getting my 8 gallon (re)set up.. filtration advice?

[alicialav]

I've been thinking, since I've been fish free for over 1.5 yrs now (having moved around the country a little more than I would like!) it's probably a good time to get my 8 gallon tank unpacked and perhaps rescue one of those poor bettas-in-a-cup at Petco.

I don't have any of my previous equipment or decor, except for the light. I was thinking I'd keep it simple and go for an unplanted setup, but that's as far as I've gotten with planning. Can someone advise me on filtration? We had an Aquaclear before but we'd like to get a submerged filter this time. Would bio-only filtration be sufficient, or do we need the full three stage deal? Ideally I'd like something as noise-free as possible.

As for inhabitants, I know an 8 gallon can't support a lot. Along with the betta, I would want to have shrimp, but it's an open-top set up. Someone remind me, is that a no-no? In addition, it will probably be tempting to get one or two small, non-schooling fish. Feels like I have to relearn everything here! Anybody got some suggestions for my set-up?

TIA!

 

[Rbishop]

What's the footprint of the tank? An internal filter can be nice but takes up room. If you can handle the looks or hide it behind decor, a simple sponge filter is all you need.

 

[alicialav]

thanks, those are good considerations. the tank is 16x10, with a clip-on 9-11 watt light. btw, I didn't mention that I have a toddler so I have to be "a little" worried about her messing with components. Is there really any safe way to do this? Honestly I am just tempted to have an outdoor low (LOW) tech tank so we can have a pet without all the terrible risk. Or maybe just use the tank to house something a little less.. wet. Anymore thoughts on the subject appreciated!

 

[Jspigs]

Be sure to fishless cycle the tank. Betta fish are good jumpers so you need a lid for your tank. One more tip: don't ever replace your bio-media no matter how discolored it gets, the discoloration is the benificial bacteria and if you throw out your bio-media and your tank wi minicycle.

 

[alicialav]

Yeah, I made that mistake once with my old 40g.. I was switching from HOB to cannister, and for some reason didn't think of maintaining the old filtration while the new settled in, or using the old filter media in the new filter. It's all the little details that matter most in fishkeeping, isn't it?