Fish with no heater or filter?

[Brine]

Here is my predicament I have started an aquatic garden in a bottle and though I could DIY a bunch of stuff to heat and filter the thing I thought there may be a fish or invert that could stand a room temp tank and only water changes as a way of removing waste.
Any ideas? I know they sell Betta's in little plastic cups but can one be happy in a set up like this? I'd prefer to have a little community tank but again I don't know what could tolerate and thrive in these conditions.
If I do have to go through the trouble of DIYing the thing I am going to have to rethink it....SW perhaps? That would be very cool indeed. Mwahahaha


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[beowulf]

SW might be interesting but you would only be able to use live ruble I guess....no way to get the rock in. 

I would think a betta might work but the opening is small.  I really have to think what I would do with something like this.

[Aquaviewer]

Unless you keep your house at a rock steady temp, the water temperature is going to fluctuate between day and night.  Temperature variations are very stressfull on fish, even being at slightly higher or lower than optimum temps for a given species is better than constant temperature shifts.

[Chinaman]

Based on the picture you attached, it looks like it's the 23-L glass carboy,
the one that I use to brew my wine?  If that's the case, you could get a heating
pad from any of the local wine-making stores?  It keeps the temperature at
wine brewing range, i.e., 25C

[BigDaddy]

Killies perhaps?  They can handle huge temp changes and that bottle is PLENTY of room for them.

[Zoe]

My concern with this would be the gas exchange... the opening seems too small for proper CO2 / O2 exchange.
If you don't want to / cannot heat it, a betta would not be a good option. They are warm climate fish requiring 78-80F water to be healthy.
You could go with killifish.

Unless you keep your house at a rock steady temp, the water temperature is going to fluctuate between day and night.  Temperature variations are very stressfull on fish

I wouldn't worry too much about that depending on how large the fluctuations are.  Water changes temps in the wild, too 

[Mettle]

I agree with the whole "tiny opening" thing. I would drop the water level slightly so that it's broader around the edge of the container.

As for what to keep in there...

People constantly keep bettas in bowls and such without issue. I have one sitting on a shelf in my room in a 2g tank with no filter or heater and it's been that way for probably close to 4 years now. It was one I inherited back when I was working at Super Pet. And that's a while back now...

I also have a 2 gallon drum bowl with a single male guppy. Not sure where he came from but he appeared one day in one of my betta tanks I think so I put him in that glass drum bowl with some diftwood and java moss and he's been good for about a year now.

Key is NOT OVERFEEDING. That's what I've found.

Also... That light you have above it will likely heat it a LOT if kept on constantly...

As for "variation in temperature". There is some argument on this. Because in the wild fish swim around different areas. Different depths. Different locales within their respective ecosystems. And sometimes they do encounter rather drastic and sudden changes. Or even gradual... SO... Grain of salt. Nothing's a rule, right? In any setup there is likely to be SOME variance.

[Brine]

The water level will be much lower. I have it to the top so I can pick out the dead and floating plant leaves for now. Once the plants get rooted and settled I'll lower the level and introduce whatever stock I end up choosing. I think a Betta would look great but I'd like to have more than one creature in here. So what can live with a Betta in such a tank?

[fischkopp]

The idea is not bad for a small tank but I am affraid the bottleneck will be the bottleneck I find the opening way to small to do any kind of maintance other than a water change. It will be difficult to move things in and especially out. Not sure whether a betta will even fit thru ... just a thought.

[dan2x38]

You can use the Hydor mini heater. Weight a small sponge filter lower that in. Maybe attach to part of a branch to conceal and/or raise lower a DIY sponge filter. Use a turkey baster to remove leaves. How about a zibra snailor good old fashioned cherry shrimp; watch NO3. A Betta would fit. Most ppl do not heat their tanks or provide good water that is why they die so often... Bettas like Goldfish suffer way to often... To bad you could not make a larger hole at the back. Maintanence will be a challenge be like a ship in a bottle...

[Nerine]

bottle gardens/tanks are GREAT! long pair of tongs and patience is all it takes. you should have no problem with taking care of it as long as you are patient and have the proper tools.

[sas]

I use to do bottle gardens back when I was younger and had lots of time . The tank twist on it sounds intriguing. You will be amazed at how warm that water in the bottle will stay, especially if you plan on utilizing natural sunlight.
     The fish you plan on putting in is another story. I'm not sure a Betta will appreciate being stuffed through that small neck. I can picture flowing fins being peeled off the inside of the neck of the bottle  .
  The next question would be what happens if you ever had to get the livestock out for whatever reason?

[kennyman]

I think it would be really cool if you could get some kind of beaverpond critter in there. Cold tolerant Check! Creepy looking Check! Lives is ucky water Check!