I've filled the tank with tap water and added some Aquatan http://www.sera.de/index.php?id=648&L=1

I do a 10% water change 3 times a week and then once a month I do a 25% change. I do use a dechlorinator but I have never tried the product you linked so I can't advise you on the effectiveness of it.

I will hopefully order plants tomorrow and get some stones and wood in. Next week I'd like to get the newts. Does this sound ok?

This sounds great. However, I should warn you that depending on what type of wood you use it'll probably turn your water a slight brownish color due to the tannins. I have never noticed any adverse effects from the water and actually I quite fancy the look. If you decide you don't want brown water then you can soak the wood for about 5-6 days, change the water daily, and that should eliminate most of the tannins (you will still probably have some water color issues but after a few more water changes it should eliminate the problem).

Will I need to change the water in the meantime or just leave it? Thanks again!

I would just leave the water alone for the first week or so. Then again, I think it shouldn't hurt none if you do decide to change some of the water.

Do you provide any sort of slight water movement at all or is it just lots of plants, and wc 3 times a week?

I personally use no water movement at all but there are some members who prefer to add at least an air stone to it. If you go the no movement route and you start to see a film on top of the water then you could add an air stone and that should resolve that issue.

 

[KJ_29]

Similar to Michael, I do a 10-15% water change every 3 days, which works out at around 2-3 times a week.
I use a dechlorinator, adding to water I have standing in containers (ones that won't release chemicals into the water) for use in a water change. Whether this makes any difference to adding it straight into a tank, I'm unsure.
In regards to doing a water change before putting the newts in, I think it's recommended on the Cycling article (http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml) to do a 20% water change before adding the amphibians to the tank. I must admit that I wasn't as meticulous in cycling my tank as that article recommends, though I haven't had any problems with my tank as such, and my newts seem particularly happy. Lots of live plants provides a huge surface area for beneficial bacteria (sounds like an actimel advert ) to grow on.
If I've any of that wrong, hopefully someone will point it out, I'm simply going off what I've found that works well

 

[michael]

Similar to Michael, I do a 10-15% water change every 3 days, which works out at around 2-3 times a week.

Somewhere something got credited to me that I didn't say. I never do that many water changes. Once a month or less often would be my average for a tank that isn't jammed full of salamanders. I use a dechlorinator when I do water changes. I'm real fond of using a small sponge filter or airstone instead of nothing.

 

[freves]

This is a slight deviation from the topic however I recently ran across one of these http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10291765 at my local walmart. I am using it in a 10 gallon quarantine tank that is approximately one third full of water. Because of the small size I would never use it in a permanent setup however it seems to be working well for my current need. The pump is located outside of the tank so there is no risk of adding extra heat to the water and since it is a chemical and mechanical filter there is no wait for colonizing bacteria as there is with sponge filters. I am still doing partials 2 times a week since I am feeding bloodworms, whiteworms, reptomin, and so on. It is also cheap, I cannot remember exactly what I paid at the moment but I believe that it was under 10.00. Otherwise, I use sponge filters of various sizes in all of my aquatic enclosures, along with weekly partial water changes.
Chip

 

[KJ_29]

Somewhere something got credited to me that I didn't say. I never do that many water changes. Once a month or less often would be my average for a tank that isn't jammed full of salamanders. I use a dechlorinator when I do water changes. I'm real fond of using a small sponge filter or airstone instead of nothing.

Sorry Michael, I meant Justin, I think I read that in his post!

 

[malduroque]

Evut,

There are filters designed for shallow water. There's an Elite one and one made by Zoo Med among others. They're small (4-6 inches long, under 2 inches wide) and can be mounted sideways if desired. They're mounted via suction cups. They do have replaceable media but it's not very expensive. The media's also washable up to a point. Of course, periodic partial water changes are necessary even with filters but less than with no filter at all.

As far as temperature increase, I haven't measured that and it will vary greatly depending on how many gallons you're using, but I believe it to be negligible with these units.

I've used them for my paddle-tail before he was moved to his current 20 gallon long home and I currently have one in a 1.5 gallon container within my 55 gallon multi-speices anuran setup.

Mal, local pariah

 

[Azhael]

Well i´m glad it worked Karl
The thing is, C.orientalis and C.pyrrhogaster are both still water creatures. They prefer non-moving masses of water. In fact too much of a current can stress them enough to actually leave the water.

If you fill the tank with water(as much as you can, because the more the water the better, and they are probably never going to use a terrestrial area anyway), lots of live plants, and do regular changes, you´ll be golden.

 

[eyrops]

I'm real fond of using a small sponge filter or airstone instead of nothing.

For my Xenopus frogs in a shallow water setup I use a small sponge filter. I cut off the airlift tube so it's below the water surface. I am unsure if this would create too much water movement for your animals. It seems pretty gentle if the air isn't blowing hard. The actual water movement seems pretty minor but it definitely creates a bubbling sound.

-Steve Morse

 

[Alejandro]

I would recommend a Mini Duetto.