3 gal freshwater tank

[Calvinorc]

Hey all,

 

I've been out of the hobby for 5-6 years now, since I was working on the road (oil n gas) and wasn't home to take care of the tank.  My wife was taking care of the house and raising our 2 little girls, and really did not know anything about my tank, or how to handle caring for it.  She was a trooper, but... a near catastrophe convinced me I needed to sell the tank until I was home full time.  (the dosing pump's digital timer got switched to full time on and was flooding the tank with alkalinity... she managed to save it with some quick water changes and we didn't lose anything.  Ended up selling it to a couple local reefers.) 

 

I got a tiny little 3 gallon Marineland Coutour 3 tank from a neighbor, that I stuck on my old Biocube 14 stand.  I'm setting it up as a freshwater tank and letting the girls pick out all of the decoration colors and fish to go in it.  The problem I have now is, the pump on it is pathetic, and you can barely see that the water's even moving.  I know it's freshwater and doesn't need the same flow, but... it just seems way too weak for this tank.  I'd like to upgrade the pump to something that will fit, but still has some power to get the water moving a little better.  Money is very tight right now, so I'm looking for a tiny pump with a little juice, that won't break the bank. 

It's also got a little bio-sponge below a little marineland filter, which I'm assuming is fine for its size.  The second thing I'd like to know is, on a freshwater tank, can I (should I) add purigen and chemipure, filter sock, etc.  Is that overkill? I plan on doing weekly 1 gallon water changes with fresh RODI water.  Do I even need to worry about the filtration? 
 

Appreciate any advice, since this is my first attempt at a fresh water tank... so even tho I've had 2 successful reef tanks, I feel like a complete newbie! 

 

Thanks,

 

John

[DISQUALIFIED-QQ]

You could something like this https://www.amazon.com/Jebao-Pp300Lv-Water-Pump-GPH/dp/B0088892PK/ref=sr_1_3?crid=13ZX687TS9ZLX&dchild=1&keywords=40+gph+submersible+pump&qid=1596059349&sprefix=40+gph%2Caps%2C156&sr=8-3

[Tired]

I hate to tell you this, but that tank is too small for any freshwater fish. All the tiny options need more space to move, they're very active fish. It's not like reefs, where we have a handful of inch-long gobies that like to just sit in one place. Bettas are OK (but not great) in a 5gal, but you need a 10gal to keep pretty much anything. I'd get a 10gal or so, and stock it with things like male guppies and neon tetras, little guys. Micro rasboras, if you can find them locally.

If you got a 5gal, it would work OK for some male (but not female!) endlers' livebearers, or a single male betta. 

 

Don't use RODI water in freshwater tanks. It doesn't have any minerals in it, which is bad for the fish long-term. Dechlorinated tap is fine, just pick fish that like your local water hardness.

 

Basically any filter will work fine on a freshwater tank, IME. Sponge filters put out hardly any flow, and those are the standard for using in fry tanks.