Setting up 10g Betta tank

[Poliwog17]

What would be the best substrate to use and what are some good low maintenance plants?

 

[librarygirl]

For bettas, pretty much any substrate will do. Some low-maintenance, low-light plants are anubias, java fern, swords, crypts, water wisteria, water sprite, java moss.

 

[Poliwog17]

For bettas, pretty much any substrate will do. Some low-maintenance, low-light plants are anubias, java fern, swords, crypts, water wisteria, water sprite, java moss.

What is the best substrate for the plants though?

 

[shellieca]

My 5 tanks all have gravel subsrate, I have no special lighting & I add ferts once a week with a water change. I have swords, anacharis, water sprite, java, vals & one or two I have no idea what they are. I have found that certain plants grow great in one tank but not so well in another, its very odd.

 

[Poliwog17]

My 5 tanks all have gravel subsrate, I have no special lighting & I add ferts once a week with a water change. I have swords, anacharis, water sprite, java, vals & one or two I have no idea what they are. I have found that certain plants grow great in one tank but not so well in another, its very odd.

Is the lighting different than the other tank? I have been told that certain plants have a "lighting requirement" which I'm not even sure what that means. Either the wattage has to be a certain level or they need led lights or lights for so many hours idk. I just want some plants that will need nothing more then a little fertilizer a few times a month. I will try the java fern first and slowly add on.

 

[Wilkes]

Lighting requirements is the light intensity

Low (stock lighting)
Moderate
High

The better your lighting the better your plants will do. If your keeping standard low maintenance plants I wouldn't worry about the substrate too much. Java fern is a good one to start with.

You can also use root tabs which are relatively inexpensive and provide extra nutrients

 

[librarygirl]

For slow-growing low-light plants pretty much any substrate would do. I have plain sand in both of my planted tanks and everything grows fine. As WIlkes said you can add some root tabs which would help provide some nutrients. Be careful planting java fern and anubias; they preferred to be attached to wood or rocks but if you have them in the substrate just make sure you don't bury the rhizome or the plant will die.

 

[shellieca]

Is the lighting different than the other tank? I have been told that certain plants have a "lighting requirement" which I'm not even sure what that means. Either the wattage has to be a certain level or they need led lights or lights for so many hours idk. I just want some plants that will need nothing more then a little fertilizer a few times a month. I will try the java fern first and slowly add on.

3 tanks are 10g with the exact same light hood, 1 of the 3 is actually next to a window. All 3 tanks have 1 male Betta with a Mystery Snail, get the same weekly water change & additives (ferts, Prime).

 

[Bettafanatic]

Where bettas come from, the substrate is rich with clay so getting a clay substrate will help to mimic the betta's natural habitat. If you want some plants they'd find in the wild, you can use cryptocorynes, vallisneria spiralis, and anything else from SE Asia. Just in case you're interested in biotoping.

 

[Poliwog17]

Where bettas come from, the substrate is rich with clay so getting a clay substrate will help to mimic the betta's natural habitat. If you want some plants they'd find in the wild, you can use cryptocorynes, vallisneria spiralis, and anything else from SE Asia. Just in case you're interested in biotoping.

Cool I will look for those! Now here's a major question. They sell those drops to make water safe for Betta, after cycling the tank for a week with plants do you think with the drops I could put the Betta in?

 

[vance1013]

Cool I will look for those! Now here's a major question. They sell those drops to make water safe for Betta, after cycling the tank for a week with plants do you think with the drops I could put the Betta in?

All that is is your basic water conditioner you would use in your other tanks so getting that doesnt really matter just use what you normally use to dechlorinate your water to make it safe and it takes longer than a week to cycle a tank if you have established media it will really help kick start the cycle

 

[Poliwog17]

Okay thanks a bunch. I am going to buy the substrate with active bacteria and give it a few weeks to cycle.

 

[shellieca]

Okay thanks a bunch. I am going to buy the substrate with active bacteria and give it a few weeks to cycle.

When you say cycle you mean you're going to do a fish LESS cycle by adding ammonia, testing your water with a liquid test kit, redosing ammonia when needed & when ammonia goes to 0 within a 24 hr period & there are 0 nitrItes for multiple days in a row thenyou'll add fish? I just want to make sure you understand that cycling a tank isn't just setting it up & letting it run.

 

[Poliwog17]

When you say cycle you mean you're going to do a fish LESS cycle by adding ammonia, testing your water with a liquid test kit, redosing ammonia when needed & when ammonia goes to 0 within a 24 hr period & there are 0 nitrItes for multiple days in a row thenyou'll add fish? I just want to make sure you understand that cycling a tank isn't just setting it up & letting it run.

Yes I understand.