File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
So /an/, just built this.

Two lightbulbs, the lower one with aquarium gravel, the upper with all the guts of a filter. (Activated charcoal, that filtery flossy stuff)

An air pump runs through the smaller hose, pumping air into the bottom of the bigger hose, raising water into the filter lightbulb. This trickles down along the media and sides of the bulb to the opening, where surface tension causes it to run down along the same tube it came up.

Would it be okay to put like three tiny fish in there? Or would they fucking die?

I made this possibly overkill filtration system because I want to keep fish in a tiny tank that looks cool on my desk without having to replace the water every other day. Also it looks cool.
>> Anonymous
your fish will die
>> Anonymous
>>336100
I don't know why i lol'd
>> Anonymous
>>336100
>> Anonymous
>I made this possibly overkill filtration system because I want to keep fish in a tiny tank that looks cool on my desk without having to replace the water every other day. Also it looks cool.

just means you'll have to clean your filter often
>> Anonymous
>>336109
Even if the fish are tiny as fuck? The filter packaging said it was for a 1-3 gal tank and that it should be replaced monthly.

I've got like 24oz in the whole system.
>> Anonymous
they will die, no matter how teeny they are.
And I think it looks unpleasant and a bit weird to have on your desk.
If you continue with your plan, and any females happen to see your desk with its dead/dying fish, they are likely to be unimpressed.
>> Anonymous
You'll never get a proper answer from an /an/ fag because everyone thinks that anything less than ten gallons for a fish is barbaric.

Assuming everything works, and seeing as what fish live in in stores, you could probably put one tiny-ass fish in there and have it be OK. You should put in a little plant, too. That would be cool.
>> Anonymous
if you get some galaxy rasboras, or some air breathing fish, you can put whatever you want in there. Cory Cats or a betta is your best bet, but the rasboras will be tiny enough. They're like have a neon tetra long (1-2cm)
>> Anonymous
Nice Petco gravel. I work at Petco. :3
>> Anonymous
>>336213

Its not barbaric, but close to. The filtration would be fine but it is not enough room for the fish to develop adequate muscles for it to be completely happy and it probably die, maybe not instantly but eventually it would probably die.
>> Anonymous
Put like one neon tetra in there.
>> Anonymous
>>336222
I recognize yur gravel
>> Anonymous
No fish. srsly

Anyone that wants to seriously try this setup should look into getting a pond snail, or a ghost shrimp, maybe. And you could just feed it scraps of lettuce and fruit. Might be fun.
>> Anonymous
Looks like drug paraphenalia to me....
>> Anonymous
>>336283
this.
or just a really neat plant
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Okay /an/, new setup, and added animals.

New much bigger lightbulb, it's like a small melon.

Three neon tetras, and four ghost shrimp. I plan on putting a plant of some sort in there later as well.

I have to say, the shrimp are way fucking cool, the fish are kind of boring but meh.

Now using two smaller tubes because of the reduced size at the "mouth" of the lightbulb, water still goes into the filter and drips back down along the same tube into the bulb.

Feeding and cleaning is done with another tube with a syringe attached to the back. I can suck out a bit of water, put it in a tray, add food to it, suck it back up, and squirt it back into the bulb.

Suggestions on what kind of plant? Various sources say that both the shrimp and the tetras like hiding places.

Predictions for the lifespan of my pets? I kind of don't care if the fish die now, the shrimp are way cooler.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
The shrimp are way fucking cool.
>> Anonymous
>>336379
They will suffocate.
>> Anonymous
>>336386
It does look pretty cool though.
>> Anonymous
>>336379

The fish are boring because you only have 3 and they're schooling fish. They need to be in groups of at least six otherwise they can get stressed/timid and generally unhappy... They also can't really swim in light bulb. (Seriously man, why get fish if they can't really swim?)

Honestly just take the fish back to the store and keep the shrimp.

Plant suggestion wise.... java moss. Can't go wrong.

Personally, I'd take the gravel out as well. It'll make clean-up easier and give the shrimp more room. It's easier to spot shit in a bare bottom tank... Or replace the gravel with a -thin- layer of sand (but you already got animals in there so that's pointless.)
>> Anonymous
>>336386
Elaborate.
>> Anonymous
>>336422
They will be fine with just three,

that bulb looks like they have plenty of room to live,

the gravel is fine.


Don't listen to this guy op.
>> Anonymous
>>336386
How the fuck could a fish suffocate?
>> Anonymous
They're dead. Here's why. You said you just built it, which I assume means you have no a or n bacs built up. And with that tiny amount of water, ammonia will build up quickly. The fish will suffocate. Maybe they could survive if you cycled your shit first, but you're probably too lazy, as that would take a few weeks and you already have the fish. Enjoy your carcasses.
>> Anonymous
>>336467


Aren't neon tetras recommended for new tanks in order to help along the nitrogen cycle? Or am I thinking of another fish...
>> Anonymous
Another thing, even if they some how manage to survive in the ammonia rich water, you have two more problems. 1. The ammonia will still cause damage, like burning their gills and shortening their life span and 2. How are you going to clean out waste? Excess food could lead to algae growth if even a little natural light gets to the bulb, or it will just build up along with fecal matter.
>> Anonymous
>>336467
OP here. Activated carbon filters ammonium faggot.
>> Anonymous
>>336474
No tetras like to chill at the bottom of the tank, where ammonia is highest and oxygen is lowest. Probably the best fish in cycle breed is B. Splendens, as they don't need to breath from the water, though it will still damage their gills. Best solution is to actually prepare for keeping fish and use bottled ammonia weeks in advance before you put fish in. Just search the internet for fishless cycling to find specifics. It's much more humane than making a guinea pig rough it out in terrible water conditions.
>> Anonymous
>>336476
Cleaning like I would any other fishbowl. Sucking out uneaten food with the syringe/tubing I mentioned earlier and replacing half the water weekly.
>> Anonymous
>>336479

Haha, nice try, it doesn't. You can't just take ammonia and have it go away. You need a bacteria colony to eat it, which then produces nitrite, also toxic. You have a second colony convert that to nitrate. Don't trust the packaging at the fish store. I've seen them try to hawk "live bacteria" in a close bottle at room temperature as well. Fail.
>> Anonymous
>>336483
Surprise!

The AC in tank filters are impregnated with zeolite.

Removes ammonium.
>> Anonymous
the only thing you can pull off in that lightbulb is some shrimp. Get some cool looking cherry shrimp.
>> Anonymous
It doesn't remove, that's against the law of conservation of matter. What it does is bond the ammonia to the AC. Eventually, however, bonding sites will be depleted, and then ammonia will build up.
>> Anonymous
>>336487
Durrrr Hurrrr Gee I thought I could leave it in there forever
>> Anonymous
Well, I can't assume you'd know to replace it, since you put half a school of an athletic breed in a bulb.
>> Anonymous
>>336491
Chemistry and keeping fish alive are two very different things.
>> Anonymous
How so? That's like saying chemistry and keeping people alive are different things. Sure humans can live without chemistry, but the quality of life of a human is much better with knowledge of chemistry and biology. Living things run on laws, not hopes and wishes.
>> Anonymous
>>336493
Basic chemistry is taught in school.

Fish keeping is not.
>> Anonymous
Okay. That still doesn't validate your comment. Maybe "High school level chemistry does not validate you as an aquarist." is what you were going for. But I'm speaking as a long time aquarist, not a high schooler.
>> Anonymous
>>336497
My point is only that one can reasonably expect at least a basic knowledge of chemistry from a person, while knowledge of fish care is much more specialized.
>> Anonymous
I agree on that point, but this set up is not exactly ideal fish-keeping. There's a big difference between living and thriving. It's OPs fish though, he can, of course, do whatever he sees fit. Just my unsolicited opinion.
>> Anonymous
>>336500
While the fish may not be able to do so well, how do you think the shrimp will fare?
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Kinda reminds me of a bio dome. I have one of these and it's been sealed for 2 and a half years. The shrimp inside are still alive also.

We had to do something like this in biology class. Make an aquarium setup that will allow an animal to survive for 1 week with no human intervention. Most important things for this to work is;
1) making sure animal has enough oxygen
2) providing enough food
3) ensure the waste levels do not become toxic

Easiest way to do this is get a jar, stick in some elodea, place 1 small plant eating fish (this excludes betas, goldfish should be avoided because they produce too much waste), place in partial light (too much sun may cook the fish)

These setup are a delicate balance, too much sun will cook the fish, not enough will starve the plants. Plants get their nutrients from the fish waste, too many plants will cause them to starve, decayed plants will poison the water. Too many fish or too large fish will produce too much waste. Too little plants will starve the fish, for both food and oxygen. We only did our experiments for 1 week because after that it becomes dangerous for the fish.
>> Anonymous
I honestly have never kept shrimp, and know little about them, so I can't really venture to say.
>> Anonymous
>>336507
Do Betta eat plants? Their preferred diet is meat like brine shrimp, mosquito larvae or bloodworms. I've never really tried getting them to eat plants.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>336512
I've been told no but I've seen them picking picking at peace lily roots in the oh so popular Betta in a Vase. I think they only do it out of desperation. It's properly not very nutritious for them as most carnivores are unable to digest plant matter properly.

Honestly when I did my experiment I used a beta because I knew it could breathe air. I snuck in some betta food and added some elodea just for looks. I kinda cheated but I still passed.
>> Anonymous
>>336512
They can eat plants every once in while. Shouldn't be a major part of their diet though, they're carnivores. Some people like myself give them part of a mushy pea every week or so to aid digestion. And my betta absolutely loves them actually. it must be like a treat to him or something. Then again he's just weird.
>> Anonymous
>>336523
I'm dense, I've done that before as well. The fiber is good for them, especially if you can only supply freeze dried food. I learned to use them after he got an upset tummy that aggravated his swim bladder, preventing him from sinking. He was quite upset.
>> Anonymous
>>336525
Yeah thats what happened to make me start using the peas. Poor fish was so pissed off that he couldn't swim down for more than a few inches. Kinda scared the shit outa me until I realized what was wrong with him.
>> Anonymous
>>336528
Ya, same here. He would swim to the bottom of the tank, but then float right back up tail first. I was thoroughly freaked out the first time I saw it. He did love them peas though. So what do you feed yours? I have an aquarist nearby that sells me his bloodworms and occasionally mosquito larvae.
>> Anonymous
>>336536
Haha poor guys. Right now I'm alternating Hikari freeze dried brine shrimp, and Tetra freeze dried blood worms. and a pea about every week or so. He seems to be doing very well with that. Hasn't had any more swim bladder issues since that last time. I envy you and having live food available for yours. I've looked everywhere and I can't seem to find any.
>> Anonymous
wow this thread makes me rage, good job OP.

>>336556
Freeze-dried foods tend to be a little fattening, so I would say you might want to put some regular "staple" food into his diet (like betta pellets) although if you're not having any problems, keep going ahead with that and ignore me.

You can actually order live food cultures off the internet (look around aquabid.com) and every once in a while you harvest some live wigglies for your fish, and the rest of them keep on reproducing...