Pablo wrote:
I have a small 1.6 gallon fish tank. I added a small gold fish and a
pleco. I think the tank is going through the set-up cycle (amonia
nitrite nitrate). I think the gold fish is passing out. Anyways, Is
it possible to have that small tank with no mechanical filter, just
the air stone and the undergravel filter?


Hi Pablo,

Firstly as others have said before me that tank is too small to sustain
a goldfish or a pleco let alone both.....the smallest of Plecos that I
have is 3-4" and that would be too big for that tank....but if you are
serious about keeping fish then by posting here you have made a good
start.... :-)

If you want to keep your goldfish then you will need a bigger tank with
mechanical filtration......but then it depends if you are attached to
keeping your goldfish and plec (which you might need to lose anyway
depending on the type of plec) or if you want a nice small aquatic tank
to look at - or if space issues have dictated that you can only keep a
small tank......

You mention an undergravel filter so you are not without any filtration
- is this correct? Although I have not heard much good about UGFs I
would guess in a tank this small having a canister would fill the tank
without anything else being added....so in reality if you are going to
keep fish in there you are just going to have to be vigilant with the
water changes - I would recommend twice weekly changes of around 20-30%

Now the prickly subject of what you can keep in that tank - goldfish
(even one) is a no, no as is the plec.....depending on the size of the
plec and the size of your budget you could upgrade the tank - and you
could either go for it (a 55g) or do it gradually over the time....

As for tropicals....I would never keep them without a heater in the
tank....the ambient temperature in my house is usually 70F but it does
drop quite considerably at night during the winter - this is where the
heater kicks in - temperature swings are bad for tropicals if they go
beyond a certain range....then of course, and this applies to your
goldie as well it is very difficult to maintain temperatures in a tank
that small in the heat of summer....it can easily go way too high....not
saying that you can't do it - just that it is harder in a small tank....

IMO I would not put a betta in a 1.6g tank because having only ever kept
them in a 5g I think it is too small plus temperature management becomes
an issue....but you do have some options....you could plant the tank
heavily and introduce some shrimps/crabs etc....the bioload of these
creatures is much lower than fish....and it could be great to
watch....or you could go for three of a smaller temperate fish like
White Cloud Minnow:-

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.u...article_id=262

Anyway it really depends on what you want to do and spend.....but the
goldfish/plec in that tank is not going to work (and I wouldn't even go
for a betta but you might get away with it)It would be a great shame for
you to get put off fishkeeping because of this experience....

Gill